1. Slang

2. Compare the following passages:
All day, a group of us had been applying ourselves with intense diligence in preparation for the exam and we were so filled with anxieties that we had to take a walk to relieve the tension. We purchased hot dogs at a local unsavoury and unsanitary restaurant, and drifted down the street just in time to see an alcoholic destitute ejected from a drinking establishment.
A bunch of us had been cramming for the exam all day, and we were so uptight that we took a walk to cool off. We bought hot dogs at the local greasy spoon, and drifted on down the street just in time to see a wino get kicked out of a bar.
Would you use the slang passage when talking to your friends? Your parents? To most adults?
Have any of the slang words in the first passage been accepted into our language as standard usage? Do any of the slang expressions convey more meaning than their accepted substitutes? Can you describe the events above, without using the elevated style of the second passage, and without using slang?
Which of the following passages is most appealing to you? Why?

3. Is slang good or bad?
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4. Why do people use slang?
Examine the following conversations to see if they suggest possible reasons….

5. Pam: How’d you do on the exam. Moe: Flunked outright
Pam: How’d you do on the exam? Moe: Flunked outright! I blanked about half way through and blew the last three questions?
Why didn’t Moe just say “I failed.”?
Would you rather be a “flop” at something or a “failure”?

6. Ed: Then what happened? John: Well Ted was just bringing his bomb up to the mind for a drag when this fuzz came round the corner on a hog. Man! Did we peel outa there! I bet we laid rubber for three blocks!
Does John’s answer point out his membership in a certain group?
Is his language natural?

7. What slang words do we have for bathroom? (write them down) Why?

8. Can you think of any other subjects for which slang gets preference?

9. List some of the slang expressions used exclusively by teenagers?
What other groups can you name that use slang because the group culture demands it?

10. Does the emotional state of the speaker and the situation have any influence on the level of language?

11. Golfer: You must be the worst caddy on the course
Golfer: You must be the worst caddy on the course? Caddy: That would be too much of a coincidence?
Why might “squelch” be a perfect word to describe the caddy’s response? Do you know any other slang words that are more forceful and vivid than this?

12. What names do you have for things you dislike?
Are any of these expression becoming acceptable?

13. Dorothy: Didn’t you think the movie was the greatest. Sue: Cool
Dorothy: Didn’t you think the movie was the greatest! Sue: Cool. Really cool.
Clearly, a disadvantage of slang is its inexact quality. But is Sue being deliberately vague here? Can you suggest why people might use slang to be deliberately vague?
Do you know precisely what Sue means by cool?

14. Why do teachers, parents, and many other adults discourage the use of slang?

15. Your Task: Collect all the slang words you can for People your dislike
People you like
Think about which list is longer. Why?
What similarities do the “anti-people” expressions have in length and in sound?
Are they effective?

16. Look again at your other lists of slang words
Look again at your other lists of slang words. What proportion of them are monosyllables?
What proportion of them are kind words?
Does this tell you something about slang?

17. More often than not, slang is inelegant both for the user and the receiver. Consider:
You arrive at the home of your date. Her father answers the door, and after a brief talk, he comments that his daughter enjoys dancing very much; you answer, “Yea, she’s a real cool babe.”
What would be the result in this situation?

18. Current Slang: What are the current slang words for: Policeman
Cafeteria
Death
Money
Among what groups of people are you most likely to hear these words?
Is there a reason why slang has this degrading tendency?

19. Does slang “label” the user?
I’ll have to ask the old lady.
I’d better ask my mother.
I’d better check it out with the front office.
I’ll go ask the general.

20. Other Drawbacks of Slang
Do you know any people who use a certain set of slang terms so often that you can no longer bear to hear them?
Is there anyone you generally avoid, simply because slang makes their conversation so vague and imprecise that you are never sure of what they are saying or thinking?

21. The greatest criticism of slang:
Terry: You goin’ to the hog-rassle? Lyle: Yea. You squirin’ a skirt? Terry: Sure! Hey, gimme a quirley. Lyle: Here. Who? Not the lightning rod? Terry: So? You just let it peg; she’s the bee’s knees!
Did you understand any of the conversation? Why is this dialogue an example of the real danger in slang? Do you have any slang words which you cannot use for communication outside your own group?

22. Know any Dead Slang?

23. Slang Usage Questions to Ponder
Who are the greatest users of slang? When is it used more?
Who uses more slang—men or women?
What age group uses the most slang?
What sports use it most?
What card games use it most?
What is your personal impression of the people who use slang?