THE ART OF COMPOSITON: SLANG

Hi! Professor Panda here!

Today we are going to continue our discussion of the art of composition. Here is another basic rule of writing that applies to both English and Japanese:

USE SLANG ONLY WHEN NOTHING ELSE WILL SERVE WELL.

What is slang? Well, putting it as simply as I can, slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard within the speaker’s or writer’s language or dialect, but which are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often used as a synonym or rewording, and may use an informal vocabulary in order to identify with one’s peers.

Slang is a colorful, non-standard language which, when considered from not only a grammatical viewpoint but from a sociological viewpoint, is invented by special groups, which can include various subcultures such as racial groups (most often within an urban environment), cliques, neighborhood gangs, and even professions. For example, the seamen who sailed the tall ships of the 18^th and 19^th centuries had slang words for everything on and around their ships (including the weather), words which continually confused and vexed those who only spoke and understood the standard language of the time. This, however, is regarded by some linguists and grammarians as a matter of jargon rather than slang; jargon being the technical vocabulary of a particular profession, which implies that the user (or reader) is familiar with whatever is being referred to, or with a group of people who are familiar with that profession and use terms particular to that profession. When writing (or speaking) however, the use of jargon can become exclusionary, even snobbish, and potentially leave many readers unable to comprehend fully what is being said; thus, it should be used only sparingly and carefully.

As the poet Carl Sanburg described it, slang is “language that takes off its coat, spits on its hands, and gets to work.”

Colorful as it may be, slang has very real weaknesses for the writer. Its effectiveness really depends on its freshness and novelty. As such, this form of language and grammar has a vocabulary that changes or adds new variations almost constantly. Slang words rapidly go in and out of style; they “wear out” from overuse, and thus become outdated.

Teachers, university instructors, editors, and even employers object to the use of slang in everything from student papers to business communications on the basis that slang is too often an easy, popular rubber stamp which only approximates exact, precise, thought. Slang is regarded as a lazy way of avoiding the effort needed in order to find an exact and equally vivid standard word or phrase. If a person were to say, “He’s a jerk,” they would not be communicating very much. After all, what does this statement mean precisely, other than that he is in some vague and unspecified way unattractive or unpleasant?

Another problem with written slang is that it may turn out to be incompatible or inconsistent with the writer’s intent or even his subject, and it can even be regarded as funny: but at the writer’s expense. Slang expressions are particularly open to criticism when they are placed, innocently enough, into a moderately formal context, as shown in the following sentences:

·         The violin virtuoso’s performance on the cello was a real bomb.

·         When Macbeth recoiled at the thought of murder, Lady Macbeth urged him not to chicken out.

Slang and its use in writing (or speech) may also, rightly or wrongly, be regarded as a reflection of the writer himself, as lazy, poorly educated, sloppy, or unsophisticated.

That is not to say that slang is all bad. Slang words, particularly when they are quite vivid, often become part of the vocabulary of Standard English. “Skyscraper,” “bus,” and “mob” (a shortening of the Latin words mobile vulgus) were once themselves slang; and if you think about it, what other word can convey the same meaning as the word “date”?

A good rule of thumb is to use slang sparingly, cautiously and thoughtfully, and only in the proper context.

Lastly, when writing, particularly in the case of creative writing or fiction, the use of slang may prove quite useful in adding a sense of authenticity in describing a character’s manner of speech or thought, ultimately leading us to the topic of dialect, which we will approach next time.

See you then!