A study on usages of slang in english language

Scope of the study The study focuses on the general information on slang and the different uses and applications of slang in the English language, particularly in specific fields and si

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH

GRADUATION THESIS

B.A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES

A STUDY ON USAGES OF SLANG IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Supervisor: MA Pham Thi Bich Diep Student: Dang Vu Tuan Phong Date of birth: 12/26/1994

Course: 1271A05 (2012-2016)

HANOI, 2016

CODE: 29

DECLARATION

Title: “A study on usages of slang in English language”

I certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other’s work without acknowledgement and that the report is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor

Hanoi, 15 th April, 2016

Student Supervisor

Dang Vu Tuan Phong MA Pham Thi Bich Diep

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Ms Pham Thi Bich Diep, for being the person to instruct and help me achieve the result of this research at this point

I would also like to express my thanks to my parents, as well as all my friends and teachers at Faculty of English for their support, encouragement and concern that has helped me come this far

Thank you to you all

Hanoi, 15th April, 2016

Dang Vu Tuan Phong

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART A: INTRODUCTION………01

1 Rationale………01

2 Aims and purposes of the study……… 02

3 Scope of the study……… 02

4 Research questions………02

5 Methods of the study……….03

6 Design of the study………03

PART B: DEVELOPMENT……….04

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW……… 04

1.1 Definition of slang………04

1.2 History of slang………08

1.3 Classification of slang……… 10

CHAPTER 2: FINDINGS, INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS….17 2.1 Slang in language and culture……….17

2.1.1 Slang in British culture……… 20

2.1.2 Slang in American culture……… 24

2.2 Influences of slang on the English language……… 28

CHAPTER 3: APPLICATIONS, CONTRIBUTIONS, SOLUTIONS 31

3.1 English slang in different aspects of life……….31

3.1.1 Slang in daily life……….31

3.1.2 Slang in workplace……… 33

3.1.3 Slang in music……… 34

3.2 How to improve in learning and using slang effectively…… 35

PART C: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION…… 38

REFERENCES……… 39

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

Over the course of more than 1,400 years, English has continued to develop over time as a tool of communication for billions of people all over the world, quickly becoming the most used language of our planet It is precisely because of this that we need to understand the importance of studying English Having knowledge of the language will be very helpful in more ways than one, whether

it is in the path of your career or the people you will meet and interact with However, the road to success in studying English is very challenging and requires a good amount of one’s time and diligence, particularly knowledge and practices In practice specifically, it is very easy to make several mistakes in conversations with foreigners and the main reason for that are usually because of the lack of knowledge we have towards their life and culture Another factor can

be our limited knowledge on their slangs, which are used frequently in their daily lives

Just like how we have slangs in Vietnamese, it is only natural that slangs also exist in other languages They are used in almost every field of work and other forms of communication Therefore, it is necessary to understand the uses of slang in the English language, which is why I have chosen this as my thesis topic

2 Aims and purposes of the study

This study aims to help learners understand more about the characteristics and usages of slang in English in order to become more fluently in English conversations, while at the same time obtain knowledge about the British and American culture

3 Scope of the study

The study focuses on the general information on slang and the different uses and applications of slang in the English language, particularly in specific fields and situations in daily lives

4 Research questions

- What is slang and the history of English slang?

- Why do people use slang?

- What are the applications of English slang in different fields and aspects?

- What are the factors that have influences on English slang’s usage and development?

5 Methods of the study

The study emphasizes the method of collecting information about slang in English including research documents, dictionaries, the Internet, information collected from surrounding people and surveys, along with my personal knowledge and experiences

6 Design of the study

This thesis is split into three parts:

- Part A: Background of the research

- Part B: Analysis of the thesis topic, which is mainly the characteristics and usages of slang in the English language

- Part C: Conclusion of the thesis as well as recommendation to help improve the uses of slang in English language and at the same time, continues to develop it further

it is often impossible to tell, even in context, which interests and motives it serves Slang is on the edge."

The "New Oxford English Dictionary" defines slang as follows:

a) the special vocabulary used by any set of persons of a low or disreputable character; language of a low and vulgar type;

b) the cant or jargon of a certain class or period;

c) language of a highly colloquial type considered as below the level of standard educated speech, and consisting either of new words or of current words employed in some special sense

As it is seen from these quotations slang is represented both as a special vocabulary and as a special language However, it is generally agreed upon that slang is nonstandard vocabulary used with informality among a group of specific people in society They are words that you will not find in the dictionary They are expressive and usually ironic, sometimes to the point of being obscene or even offensive They are mostly used to create unique names and terms in frequent topics of discourse It is different from jargon as jargon refers to language used in a particular field, or language used to represent specific terms within a field to those with a particular interest It can be said that jargon are more for the purposed of providing specific terms with technical understanding while slang are used for more social and contextual understanding

One thing can be said about most, if not all languages that are applied in modern civilization is that there can be a variety of ways to express the same thing, depending on where you are, who you are talking to, and how you feel It can be said for certain that you do not talk or address your teacher the same way you do your close friend, nor do you use accept the help from an outsider with the same expressions that you do your siblings

Slang words cannot be distinguished from other words by sound or meaning In fact, most slang words are homonyms of standard words, spelled and pronounced just like their standard counterparts, as for example slang words for money such as beans, brass, dibs, dough, chinc, oof, wards; the slang synonyms for word head are attic, brain-pan, hat peg, nut, upper storey; drunk- boozy, cock-eyed, high, soaked, tight, and pot (marijuana) Of course, these words are alike in their ordinary standard use and in their slang use Each word sounds just

as appealing or unappealing, dull or colorful in its standard as in its slang use Also, the meanings of beans and money, head and attic, pot and marijuana are the same, so it cannot be said that the connotations of slang words are any more colorful or racy than the meanings of standard words

Slang is not used by the majority of native speakers and many people consider it vulgar, though quite a few slang phrases have already come into standard usage Slang contains many obscene and offensive words and phrases It also has many expressions that are acceptable in informal communication Slang is highly idiomatic It is flippant, irreverent, indecorous; it may be indecent or obscene Its colorful metaphors are generally directed at respectability, and it is this succinct, sometimes witty, frequently impertinent social criticism that gives slang its characteristic flavor

Slang is very dynamic, it is ever changing to fit in with the demands and popularity of the mass, it can become either more or less acceptable Some slang

words have existed for a very long time, e.g In your face!, meaning that this

person has successfully embarrassed, or won over someone in a specific way

Another would be That’s sick!, used to describe something that the person finds

to be unusual, it could be that they feel excited, amused, unbelievable or even gross, disgusted

The two examples above are slangs that originated from the 70s, and are continued to be used frequently among English speakers even now On the other hand there are also countless slangs that have gained extreme popularity after

appearing just in the last few years E.g Turnt up, which implies that someone is

going out of their way in parties, getting drunk or even high on drugs Or doe,

used as a replacement for “though”, following the trend to replace “th” sounds with “d” sounds., often used in situations where the person is impressed, for example “That chorus segment, doe”

As far as English slangs go, the number of words used in social life in different aspects and between different groups of people are near impossible to have a grasp on, and it is and will continue to develop as time goes on Slang can help add to the language some freshness and interesting uses However, it can also be

a problem if slang is overused and can create misunderstandings, lead to unfortunate situations in society, and most likely it will cause deviation in English, and make foreigners come to a misconception of the language itself

1.2 History of slang

Slang has been around for a long time, it is something that has directly taken part

in and influenced our daily life, be it about money, crime, arts, literature, politics, entertainment… However it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact time periods when slang officially appeared The reason lies in the nature of slang which is something that is used mostly through spoken language instead of being recorded on paper By the time slang was written down, it has already been widely spread among the people

There has been many debates revolve around the term “slang”, its origins and linguistic relevance due to its ambiguous nature It is agreed upon by most linguists and lexicographers that the origin of the word is “unknown” or

“uncertain” There were, however, a few exceptions such as Skeat, a lexicographer, who claims that the word “slang” comes from Scandinavian and

is a derivation of Icelandic slyngva, which was meant to be used as insulting words Another view considers slang to be a Gipsy term for the English’s secret language rather than actual English itself On the other hand, some said that it was derived from French

Slang has appeared even before it received its official name right now According to Swift, slang is as old as speech, and traces of this may be found as far as we refer back, and that slang of the old days contained more “vulgarity” than our modern slang It is important to underline that the term “slang” was firstly recognized by Grose in 1785 He defined it as “cant or vulgar language”

The present-day meaning for slang began to form only in the 16th or 17th century, where it started with English criminal cant It was a new figure of speech that was to be used among criminals, mostly in gambling houses and for illegal exchange According to researcher Winona Bullard, English criminal cant was,

at first, thought to be originated from foreign countries, particularly Romania or France It is unknown whether source was correct, however, English criminal cant was slowly developing and became more widely used even among other groups of people, especially in the 1700s where the cultural differences in the US started to influence the English language By the beginning of the 19th century, slang was considered an incorrect usage of English and therefore was treated as a taboo, however in the middle of the century, it was accepted as an illegitimate colloquial speech

The society nowadays no longer associate slangs with criminals Slang has quickly become a mainstream form of speech, influenced by the development of culture, science and technology Usually they are a way for a certain number of people among a group to express their thoughts, viewpoints and own values A new word must be developed among the group first to be considered a slang, and

as such the vocabulary of slang is ever-changing as it continues to evolve along with humans One word can be popular for a generation but is considered to be old-fashioned for the next On the other hand it is also possible for one word to

be widely used for multiple age groups

The nature and origin of slang is vague and will continue to be so due to its rapidly evolving Therefore, research about it will have to be conduct frequently and carefully

1.3 Classification of slang

Slang is usually classified into two groups, according to the sphere of usage: general slang and special slang General slang are usually used in many common situations, not specific to any social or professional group, whereas special slang indicates words that are only used in those groups, such as teenager slang, football slang, video game slang, military slang, etc

Speakers use general slang deliberately for the purpose of expressing their intention in refusing their needs to be fresh and startling, to reduce excessive seriousness, to ease social exchanges and reduce friendliness For example, we will often hear the Americans refer to their currency as “bucks” instead of

“dollar”, or how the word “cool” can replace a variety of words like “good”,

“amazing”, “wonderful”, “interesting” and other words with similar meaning

We also hear English speakers use the word “ya” to replace “yes”, “you” and

“your”, e.g.:

- Ya, I get it!

- You’d better take care of ya kid carefully!

Special slang, on the other hand, comes into play when the speakers want to show their “proof”, that they belong to a certain group or when they want to establish solidarity and/or intimacy with the other group members Another way

to put it, as Eble (C Slang and Sociability, 1996) quoted: “It is often used by speakers to create their own identity, including aspects such as social status and geographical belonging, or even age, education, occupation, lifestyle, and special interests It is largely used by people of a common age and experience to

strengthen the bonds within their own peer group, keeping the older generation

at a distance” Some of the commonly seen types of special slang are as following:

a) Cockney rhyming slang

Cockney rhyming slang originated in the East End of London It is a form of slang where one word is replaced by a rhyming word, usually a two-word phrase

in which the second word is the rhyming word The second word is then dropped entirely For example the word “look” rhymes with “butcher’s hook”, in many cases the “hook” is omitted, therefore the slang for “look” turns out to be

“butcher’s” Of course, there are many cases where the rhyming word is not omitted

Some examples of cockney rhyming slang includes:

All nighter Jet fighter

Talk Rabbit and fork

Navy Peas and gravy

Feet Plates of meat Dice Rats and mice

b) Polari

Polari is a form of cant slang used in Britain by actors, circus and fairground showmen, merchant navy sailors, criminals, prostitutes, and the gay subcultures

It can be traced back to at least the 19th century and possibly the 16th century It

is a mixture of Romance, Romaani, London slang, backslang, rhyming slang, sailor slang, and thieves’ cant Polari was used at a time when homosexual activity was illegal, to disguise homosexuals from hostile outsiders and undercover policemen However it had begun to fall into disuse amongst the gay subculture by the late 1960s

aunt nelly fakes Earrings aunt nell danglers Earrings

blag pick up blue code word for "homosexual"

c) Internet slang

Internet slang is a variety of slang languages used by people on the internet mainly for the purpose of saving keystrokes and fitting character limits Internet slang can be found in various places on the internet such as chat rooms, social networking websites, video games, and other online communities Many people also use the same abbreviations in texting and instant messaging It can be said that this is one of the most common type of slang that we see everyday due to constantly being developed and evolved through massive online communication

As soon as possible ASAP

Rolling on floor laughing ROFL

Laugh out loud LOL For your information FYI

What the hell WTH

Frequently asked questions FAQ

Fixed that for you FTFY

I know, right? Ikr

If I recall correctly IIRC

d) Money slang

Money slang often derives from the appearance and features of banknotes or coins, their values, historical associations or the units of currency concerned A lot of them are rooted in various London communities, which for different

reasons liked to use language only known in their own circles, notably wholesale markets, street traders, crime and the underworld, the docks, taxi-cab driving, and the immigrant communities

In the UK, cash has been referred to as “dosh” since at least 1953 due to the word “dosh” being a Russian-Jewish prefix referring to the nose, which can be equated to the term “paying through the nose” (pay with ready money) The related term "cash on the nail" is said to refer to 17th century trading stands in Bristol and elsewhere, over which deals were done and cash changed hands

Prior to their abandonment, the one pound note was occasionally referred to as a

"Sheet" and thus the ten shilling note as a "Half Sheet" More commonly the ten shilling note was a "ten bob note" or, in London, "half a bar" "As bent as a nine bob note" is or was common colloquial phrase used to describe something or someone crooked or counterfeit

£5 is called a "fiver" £20 is often referred to as a "score" £100 is commonly referred to as a "ton" e.g £400 would be called 4 ton £1000 is commonly referred to as a "bag" (from the Rhyming Slang "Bag of Sand") e.g £4000 would

Dosh implies a reasonable amount of spending money, for instance enough for a 'night-out' Almost certainly and logically derived from the slang 'doss-house', meaning a very cheap hostel or room, from Elizabethan England when 'doss' was

a straw bed, from 'dossel' meaning bundle of straw, in turn from the French 'dossier' meaning bundle

$1000 notes in the US are occasionally referred to as "large" in banking ("twenty large" being $20,000, etc.) In slang, a thousand dollars may also be referred to as

a "grand," "G", "K" (as in kilo), or a "stack" Monetary units larger than 1 dollar are often referred to by the names of their coin counterparts: $5 is a "nickel", $10

is a "dime", and $25 is a "quarter"

CHAPTER 2: FINDING, INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS

2.1 Slang in language and culture

According to the British lexicographer, Eric Partridge (1894-1979), people use slang for any of at least 15 reasons :

1) In sheer high spirits, by the young in heart as well as by the young in years; 'just for the fun of the thing'; in playfulness or waggishness

2) As an exercise either in wit and ingenuity or in humour (The motive behind this is usually self-display or snobbishness, emulation or responsiveness, delight in virtuosity)

3) To be 'different', to be novel

4) To be picturesque (either positively or - as in the wish to avoid insipidity - negatively)

5) To be unmistakably arresting, even startling

6) To escape from cliches, or to be brief and concise (Actuated by impatience with existing terms.)

7) To enrich the language (This deliberateness is rare save among the well-educated, Cockneys forming the most notable exception; it is literary rather than spontaneous.)

8) To lend an air of solidity, concreteness, to the abstract; of earthiness

to the idealistic; of immediacy and appositeness to the remote (In the cultured