SAY WHAT?

Ballistic linguistics

Getting the hang of slang

Is slang being abused to the point where people can’t understand each other? That’s a very good question, and it all depends on what one would think is too much. “Yo, that game is so whack, it’s cold.” Has slang actually escalated to become a problem? “It all depends on who you talk to,” said Zachary Grasso, 15, a student from Boston Latin School. “It can be over-used by some people, but not very much by others. It matters where you are or what school you’re in.” But that’s not the opinion of Arivu Anukanth, 16, another student at BLS. “I don’t think it’s being over-used. It’s just a way for people to express themselves.” Seemingly, not a lot of teens think slang is a problem, and that is just as it should be.

In the long span of recorded history, scientists and historians have discovered that there have almost always been forms of written or spoken communication, also known as language. With every formal language there is bound to be an informal language to go with it. In terms of English, most teens today know what other teens are talking about, or at least they should.

Now, slang isn’t just something that appears right away in languages. No, it has to form over time. Slang is most often formed by “cliques” of people, and teens often tend to hang out like that. That just strengthens the odds of slang forming. “It tends to be an ‘in-group’ kind of language associated with younger people,” said Charles Meyer, 57, a professor of applied linguistics at UMass/Boston. “It’s also used as a means of establishing themselves as part of a peer group.”

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With the rise of Internet use, words even form from typos. The term “PWN” originated a few years back, but what a lot of people didn’t know was that PWN was a typo of another slang word, “own,” which meant in that context: “To win or defeat an opponent in a landslide,” or if you prefer urbandictionary.com’s definition: “To beat someone in a game in a manner that displays a much greater level of ability.” But own is not a new word on its own (no pun intended), but a form of synonymous slang. Synonymous slang means it is an official English word used in a different context than its original definition, for example “That movie was bomb.” In that sentence, bomb becomes the synonymous word as it is not being used in its original context, but as a replacement word for awesome. Synonymous words are some of the most common types of slang formed in groups of teens.

Slang can often be confusing, but it is also a sign that language is always forming and changing. Nothing in this world is forever, and language is just proof of that. So as far as we’ve seen, slang has, and always will be, an important part of language.

On dawgz, we’re dumb sick of hearing that word, kid!

A picture is worth a thousand words, but what are those words worth? Words sometimes determine one’s emotions. Sticks and stones can break people’s bones but they say that words can’t hurt their feelings. Well, some words hurt feelings while others hurt ears. Teens in Print went Downtown to do a survey, and we asked: “What word or phrase are you tired of hearing?”

“Kid -- Mad people say it. A 12-year-old walked up to me and said, ‘Wassup, kid’ ”?
-- Hamza Aitirhli, 18, East Boston

“I don’t know -- That’s the phrase. People use it as an excuse.”
-- Diane Joseph, 16, Mattapan

“{the n-word} -- It’s immature and tiring.”
-- Pablo Ovalles, 17, Roslindale

“Dumb as an inappropriate adjective -- Everybody’s saying it and it doesn’t make any sense.”
-- Jessica Charles, 16, Mattapan

“Salted -- It’s a seasoning and they misuse it.”
-- Ashlee Johnson, 19, Roxbury

“That’s my {N-word} -- It’s rude and it shows signs of inner oppression.”
-- Shayla Bruce, 16, Dorchester

“On dawgz -- It’s annoying.”
-- Crisonis Marte, 15, Hyde Park

“Rash -- The meaning isn’t used properly.”
-- Brianna Millor, 15, Dorchester

Shush!

What’s the word on the words you’re sick of? You may be sick of other words, but these are the words that Americans are most sick of:

• Whatever..................47%
• You know..................25%
• It is what it is............11%
• Anyway......................7%
• At the end of the day...2%
• N/A............................8%

-- LaDonya Buchanan
Source: The Marist Institute for Public Opinion