Millennial Speak: Stay Woke!

Your WCW so LIT 2nite, SLAY IT woe! Keep it 💯

Hello readers! 

I know I kinda ghosted on you guys for quite some time. Over a year to be slightly more precise. I wanted to write about a lot of things to be honest and I ended up keeping them all as drafts - never really had the 'feels' to continue writing or posting them up. Talking about 'feels', I felt that this new topic would be kinda interesting to you guys - what ever the age. You might have heard this new funky island-ish kinda vibes song playing repeatedly on radio (if you listen to mainstream music) by the all too familiar DJ Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell Williams's smooth pop vocals, Katy Perry's alternative bubbly voice singing "Don't be afraid to catch feels" and Big Sean rapping away at the end. If you got to the end of the song thinking, "what are 'feels'?" then you might have caught on to what I'm about to share.

Source: GIPHY

Let's talk about slang words millennials use 'rn' and what exactly are youth these days using to communicate to each other. TBH I'm not the one to come to about what's 'in' because I'm 'so-yesterday'. When texting, I usually spell out words in full and make 'on fleek' sentences by avoiding the use of acronyms. I find it difficult to understand text messages which contain abbreviations and slang words, and I end up having to google it. Of course, I engage in the use of some slang words when I pick up what it means. All these make me sound like a 60-year-old grandma still green about the internet and trying to stay 'hip'. We have to start some where! 

'Slang' Throwback 

Language is fluid, ever-evolving and dynamic in nature. One of the many interesting aspects to language is the usage of 'slang'. It is an expression often used for only a certain time - it may disappear and it may make a come back. Many slang words are often not created but come from words that have been around for a long time with their meaning altered. Slang is simply informal language usually spoken in a particular group which includes phrases, words that have a dynamic meaning to them which may change over time. Although this definition may suggest you to equate it to jargon and colloquial terms, they are quite different from each other.

Jargon is typically language used by people in a particular field that include specific terms that can only be understood by them. The intention of using jargon between people of a particular field is to optimize conversation using terms that suggest that they have "high" technical understanding of the subject. But the usage of slang mainly emphasizes social and contextual understanding. Colloquial talk is considered informal as well but widely acceptable for reasons I am not too sure. Examples include terms like "reckon" which Brits normally use to mean "suppose" or "wanna" in place of "want to".

Many people studying language (linguists), especially of the English language have been particularly defensive against the use of slang quoting that it has created a 'decline' in proper speech and writing. That is probably the same mindset my English teachers in school had when they often repeated the same statement in class that we all used to dismiss: "Please do not use SMS language in your papers!". It is quite ironic now that lecturers in universities often reply my emails with "Tq" or "Noted with thx". What gives?

People like Jonathan Swift (whom I did not know before I researched on this topic) and Samuel Johnson, compiler of the Dictionary of the English Language in 1755, considered slang to be a "low life" form of language. Samuel Johnson actually defined the term 'cant' which is an older word for slang, in his Dictionary as a 'corrupt dialect used by beggars and vagabonds' (Dent, 2013). Well, you know what I think? Beggars can't be choosers. And we are in dire need of some candy in our veggies.  

Writer, Jonathan Swift's letter to Robert Harley suggesting that experts to be appointed to advise on English use. Source: The British Library

This is actually Samuel Johnson and I did not know! Source: Me.Me

Slang is more often distinct to certain cultures but slang from one culture may spread its roots to another. Certain phrases originally used by the Brits like 'oopsie daisy' can be heard from Australians, Americans and most countries which had been colonized by them. Slang is the product of youth (Skapinker, 2014), which is why it can never be ignored. Young people forever find creative ways to express themselves. It can never be structured. Slang is rebellious and care-free, like the youth who indulge in its usage. 

Social Media as The Bee, Slang its Pollen 

Today, slang is more widely used on the internet especially on social media, and through other forms of communication like text messaging, email, etc. Social media is a really strong factor which contributed to the spread of slang words or phrases to people all around the world.

The spread of slang via social media is very much similar to the spread of fake information (rumors) or viral videos. Social media employs the power of WOM or word of mouth on a huge digital scale. When someone says something in the U.S.A., you probably might have read it somewhere on your Facebook or Twitter timeline even if you're all the way in Africa. We just find it so easy to pick things up online since most of us are so busy staring at our mobile phones and computer screens. We might not be actively engaging in the search and use for slang words but it is more of a byproduct of our curiosity in culture and change.   

Let's look at the usage of the term "hashtag" which did not actually originate from Twitter. It was actually first used as an indexing method for keywords in the Internet Relay Chat, or IRC network created in 1988 (Fortunato, 2013). IRC users are able to communicate to one another through channels, signified by the hashtag sign, originally called the pound sign (Fortunato, 2013). Only after a few years of Twitter's launch, its users caught on to the hashtag phenomenon after Chris Messina, a social technology expert and long-time user of the IRC, suggested to Twitter that they adapt the use of the hashtag to categorize discussions by keywords (Fortunato, 2013). Now, the term is widely spoken rather than written to mean that something someone said can be made viral or search-worthy.

Source: GIPHY

The Power of Pop Culture on Slang

Music, TV and pop culture icons are the biggest influencers of slang. Most of these influences these days stem from African-American culture or hip-hop culture. Maybe some from the Korean culture with a lot of people watching Korean TV dramas and game shows. A common term I've heard a lot of my friends mention is ''hwaiting'' which is a word of encouragement when cheering someone on, most commonly accompanied with a fist pump hand gesture.

Back to hip-hop culture. The term ''crib" which means 'place of residence' is often used by rappers in their music. MTV even has a series called 'MTV Cribs' where viewers get a peek into the homes of celebrities. Most of the time we have no idea what those rappers are saying in their songs but we can't trivialize the influence of music in culture and how certain words which were most likely only spoken in certain neighborhoods can be popularized. It is not only confined to hip-hop music but we can now find slang words in reggae, folk and techno. 'Rude boy' is a slang term mostly used in Jamaican culture which can be found in reggae music. As we might be aware, Rihanna incorporated the term really well in her song "Rude Boy" although she is of Barbadian descent. As you can see, we don't have to be part of certain culture to pick up its language or slang phrases.

'Twerk' which was popularized and "culturally misappropriated" by Miley Cyrus recently is actually a term with quite a history. The word 'twerk' on record was first used in a production by DJ Jubilee in her 1993's song "Do the Jubilee All". Apparently it originated from the inner-city of New Orleans, U.S.A. and was frequently used in what they call, 'bounce music' by rappers and djs hosting parties. Now, it is part of the Oxford English Dictionary. The word is actually a combination of the words 'twist', 'twitch', 'work', and 'jerk' (Lynch, 2013). I guess that perfectly describes the movements made when one is 'twerking'.

In a way, pop culture tells us when and how we use slang phrases and what kind of words can be changed and manipulated to fit a certain period of time. That's the power of pop culture especially on people below the age of 30. But of course, middle-aged adults and senior citizens are no aliens to slang. I mean they could have grown up with some. We just use a different term for those words they use to say now.

Have you used any of these slang phrases recently?

20 Popular Slang Words/Phrases Used in 2017 

1. Bae
2. LIT
3. Tea
4. Woke
5. Thirsty
6. Daddy/ Mama 
7. TFW
8. V
9. Legit
10. Fam
11. Feels 
12. Can't even 
13. Ship
14. Roast
15. Aesthetic 
16. Low key/ High key
17. MCM/ WCW
18. Savage
19. Keep it 💯 
20. Werk it

20 Retired Slang Words/ Phrases Only Old Farts Use (Like me) 

1. Tight
2. Fo' sho'
3. Take a chill pill 
4. Peace out 
5. Stoked 
6. Hella
7. Flossy 
8. Crib
9. My bad 
10. Fly
11. Fetch 
12. Props
13. Talk to the hand
14. Fresh
15. As if
16. Duh 
17. LOL/ LMAO
18. Cut it out
19. Diss
20. Oh snap

Well thank goodness for Urban Dictionary or I would have... well never mind. The question is, can we as a society refrain the use of slang language entirely? I do not think so. It is part of dictionaries. It is part of life to experiment with language. We learn, we adapt, we assimilate. We are inclusive of all cultures and differences. It is true that the more we experiment, the easier it is to lose sight of our own culture - our history. Language is part of history. It defines who we are. Are we English? Are we Chinese? Are we Irish? Are we South African? Thus, there is even a stronger reason why we shouldn't let language (its form and rules) inhibit our future as simply, people.  

Reference

Blizzard, O. (January 30, 2017). Odyssey. 52 Old School Slang Words We Should Bring Back In 2017. Retrieved from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/52-funky-school-slang-words-bring

British Library. (n.d.). A Proposal for Correcting, Improving and Ascertaining the English Language, 1712. Learning: English Timeline. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item126681.html

Datoo, Siraj. (August 27, 2013). Oxford dictionary adds “twerk,” “derp,” “selfie,” “phablet,” and more voguish vocabulary. Retrieved from https://qz.com/119200/oxford-dictionary-adds-twerk-derp-selfie-phablet-and-more-voguish-vocabulary/

Dent, S. (April 12, 2013). Oxford Dictionaries. Johnson and Grose: lexicography’s odd couple. Retrieved from http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2013/04/johnson-and-grose/

Fortunato, J. (July 1, 2013). The Hashtag: A History Deeper than Twitter. Retrieved from http://www.copypress.com/blog/the-hashtag-a-history-deeper-than-twitter/

Garber, M., Lafrance, A., and Bogost, I. (August 5, 2014). The Atlantic. The Evolution of Slang. Retrieved  from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/08/the-evolution-of-slang/375104/

Lynch, J. (August 28, 2013). Fuse. A Brief History of Twerking. Retrieved from https://www.fuse.tv/2013/08/brief-history-of-twerking

McAlpine, F. (October 10, 2016). BBC. 10 words from pop music culture that made it into the dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/3cdffd04-de25-4c12-9723-b84b7231e71a

Moore, M. (December 13, 2013). Thought Catalog. 36 Slang Phrases From The 90s You Should Use In 2014. Retrieved from https://thoughtcatalog.com/madison-moore/2013/12/36-slang-phrases-from-the-90s-you-should-use-in-2014/

Mr. Doody. List of slang used in hip-hop music. [blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/doc/16522469/List-of-Slang-Used-in-Hip-hop-Music

Skapinker, M. (May 17, 2014). Financial Times. Slang Shows Us How Language Is Always Changing. Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/7b6e465c-d9e6-11e3-9b6a-00144feabdc0

Smith, A. (July 6, 2016). Skidmore Studio. Millennial Slang Dictionary: November 2016 Updates. Retrieved from http://www.skidmorestudio.com/listen-to-the-kids-millennial-slang-dictionary/

Telfer, T. (May 23, 2014). Bustle. 88 Hilarious Slang Terms From the 20th Century To Sprinkle Through Your Writing Like You're Putting on the Ritz. Retrieved from https://www.bustle.com/articles/25318-88-hilarious-slang-terms-from-the-20th-century-to-sprinkle-through-your-writing-like-youre-putting