True language geek that I am, I can't resist quizzes like
this one, that test our knowledge of new words and phrases. I've always been
fascinated by the evolution of language and new terms showing up in songs and
movies, but thanks to Twitter and the like, things are changing more quickly
than ever. One celebrity tweet or vine can instantly make a given word take
off. Others rise and fade so quickly they nearly go unnoticed. Why do some
words hang around long enough to make it into the OED and others disappear in
days? What's the difference between permanently cool and oh so five minutes
ago? That's part of the fun. Full disclosure: I took the quiz and missed three.
Can I claim a disadvantage because I don’t have a teenager in the house?
This NPR story caught my eye for obvious reasons, including
the use of "Old-Timey" in the headline, one term that still grates on me.
(Apparently I'm in the minority though; Microsoft Word doesn't flag is as a
misspelling. Really?? And yes, I'm fascinated by slang, but I don't have to
like all of it, right?) Then there's the notion that the actual idea of slang
is passé. I suppose that makes some sense, given the flood of words we now have
that would give Miss Leslie fits, but I tend to agree with Professor Adams.
Slang does exist, and doesn't happen by accident. Humans have been developing
what could be described as slang terms since we first formed tribes. What
better way to solidify a group identity? Anyone who created a "secret" language
with a friend can relate. I feel for future linguists trying to make sense of
this time period though; just trying to interpret Twitter alone will leave them
rekt.
