Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 11:37:34 +0900 From: Daniel Long Subject: Re: Barry Popik (Kid's Slang) Gregory {Greg} Downing wrote: > As for Barry, how much groveling does he want? 50 people must have said yes, > and no one no that I know of. No sulking, Barry! Life is too short!!! I too had been puzzled by Mr. Popik's silence, but I have an answer for Mr. Downing and others on the list. Barry apparently had not been aware of all of the polling going on because he somehow got unsubscribed from the list. (I forwarded the messages to him. That oughta fill up his mailbox!) Here is a posting from him. Danny Long > I didn't see anything! I said I wasn't posting, and I got unsubscribed > without saying that! > > You can post this if you wish--it's from before my vacation. It comes from > New York (actually, Long Island & Queens) Newsday, Part 2, 11 October 1997, > B2, cols. 2-5, Planned Parenting: > > Kids' Slang: What's the Dealio? > > If your preteen says, ""Gotta bounce, Mom. Me and my dogg will be > chillin' with the crew and then shopping for some mad phat gear," don't be > confused. This is the latest slang, the curious but entertaining words that > preadolescents and teens use to define themselves with their peers. After > all, how long ago was it that you called everything cool (still acceptable, > by the way) or neato (don't even try it if you don't want to see your child's > eyes roll)? ("Neato" was my friend Joel Benjamin's favorite word. He became > U. S. chess champion, which is way cool--ed.) > Beyond being fun, slang demonstrates that your child has an excellent > command of language, according to Linda Levine, an educational anthropologist > and chair of teacher education at the Graduate School at Bank Street College > in Manhattan. (She's NOT an ADS member, and she's being used as an expert! > Didn't David K. Barnhart go to Bank Street College--NADS 29.3 Sept. 1997, > pg. 27? I keep saying that 517 ADS members is too small!--ed.) > "It shows kids have developed a wide range of language. As kids grow > up, they learn the language of their speech community," she says. "As soon > as they start to interact socially in elementary school, they pick (slang) > up. It is crucial that they have a command of slang. Without it, they are > less likely to get into social groups. It is one of the first things that > chuildren from other countries learn when they come here so they can become > socially acceptable to their peers." > Skill is required, Levine says, to do what linguistic experts call code > switching, or using two different languages in a sentence. Most kids use > slang with their friends, but not so much with teachers and parents, so they > also can turn it on and off when they want to. > > (box) > What They're Saying > > A sampling of current kids' slang with a parents'-level translation: > BOUNCE--to leave > BUTTER--smooth (obvious, not chunky style--ed.) > DA BOMB--the best > DOGG--friend > FRONTERS--people who never do what they say they will > GEAR--clothes > GIRLY GIRL--female friend > HOOPTY--messed-up ride > JIGGY--very nice > KID--a person > MAD--very > MY BAD--my mistake (In Peter Vecsey's NBA basketball column in the NY Post > last Friday, Philadelphia coach Larry Brown was quoted as saying his 76ers > would lead the league in "my bads"--ed.) > N-E-WAYZ--whatever > NO DOUBT/NO DIGGITY--that's true > OH, SNAP--oh, no > PHAT--very nice > PLAYER--a flirt, someone who has more than one romance at a time > PLAYER HATER ("PLAYAHATA")--someone who is jealous > PROFILIN'--conceited > SHORTY--good-looking girl > SPED/SPAZ--loser > SON/DUN--form of address (applies to anyone) > TYPE HOT--really cool > WACK--stupid > WHAT'S THE DEALIO?--What's going on? > YOU BE ILLIN'/HUGGIN'--You are crazy. -- Daniel Long, Associate Professor NEW tel +81-6-723-8297 Japanese Language Research Center NEW fax +81-6-723-8302 Osaka Shoin Women's College dlong[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]joho.osaka-shoin.ac.jp 4-2-26 Hishiyanishi http://www.age.ne.jp/x/oswcjlrc/ Higashi-Osaka-shi, Osaka Japan 577