Wednesday, January 30, 2008
SLANG: A LESSON IN NINTH-GRADE COMPOSITION
This is an article from 1925 called SLANG: A LESSON IN NINTH-GRADE COMPOSITION. It is actually the dialect between a teacher and his/her students on the subject of slang. The footnotes include what the teacher has written on the board for further understanding of his topic, the slang that they are talking about in class and what is written on the blackboard. The teacher tells what the word slang derived from (slenja meaning "to sling the jaw" or "talk abusively") and who mainly spoke slang. It was thieves. Their reason for this language usage was to conceal thoughts from others. However, this class is taught the purpose of language is to express thoughts and not conceal them. The teacher is overall negative toward slang by stating that he feels language is for expression and not concealment and by stating that it is a “thieves’ language”. His students also comment on slang being improper but common and changing depending on who the speaker is talking to. (This is just as we have talked about in class.) The teacher also states that the only way slang will last is if it is not “offensive.” I had never thought of this in terms of whether slang would last, but some of the classroom discussion words that were being used as slang then are common now, such as window-shopping, cut it out, speeding, joy ride, and a has-been. Maybe the reason these words are still common is like this teacher said, because there were no other words in the English language to convey the thoughts so clearly or possibly just because they were inoffensive.
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21 comments:
I think the original post had it exactly right. Slang words, or "curse words" exist because nothing else clearly conveys what the speaker is trying to express. In addition, slang has the capacity to take on many different meanings and many parts of speech. For example, there is a certain word (which I will not say here but you all know what it is) which can be a noun, a verb, an adverb, or even an adjective when given the appropriate suffix. Standard language can be extremely rigid, and when a speaker is in the heat of the moment looking for the the right word to convey his/her emotions, slang is quite useful.
I disagree with the author about how slang stays if it is inoffensive. Much slang that I can think of is used because it is offensive. Or maybe it is used euphemistically. It is used because it is offensive but less so than the word that it stands in for. Offensive slang also becomes less offensive as it is used more. Language is not about words but about conveying meaning and ideas to others. If a new word, a slang word, comes along and it transmits an idea better than another, it will replace it. All of the words that we use now were at one time slang. You might just have to look back further into the history of english.
Bryan Norbut
I also must disagree with the author. Most slang I hear today is offensive! However, I was surprised to hear that certain slang words like "speeding" and "window shopping" began in the twenties. Sometimes slang can better express what the standard english language cannot. I am not a fan of offensive slang, however, if slang can help me better express something that I'm doing, then I'm going to use it. All languages evolve over time, and to me, slang is just part of that evolution. Perhaps this teacher should have discussed the instances where slang can or cannot be used, instead of dismissing it altogether.
This is a funny article. Slang is a derogatory word used to describe language considered incorrect by academia. Slang is really just jargon or the vernacular of a certain community which is not traditionally recognized. Ebonics was called slang for years before anyone decided to recognize it as a language. With everything we have read can slang be really called offensive or non-offensive? Ebonics or as it used to be called "slang" is used to conversate and exchange ideas. The exchange of these ideas are primarily not directed to insult nor compliment a person. So therefore, is does not make since to call the language offensive or non-offensive. Ebonics uses the english language, to speak euphemistically, differently. By recognizing the differences between ebonics and english, we identify the grammatical differences between the two and help the educational development of urban schools and most importantly ourselves.
I had never really thought of the orgin or reason for slang before I read this blog. I found this article interesting. Surely the students and teacher himself used some slang and just didn't realize it. Slang is a part of everyday speech. Or maybe their definition (slang is used by thieves) was just too narrow and they did not realize they were using it themselves!
I enjoyed reading this article. I believe that there are many different uses for slang, and all are not negative and derogatory. While it is true that a lot of slang isn't always 100% positive, a lot of it are just words used to convey something, just from a different point of view. Like I notice in Chicago, a lot of guys call their mothers their "Ol G" or ol girl". It's not a offensive term, it's just a term that they use. Slang is used in different places, for all kinds of different things.
I disagree and agree with the author. Slang does stay around because of offensive words, these words can change meaning, but they most likely stay in a language. Also, inoffensive words stay in a language because they can be used more and not hurt anyone. Even with that said, slang is just like any other language and over time it is going to change... you do not hear people speaking in Latin anymore, but if you went back in time and a Latin speaker heard someone speaking the up-incoming Spanish, they may have called it slang since Spanish came from Latin. Language is always changing and every form of it is important!
Slang stands the test of time because of its effectiveness not because it is or is not offensive. We have a wide range of words so that we can express our thoughts and feelings in the best way possible. Slang is useful in many cases because of the tone and thought they can create. Some words will trend, but a lot of slang will withstand as we have seen because they are effective as a word.
I've never considered "curse" words or "profanity", and yes there is a difference, to be slang. I guess technically they are, but I've always grouped them into a separate category. When I think of Slang, I think of phrases or words like window shopping, cut it out, or even farout, or cool. So I guess I would agree with the author about slang sticking around if it's inoffensive, because I view curse words and profanity as there own separate category.
I agree and disagree with the author. I think that slang can be used in many ways to convey meanings. I also think that many times slang is used as a negative; referring to something or someone in a negative way. Slang terms will be around forever and I do not see anything wrong with that. I found the article to be very interesting and informative.
I am somewhat "on the fence" about this topic because my opinions of slang convey both a positive and negative attitude. Slang can be used both ways; to conceal an idea or to just convey a thought. However, I do think that most of the words that we consider slang today have a more negative connotation and often mean more than one thing. So, I think that we have to be careful with what we call "slang" and also what we consider to be appropriate.
I agree that sometimes slang is used because no other word conveys the thoughts.
It seems to me that, offensive or not, slang is used to more clearly communicate thoughts or ideas. The slang might not make the thought or idea more clear to all people, but a group. Just because a different language doesn't make sense to us doesn't mean that it is nonsensical or any less valid of a way of communication. Slang is the same way, as long as it makes sense to some, it is an effective way of communication.
In regard with this post, I agree with the author but at the same time I dont agree. I agree with the fact that slang exist because its a shorter of talking and perhaps their neighborhood involves with that type of slang. I truly disagree with the part that slang is not offensive, when clearly it is because some people get offended by it.
I think offensive slang is used to draw attention to the speaker because it is different than the language generally being used. To me, when I hear the use of offensive slang, I think how uneducated that person really is. I never think, WOW, that person can really express themselves. I believe offensive slang downgrades the person using it.
Personally, I am in between on the matter. While I believe that curse words and profanity could be expressed using slang words, not all slang is profanity or derogatory. There are slang terms for everyday things that are not there to offend anyone, but just as an easier way of decribing something. Slang can be a hidden meaning or an expression depending on the way the person uses the word. The use of slang has been around for centuries because it can be used in many different ways and it is very useful. Not all slang is bad. You have to be careful though becuase if you use good slang in a bad context it could come out as offensive. You need to know the uses of the slang before you use it yourself. I agree and disagree both with the author on different ideas. The article was very well written and gave a very interesting view of slang terms.
I do not agree with the teachers personal perspective on slang. They should keep a non-bias point-of-view when discussing any and all educational information. Overall the lesson(s) on slang is fun for kids and it is great way to acknowledge proper language, written and/or spoken.
I agree with Stephanie in that I think that slang, while it can be profanity, remains seperate. I have always viewed slang as the idiosyncrasies that come from different social groups as people form dialects. I do not that the subjective term of "offensive" can really be used to judge whether or not a slang dies out or not, though. This might be due in part to the teacher's 1925 sensibilities regarding a universal "standard" of culture.
I do agree that slang does in some ways make up for the changing of our language, and its inadequacy in being descriptive enough in some cases. I wouldnt say all slang is offensive, i think its about 50/50
I guess I'm just not easily offended. I think slang "curse" words can be over used and thus ridiculous, but for the most part, I don't care what other people say.
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