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Slang

What is slang?​

‘Slang’ is a very informal kind of vocabulary, used mostly in speech by people who know each other well. Examples (mainly British English):

  • Can you lend me some cash? (‘money’)
  • My shoelace has bust. (‘broken’)
  • He’s a real prat. (‘fool’)
  • Those boots are real cool. (‘fashionable’)
  • Let’s chill. (‘relax’)
  • How are the kids? (‘children’)

Strong feelings​

Many English slang expressions relate to things that people feel strongly about (e.g. sex, family and emotional relationships, drink, drugs, conflict between social groups, work, physical and mental illness, death).

  • She’s got really nice tits. (‘breasts’)
  • I spent the weekend at my gran’s. (‘grandmother’s’)
  • God, we got smashed last night. (‘drunk’)
  • I’ve got some sort of bug. (‘illness’)
  • He’s lost it. (‘gone mad’)
  • Shut your trap! (‘mouth’)
  • Let’s swap addresses. (‘exchange’)
  • Somebody’s pinched/nicked my scarf. (‘stolen’)
  • There’s muck all over the carpet. (‘dirt’)
  • I’m not going to go on reading this crap. (‘rubbish’)
  • Where’s the loo? (‘toilet’)

Slang can be offensive (accidentally or deliberately) if used in a context where more formal language would be normal. This is particularly the case with ‘taboo’ language: words for subjects that some people find shocking.

Group membership; using slang​

Many slang expressions (e.g. cash, kids) are widely used. However, many other slang expressions are only used by members of particular social and professional groups, and nearly all slang is used between people who know each other well or share the same social background. So it is usually a mistake for ‘outsiders’ (including foreigners) to try deliberately to use slang. This can give the impression that they are claiming membership of a group that they do not belong to. There is also the danger that the slang may be out of date – some kinds of slang go out of fashion quickly, and when it gets into books it may already be dead. It is best for learners to avoid slang unless they are really sure of its use. If they start becoming accepted as part of an English-speaking community, they will learn to use the community’s slang naturally and correctly along with the rest of their language.