Terms

• college slang 
• flappers 
• formal 
• informal 
• slanguage 
• Swing Jive

Resources

Dalzell, Tom.  Flappers 
2 Rappers: American 
Youth Slang.  Merriam 
Webster, Inc.  2001. available at:  http://www.m-w.com/lighter/flap/
flaphome.htm.
This site was my favorite. 
It examined pop culture 
through the years from 
the start of the flapper
craze on through the 
rise of hip-hop. It discuss-
es how many slang words 
derive from music.  This site 
defined some popular slang 
terms used by youth and 
American college students 
throughout the decades.

Eble, Connie.  College Slang 
101.  Georgetown, Spectacle 
Lane Press. 1989.
This was a fun dictionary 
of slang terms used by 
American college students,
but especially right here in 
North Carolina.  In it were
phrases like Redneck Tech 
and UNC-Kmart.
 
 

Updated 11/17/01

College Slang

 Among many College Students today in the United States, there is a fascinating “slanguage” (vocabulary of slang) all their own.  This college slang reflects the experiences, beliefs, and values of its’ speakers, the American college student.  As defined by the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, slang is “very informal usage in vocabulary and idiom that is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid, ephemeral than ordinary language.”  Slang was also defined by "the jargons of particular classes and professions.” When used as a noun, slang refers to words, terms and phrases that do not conform to Standard American English.  When slang is used as a verb, the slanging process refers to the use and creation of slang. 

College Slang has been adapted by America’s Youth to establish a unique identity for the so called X and Y generations. This has been created to "exclude" those who don't belong in the group.  It is sometimes thought to be rebellious.  Although most youth see slang and college slang as something new and hip, slang among the youth has been around since the 1920s during the craze of the flappers.  This movement was very influential of the youth in the 1920s.  At the same time college campuses all over started to adapt their own language used for general purposes (http://www.pinkcity.net/slang/slang.htm.)   The young male student who dressed very stylish was known as “smooth”, “Joe Brooks” was a very perfect dresser and “Joe” was the average dresser.  "Wet" meant that you were an odd or over dresser.  Slang has both positive and negative connotations and can be offensive to some. This secret code if you will amongst college students and youth in general has been borrowed and manipulated (Cool Words.) 

In the 30s Swing Jive was popular influencing words like "gob stick" and "doghouse" for clarinet and bass guitar.  The 1940s began slang words for human anatomy using "blinkers and dukes" for eyes and fists. Rock’n Roll influenced college slang in the 1950s with titles like “We’re Gonna Rock We’re Gonna Roll” and “Sixty Minute Man”.  In the 60s college slang was the mainstream and we began to hear words like “square” to mean “loser”.  And other related terms were "chaser", "wimp" and "gross".  The 70s, 80s, and 90s college slang was adopted by many cultures.  Black Vernacular was very influential in the 1980s and thus began the era of Hip Hop and Rap.  The virgin slang word "phat" has become a rap idiom of the fairly new hip hop culture. Connie Eble professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill first recorded the word phat in 1973.  The odd spelling of the word "phat" with the “ph” is nothing new. Accordingly, in the 1920s college students spelled the word “rats” as “rhatz!” (Dalzell.) 

Typically college slang is used in informal environments and highly avoided in formal settings.  Students choose carefully when to use slang and when not to.  Often times students feel that they would be looked upon negatively if they use slang at an inappropriate time or place.  Slang is usually used among friends and peers.  College slang can be very specific to particular Universities like UNC-Kmart referring to UNCW or Redneck Tech referring to NC State. Slang can also be very general and broad with words like "cool", "da bomb" and "freek", that can carry many connotations.(Eble, 1989). 

Exercise

1.  Yo, wassup me and my homies was about to go get crunked    up. 

2.  I met this Chickenhead behind Wellons.

3.  She was all that
. 
4.  I was gonna holla, but I had all that juice in my ride and 5-O was coming
. 
5.  We sposed to hit up this party at Redneck Tech with the Q's. 

6.  My boy, Steve was supposed to go, but if he don't get here with the quickness, he will be short 

7.  I ain't go the Benjamins to get that system right now. 

8.  Wassup G, I was bout to roll over there as soon as  I go the 411 about the party. 

9.  I blew chunks last night after the party. 

10.  Mike thinks he is a baller, but he ain't all that.  I told him to talk to the hand. 

Works Cited

Dalzell, Tom.  Flappers 2 Rappers:  American Youth Slang.  Merriam Webster, Inc.  2001. available at:  http://www.m-w.com/lighter/flap/flaphome.htm. 

Eble, Connie.  College Slang 101.  Georgetown, Spectacle Lane Press.  1989. 

Yours sincerely 'slang-a-franca'!  available at:  http://www.pinkcity.net/slang/slang.htm