Slang, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow By Debbie Lacy
My niece and I were playing a game when we started talking slang while we played. Before long, we went back 10–15 years remembering some of the slang we use to say in comparison to the slang that is used today, but what fun we had and most of the slang is still used today.
Slang is just a word or group of words used as metaphors or similes to express a figure of speech. In order for the slang expression to survive, it has to be used widely by groups of people who use it often.
Slang has been around since the 1800’s, it was used in the western days, rolling twenties days, there is crime and prison slang, gay and lesbian slang, drug related slang, there is the black slang, common slang, computer slang, music and lyric slang and the more modern slang today is computer and teenage slang.
Other than slang being an expression used by groups of people, slang was also used by people who wanted to be different and by using slang some people felt a kind of uniqueness which is mainly the reason slang exist, but for whatever reason slang is here to stay.
You can reference some of these slang categories below.
Drug slang is mostly metaphorical and you may have heard or seen on the television some basic drug slang as follows:
Busted – means – to be arrested
Burnout – means - a heavy user of drugs
Burn the main line – means – to inject a drug
Buds – means – Cannabis, Nitrites
Booth – means – Cocaine
Boost – means - Crack
Bull – means – narcotics agent or police officer
Let me share with you some of the common slang used daily by everyday common people and they are as follows:
He has deep pockets – means - a good source of money
That’s Groovy - means - pleasant
He’s a couch potato – means - lazy person
I had to cram last night – means - study hard
I’ve been taking care of business – means – doing what I have to do
The police threw him in the slammer – means - jail
We hit the sack – means – go to bed
He has nice threads – means – nice clothes
She is always running off at the mouth – means- talking to much
What an awesome sunset – means – great
She's back at the crib - means - she's at home
He pulled an all-nighter – means – study all night
Can I borrow a buck – means – dollar
Do you know where the can is - means – restroom
I’m going to catch some rays at the beach – means - sunshine
Don’t be a chicken – means – coward
Let’s find a place to chow down – means – eat a lot
Don’t try to con me – means – deceive
This is really a cool place – means – good
I’ll ditch my younger brother – means – leave
This place is a drag – means – boring
Your sister is a fox – means - attractive
I got this gig – means – job
You dig - means - do you understand
What’s going down – means – what’s happening
His salary is twenty grand – means – thousand dollars
We need to hang tough – means – stick with it
My proposal was a hit with the boss – means – successful
Let me see some I.D – means – identification
This common everyday slang above goes on and on which describes how slang is a part of our everyday life.
There is also the Black slang where the meaning is more metaphorical and here are a few examples as follows:
These are my “peeps” – means - parents or family
Come “peep!” this – means – check it out
"Slow your roll!" - means - to calm down
"Back up off me!" - means - get back, back away from me
"Man that jacket is Fly!" - means - it looks good
"They are living Large" - means - they are living well, rich, wealth
"That watch is Phat!" - means - expensive
“Off the hinges!” – means – outstanding, great same for “Off the chain!”
"You know what time it is!" - means - time for a change
"Let me get a couple of them squares from you!" - means - cigarettes
"It's going down!" - means - something is about to happen (happening)
"That's my Dawg!" - means - good friend (male)
"Why don't you let me hold something?" - means - you want some money
"It was the bomb!" - means - great or outstanding, awesome
"Holding it down!" - means - got it under control
"Work it girl!" - means - dance well, walk well, dress well
"Oh it's on now!" - means - you are about to get serious about something, got things to take care of
"True that!" - means - I agree
"Why you checking me?" - means - trying to control, dominate
"I'm feeling ya!" - means - I can relate
"You feel me?" - means - do you agree
"You nailed it!" - means - you did great
"I'm going to open up a can!" - means - get ready to get your A** whipped
"I'm going to pop a cap!" - means - shoot someone
"Drop it like it's hot!" - means - excited, or to dance
"They holding it down!" - means - they got it together
"She is putting in the work!" - means - working towards something
"It's real!" - means - it's true
“Oh for real!" - means - is that right
“They ripped it!” means - they jammed (sound great) or (did great)
“Break off” – means – to give
The “Po-Po” – means – the police
"It is what it is!" - means - to accept something the way it is, something unchangeable
"I can't call it!" - means - unsure of the day, anything is possible
She just "trying to front!" - means - being something you're not
“Let’s get “crunk!” – means – good, fine, phat
"It's all good!" means - things are good (great)
“Beat down” – means – a butt kicking (fight)
"We're just kicking it!" - means - just friends
“Low-key” – means – quiet, to yourself
"I got him on lock down!" -means - can't go nowhere
Keeping it on the "down low" - means - no one will know (or) on the DL!
"All ready" - means - that's good (great) cool
"Girl stop tripping!" - means - emotional
"Why you sweatin me man!" - means - questioning me
"What it do?" - means - what's good
"We vibed" - means - we connected (relate to one another) or share something in common
Some feel that black slang is simply a corrupted version of proper English, but that isn’t so. If that were the case, it would be the same for all other slang that is used, which was mentioned above. This is where a group of people who use their uniqueness with words or groups of words to express themselves. It doesn’t mean that this origin can’t speak proper English.
Then there is the modern version of Teenage Slang. You may be familiar with some of the jargon they use and they are as follows:
“Hater!” – means – an individual who has a pessimistic attitude and is constantly talking about others - envious
“My Bad!” – means – totally my fault
"Word!" - means - found out something new or an agreement or understanding
"We're justing hanging out!" - means - being together
"You down for it!"- means - going to do or about to do
"Just laying low for a while!" - means - not interested in doing or going
There is also the modern instant messaging or computer jargon teenagers use and they are as follows:
TTYL – means – Talk to you later
Sup – means – What’s up
Chillin – means – relaxing
L8tr – means – later
G2G – means – Got to go
IDK – means – I don’t know
BRB – means – Be right back
LOL – means – Laugh out loud
OMG – means – Oh my God (goodness)
IMAO – means – Laughing my a$$ off
2moro – means – Tomorrow
Gurl – means – girl
Smh - means - shaking my head
Thanx – means – thanks or (thks)
Computer slang or jargon is more of a simile as comparing one meaning as something else. Here are just a few of those computer jargons as follows:
Byte – means – computer storage (usually displayed as “B”)
Firewall – means – a set of related programs located at a network
Worms – means – a virus
Software bug – means – a error in the coding of the program
Computer glitch – means – relates to a power failure or network malfunction
Browser – means – is way to look up information
Server – means – a computer program that provides services to other computer programs
Again, the list goes on and on for computer slang or jargon people use everyday.
Not only does a teenager use some of these instant message or computer jargon, but everyone who knows anything about it uses them.
Overall, I think the use of slang is cool, and honestly, we find ourselves using some sort of this slang jargon in our everyday communication with one another. It’s just another way people use this unique form of the English language. So have fun with it!
