Tag Archives: Slang

  1. Have You Ever Experienced Language Denialism?

    What makes something a “real” language? For most of us, real language is the language we speak and the languages that large groups of other people speak. You may not know how to speak French, for instance, but many other people do, and it’s an official language of many countries, so clearly it must be “real.” But, what about different dialects of languages, regional languages, …

  2. /www.lonelyplanet.com/jamaica

    You’re Probably Already Speaking This Jamaican Slang

    We've rounded up some of our favorite examples of Jamaican slang in the language. Yuh ready?

  3. Getty

    Has The Word “Ninja” Been Culturally Appropriated?

    Traditionally, the word ninja is defined as “a member of a feudal Japanese society of mercenary agents, highly trained in martial arts and stealth (ninjutsu), who were hired for covert purposes ranging from espionage to sabotage and assassination.” These ninjas have captured the Western pop culture imagination since at least the 1960s, when the word was borrowed into English. Since then, ninja has expanded to describe “a …

  4. What Is A “Self-Own”?

    Perhaps you’ve scrolled through social media and seen someone comment: Classic self-own. Greatest self-own of the year so far. Olympics-level self-own. Hall-of-fame self-own. This is both a self-own and a universal truth https://t.co/xbHhqovnnL — John Haltiwanger (@jchaltiwanger) January 30, 2020 What are these self-owns, and why are they epic? To understand what self-own really means, we must first know the meaning of the slang term …

  5. Don’t Get Mixed Up By These Differences In US, UK, And Australian English

  6. Is “Crude” The Right Word To Use To Describe Someone’s Language?

    by Ashley AustrewAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been in office for less than a month, and already she’s been the subject of controversy on multiple occasions. First, she was reportedly booed in Congress while voting to elect Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the house. Then, she was targeted by the leak of the now-infamous recording of her dancing in college. And most recently, Ocasio-Cortez made headlines for telling …

  7. These Idioms Were Turned Into Some Of TV’s Most Popular Shows

    Television has a habit of repurposing and repackaging common sayings into names of shows, from Breaking Bad to Six Feet Under, and it’s easy to understand why: Idioms are packed with rich associations that resonate instantly with viewers, and when applied to titles of the small screen, they quickly communicate the sensibilities of the shows. Take a look at how some of these idiomatic phrases were …

  8. Locked Up Lingo: 8 Terms That Summarize Prison Slang

    In prison, people use their own special forms of lingo and communication. The unique slang used by prisoners reflects this.

  9. The Power Of Reclaiming Controversial Terms

    Fair warning: Reading ahead will put you in contact with some controversial “bad” words. There are some words in English considered so derogatory and controversial that some people won’t even type them out. They’re shortened, instead, to the just one letter, followed by “word.” The c-word. The b-word. They’re the sort of words young children are told never to utter and most certainly not to hurl …

  10. Do You Speak Emoji? Translate These Well-Known Quotes

    Do you think you're an emoji expert? Challenge yourself & see if you can figure out these popular quotes.

  11. Civility And Other Trending Words On Dictionary.com

    There were plenty of calls for civility the week of June 22–29, 2018, but do folks really know what it means? The word was one of the top trending searches on Dictionary.com, but it was far from the only term to spark interest! Eighty-six The ouster of Press Secretary Sarah Sanders from the Red Hen, an eatery in Lexington, Virginia boosted searches for the meaning …

  12. Concentration Camp And Other Trending Words On Dictionary.com

    From families being separated at the border, to a prominent Republican jumping ship from his party, to Beyonce and Jay-Z dropping new music, take a look at how the news affected searches on Dictionary.com the week of June 15–22, 2018. Concentration camp, illegal alien, cage, la familia, tender age  Debates over the separation of children from their parents at the US border have dominated headlines …