MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND RESEARCH

OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

“ION CREANGĂ” STATE PEDAGOGICAL

UNIVERSITY OF CHIŞINĂU

Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures

English Philology Chair

Novosuțchi Nicoleta

Slang
Report

Scientific adviser:

Pleșcenco Galina,

Ph. D. Associate Professor

CHIȘINĂU, 2020
 Introduction

Language changes all the time. New words and phrases appear and evolve. The
words and pronunciations used by young people in the UK can be radically different
to those used by adults. Living in a multicultural society has an effect on language,
especially on young people, whose friends are often from a mix of backgrounds. That
is why slang is very informal language which is often used by young people. TV and
music also have a massive impact on the language of the young. Young British
people use lots of language that you usually can’t find in most dictionaries. These
highly informal words and expressions are known as slang.

1. General Considerations about Slang

Slang is an informal language used by young people or in a particular social
group for internal communication so the other groups will not understand. They can
create a new vocabulary and renewed the words. Slang is non-standard use of words
in a language. These non-standard words might use among the conversations. Slang
words and expressions are characterized by a high degree of informality, familiarity,
vocabulary richness. They are realized by a specific group of people whose members
are connected with some particular link, such as territory (Californian), age
(teenagers), subculture (students), and mainly occur in the spoken form of the
language.” Conversational slang used by teenager and young children, because they
are cheerful, creative and full of new ideas. So that the combination creates new
words from the stiff and unattractive become fresh and easy to understand.
Slang is like a fashion or lifestyle, used by various societies rich or poor, honest
or dishonest. Some people may say that slang is the vulgar language, but the fact is
most society still using slang language in their life activities. They still used them
because they do not want considered not fashionable.
Slang can be described as informal, nonstandard words or phrases which tend to
originate in subcultures within a society. Slang often suggests that the person utilizing
the words or phrases is familiar with the hearer's group or subgroup--it can be
considered a distinguishing factor of in-group identity. Slang expressions often
embody attitudes and values of group members. In order for an expression to become
slang, it must be widely accepted and adopted by members of the subculture or
group.
 Slang has no societal boundaries or limitations as it can exist in all cultures and
classes of society as well as in all languages. Slang expressions are created in
basically the same way as standard speech. In addition, it is noted that the words used
as slang may be new coinages, existing words may acquire new meanings, narrow
meanings of words may become generalized, words may be abbreviated, etc.
However, in order for the expression to survive, it must be widely adopted by the
group who uses it. Slang is a way in which languages change and are renewed.

1. The History of Slang

According to authors , slang has been introduced since sixteenth century, it is

used to change the inelegant statement of being associated with foreigner or
criminals, some people use it to make jokes and to keep the secret of the words
meaning and also because some people want another language besides the Standard
English to express ideas. There are five decades of slang history and each of them has
different characteristic:

1. Sixteenth Century- Slang for the first time appeared in the society and
became the strange language, also only particular group using it. For example,
thieves, beggar, criminals, etc. Slang is only used particular group.
2. Seventeenth Century- In this century, slang rich of metaphors or figurative
language and related to immoral action. Moreover, slang began to present in popular
plays event and put the slang language on the stage for the first time. Slang is rich of
figurative language and related to immoral action.
3. Eighteenth Century- The rhetoricians had established for the first time,
among the pupils and schoolmasters alike, a key element in social conceptualization
of slang. Furthermore, slang recognized as part of English vocabulary. Slang mostly
used in comedy.
4. Nineteenth Century- Slang was growing, it could be seen that the intellectual
produced the first slang dictionary (1899). It is used for conversation in society .The
World War I and II also influenced in slang language, such as G.I, Pissed off, brass,
etc.
 5. Twentieth Century-Slang becomes a part of spoken language not only used
by criminals but also ordinary people, and slang was used in daily conversation
because simpler and easier to speak it.
2. Types of Slang Language

2.1. Cockney slang

Cockney slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of
London, and has been popularized by film, music, and literature.

The slang of the former, except for a difference in accent, is exactly that of the
speakers of Standard English, they employ one of the specific slangs such as the
commercial or the military. But the slang of the latter is what is usually, and what
will be called cockney slang.

There are two kinds of Cockney slang. First, used by educated middle class
people and they are who came from origin regional. The second, used by the semi
literate and quite illiterate people, recognized as Cockney London of Street, also
English spoken by London people.

Below are few of the most common examples of Cockney slang:

a. „Eye in a sling‟ means crushed or defeated.

b. „See the breeze and taste the sun’ means an expression of summer
enjoyment to escape from London to an open common;
c. Old gal means general term of affection describing a wife
d. Up the pole, means drunk.

2.2. Public House Slang

As the part of types of slang, public house group words and phrases make up for
the smallness of the recorded vocabulary by nature the subject. The definition of
public house slang considered as public house group words and phrases make up for
the smallness of the recorded vocabulary by nature the subject. It is the main, genial,
cheery, materialistic, but not gross nor cynical.The examples of public house slang
are:
 a. Round the corner means a drink.

b. Three out brush means a glass shaped like an inverted cone.

c. Raven means a two penny portion of bread and cheese.

3.3 Workmen's Slang

Linking up with the public house is workmen's slang. This type also very closed
to tradesman slang, yet all in all, it is better to consider them apart. The characteristic
of the users of workmen's slang don't mention the real something but they call it with
another name that already use and understood among them. Not only the workmen's
but also the laborers using slang. In fact the town laborers and town operative are
much fluent with their slang than the farmer laborers. 20 Usually this slang used by
people's activity in their working and also related with money. Here are some
examples of workmen's slang:

a. Brass, means money. This is very general term seems to have originated in the
cooper and ironworks.

b. Hummered, means married.

c. Want an apron, means to be out of work.

d. Bucks means money. for example: "A hundred bucks to me..." the word bucks
in this sentence means money.

3.4. Tradesmen's Slang

In tradesman's slang as in workmen's slang, some words those are now related
from their origin slang and using by the workmen's too. Of the slang term employed
by the various trades, some are the common property all or nearly all. But, in
tradesman's slang consider four as typical: tailors, butchers, chemists, and builders.
Here are some examples of tradesmen's slang:

a. House of parliament means a meeting of tailor‟s assistant and apprentices in

the shop, especially for a serious purpose.
 b. Tradesmen‟s slang for butchers : „Turkey buyer’ means a person of
considerable importance.

c. Tradesmen‟s for chemist : „Syrup‟ means money.

d. Tradesmen‟s for builders : „Flannel jacket’ means the navy on heavy work has
so long and so unexceptionally worn flannel.

3.5. Slang of Commerce

The slang of commerce refers to slang used in trade, and the words are closely
related to the trade or commerce. This slang usually used when a member of
committee has to make an agreement or engagement with their client in trade.
Commerce here also can be interpreted as business transaction. They are usually
doing business in the stock exchange in the money market. It is often used by
businessman, mostly used in stock exchange. Here are examples of the slang of
commerce:

a. Take the rate means to borrow stock, likewise give the rate is to lend stock.

b. Rig means a combined effort to rise the price of stock artificially and without
regard to its merits.

c. Shunt means to buy and sell securities between two home exchanges.

3.6. Slang in Public School and University

Slang in Public School and University the user of this slang is student, in public
house, as in board and private schools. Here are examples of public school slang :
„Wrux’ means a rotter or humbug; „Bung‟ means lie; „What’s a mat?‟ means what is
the matter. The slang that used in university is considerable different with public
school slang, when boys leave school and go to university, they tend to drop the old
slang and to mould themselves to the slang of the university. Here are examples of
the university slang:
a. Wine means a wine party.
b. Leccer means a lecture.
c. Tea-pot means a tea party.
 d. Rugger means football, played to rugby rules, soccer being association
football.

3.7. Society Slang

Every social group uses some type of slang, and by association, those words and
grammar become property of that group, something that defines them in a certain
way. In society, there arises a kind of special vocabulary, which is constantly
changing with changing fashion. There is much slang in the colloquial speech of
society, most of words soon disappear, but a considerable number of them make good
their place in ordinary speech. Moreover, slang in society shows a joyously or
jauntily over the object and the practice of the slangsters calling. Here are examples
of the society slang:
a. Showy means over- dressed
b. Vogue means fashion or mode
c. Cyrano means a huge nose.
d. Rothschild means a very rich man.

3.8. Slang in art

Slang in art has always along with the society. The words and phrases of art are
quickly adopted by the society, which however knows only a few words of artistic
slang. The society likes it because it was a fun thing for them. However, actually
slang in art is more difficult to guess in present day. Below are the examples of slang
in art:
a. Frame means picture.
b. Sculpt means to work in sculpture.
c. Put the value on means to sign a picture.
d. Walled means same as hung, which, to some extent, it displaced.
e. Buniony means showing, in one‟s painting, a very marked tendency to
lumpiness of outline.

3.9. Slang in Theatre

Slang in theatre is related with slang in art because theatre is one art term. The
exact origin of slang is not known, although given the nature of language as a living,
changing entity, it is probably as old as language itself. Theatre slang itself begins to
develop in nineteenth centuries and expand its influence on ordinary and informal
spoken English . Appears the new artists who use slang in his piece later and the story
their made become the performance in a theatre. Shakespeare also used slang in has
plays. Here are examples of the slang in theatre:
a. Paper house means a theatre that, at a given performance has an audience
consisting of mainly of those who have come with “paper” complimentary ticket.
b. Tabs means an ageing woman; from tabby.
c. Toga Play means a play on classical theme.

3.10. Soldiers’ Slang

Soldiers’ Slang, is slang terms that come from around the army community that is
commonly used by the soldiers‟ slang. They are divided in a several characteristics as
follows:
a. Nicknames, such as; aussies or canucks means Canadian, daughboys means
Americans, a hun means a German.
b. The soldiers‟ name for his punishments, such as; clink means prison
c. Guns and shells, such as; dud means a bomb.
d. Officers‟ and instructors, words of command, such as carry on.

Here are some characteristics of slang :

1. Slang is a kind of jargon marked by its rejection of formal rules. It is

comparative freshness and its common ephemerality and its marked use to claim
solidarity.

2. Slang regularly transgresses other social norms, making free use of taboo
expression.

3. Slang arises as vocabulary which is used by a particular social group with

specific purpose, for example as a device for familiarizing a conversation.

4. Slang comes in the form of new words with new meaning or old words with
new meaning
 In short, slang words are usually produced in a shortened, easier and more relax
way. Others examples of slang are using weak forms: What´m I going t´do now?
Ah'm over here. Consonant gemination: innit? (isn´t it?), wunnit (wasn´t it?), dunno (I
do not), lemme (let me). Colloquial words: dough (money), cool (great), come up for
air (take a break). Idioms: Have a mind like a steel trap (to learn easily). Using
positive adjectives for expressing negative qualities: He is phenomenal idiot. Using
negative adjectives such as terrible, horrific, and tremendous in order to exaggerate or
overact.

4. Classifications of Slang

Classification of slang within non-standard varieties are as follows:

1. Specific slang, a language used by members of a particular group to show their

respect for that group and solidarity with other group members. It is also used in
order to underline speakers´ identity, social status, age, education, special interests as
well as their geographical belonging. Therefore, it is mainly spoken by people of
similar age (teenagers: chick ´a girl´, cool ´OK´), similar occupation (military: flak
´an aviator´); or by people sharing similar lifestyle (homosexuals, drug addicts:
smack ´heroine´) or the same living conditions (criminals: axe ´a knife´).

2. General slang, a language used by speakers to avoid conventions, seriousness.

It is used instead of cliches and standard language to change the level of formality
(bevvy ´a drink´, footy ´football´). Some words can be both specific and general
according to context, for example the word grass is in specific drug slang ´marijuana´
whereas in general slang it stands for green vegetables‟.

It is not possible to make a complete list of modern British slangs. However, here
are a few examples:

Safe, sorted, sound, cool or wicked all mean That’s good or I understand.

Instead of using different tag questions like isn’t it?, can’t you? or don’t they?,
people use innit (e.g. ‘It’s hot here, innit!’, ‘He can dance really well, innit!’ or ‘They
always say that, innit?’).
Instead of saying very, really or completely, you can use well (e.g. ‘I’m well
tired’ or ‘You got it well wrong!’).
 Whatever means I don’t care (e.g. A: ‘But the teacher says we can’t leave until
we’ve finished.’ B: ‘Whatever. I’m going!’).
‘He’s fine’ or ‘She’s fit’ both mean good-looking. These words can describe a
boy or a girl.
A hoodie is a young person who wears a jacket with a hood (a hood keeps your
head dry in rainy Britain!). It is a negative word and suggests that the young person
might be a troublemaker or even a criminal.

However, not everybody uses slang and not everybody likes it. A school in
Sheffield, in the north of England, recently instructed its pupils to stop using slang
words such as hiya (hello), cheers and ta (both mean thank you). The head teacher
says that if young people learn to speak ‘correctly’, it will help them get a place at
university and a good job.

Conclusion

In conclusion I can say that slang, or informal words, occurs in all languages,
belonging to a specific region or dialect. However, although most people who use the
same slang, most major cities contain different accents, so the pronunciation of
certain words changes. At the same time I think that slang are highly creative phrases
that demonstrate the evolution of language over time. Slang comes from mass media,
music, fashion, TV, movies, in such a way it becomes an integral part of our lives.  
Speaking about the reasons of using slang, from my point of view the most common
reason for using this language is to shorten certain sentences and to get a message
across quickly, usually by using abbreviations, and for talking quickly in public.
Moreover, slang makes the speech more emotionally expressive and shorter. It's
believed that teenagers use it most of all, but I am sure that generally the use of slang
does not depend on age. On the contrary, slang is used by all kinds of groups of
people who share situations or interests.
 Bibliography
1. Lighter, J.E, Random House Historical of American Slang, New York:
Random House, 1994 p. 170
2. Eric Partridge, Slang Today and Yesterday, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul,
1950), p. 148
3. http://eprints.polsri.ac.id/1482/3/CHAPTER%202.pdf