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Slang Terms
"Somehow we all just KNOW when a slang term has got to go."
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By Sanovia Jackson
Why do certain slang words go out of style? I can see certain clothes or hairstyles getting old, but who can say what’s in or out with language? For example, there are fifty million ways to say hello, like whatsup, what’s crackin, and what’s da biz, to name a few. But it’s not like we sit around deciding what and what not to say. Somehow we all just KNOW when a slang term has got to go.
Rappers have a big influence on what the new slang is for the year. E-40, a rapper from the Bay Area, came up with words like fashugadale, which is basically the slang term for the phrase ‘for sure.’ Even that word seems to be played out now but certain words like whatsup are still going strong.
In the early 90’s, the popular word was “fresh.” Nowadays the word for appealing is “tight,” and if I said something was “fresh” to express my liking for it, I would get weird looks from my friends.
I always wanted to make up my own slang for other people to adopt. I’ve tried making up a couple words of my own like click clackin meaning talking on the phone with friends, or saying diamonds instead of money. A couple times when I was on the phone I tried to express how much I needed money by saying that my diamonds were low. But even my twist seemed to go out of style, faster than it took for me to come up with the word in the first place.
One way I know it’s time to use new slang is when my parents start using it when they talk to me—and saying something like, “That car is bootsy,” or asking me, “What’s up with it?” when I come home from school. That’s when I know it’s time to come up with some new slang.
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