Slang

[Dr. Goodword]

• slang •

Pronunciation: slæng • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass

Meaning: A set of socially unacceptable metaphors replacing normal words in a language, used as a code for identifying with a cohort group—especially the younger generation—or profession. (For a more complete definition, click here.)

Notes: Today's Good Word has a rich and appropriately slangy family, beginning with slangy "slang-like" itself. Words somewhat slangy are slangish and a slang word is a slangism. Because slang refers to an outlaw language, many illegal derivations have reared their ugly if funny heads: slangster "someone who uses slang", slanguage "slangy speech", and slangular "related to slang". Use them at your own risk and if slang doesn't frighten you.

In Play: Slang words may be completely concocted, like shiznit "excellent, outstanding", bling "shiny jewelry", dork "stupid person", hork "to gobble or throw up". However, it usually is a vocabulary of ordinary words used metaphorically: beat feet meaning "to leave", maul meaning "to hug and kiss", or digits for "telephone number". The important thing is that slang is a set of code words that only "in" people can correctly interpret.

Word History: The word slang first appeared in print in the mid 17th century, referring to street cant, the language of beggars and thieves. No one has any idea where it came from. It has been used to refer to a particular kind of cannon and to chains at various points of its career. These meanings were derived from German Schlange "snake, serpent", but neither is semantically related to today's Good Word. Slang has also been used as a verb meaning "to cheat" and "to curse". Current usage cannot have derived from this verbal use either, since the noun's current meaning predates that of the verb. (To use an appropriate slangism, let's all say, 'Thanks,' to Jan Arps, of Greensboro, NC, for suggesting today's Good Word.)

[LukeJavan8]

When 'geek nerds" (which is slang itself) try to explain
something to their superiors on TV, the boss says
'put it in English", or "translation". Is that jargon or slang
that they are using. Or is jargon just another synonym?

[Perry Lassiter]

To me slang conjures up the general term or youth jargon. Jargon has the connotations of different "registers" as in the longer definition referenced above. The jargons inhabit different worlds. I once saw a large dictionary-sized volume on a library table. Glancing at it, I saw it was an encyclopedia or listing of organizations in the US. I got blown away. Opening it at random, my eye fell on the Pregnant Mares Urine Association! Say what? A few years later I actually read a mystery involving mistreatment of horses raised to collect the stuff. I got to thinking. Every profession, every species of animal, especially horses, dogs and other pets or farm animals have their own organization complete with conventions and journals. Think of the professional journals and the magazines lying around while you wait on an oil change. And ever one of these worlds has their own jargon! Watch the Westminster Dog Show. Switch to a hunting channel or a cooking channel. I'm not sure where to draw the line between jargon that is technical to that world and slang. Rant over.

[Slava]

Perry, I believe you have the difference in your post, but you didn't say it "out loud." Here's what I get from your "rant" and the Doc's definition:

Slang is socially unacceptable, whereas jargon is entirely acceptable and even expected within its society (horses, dogs, cars, etc.). So a word like bling, which started out as slang, has become a part of the generally accepted language used (jargon) when speaking of overly and overtly fancy jewelry and get-ups in a certain social sphere.

Now, as far as going further and trying to differentiate argot and cant, I think I'll leave up to someone else.

[Perry Lassiter]

Since you mentioned them, argot to me connotes merely a dialect such as cockney, and cant has a negative connotation. I think it's debatable whether slang is unacceptable. Of course, it often starts off that way as an adolescent code talk, but within a year most terms move into adult speech, and the teens have to create more. Sometimes they are hard put to do that, as when "bad" and "sick" began to mean cool and groovy.