Lesson 8: Essential Slang

 

Slang, unconventional words or phrases that express either something new or something old in a new way. It is flippant, irreverent, indecorous; it may be indecent or obscene. Its colourful metaphors are generally directed at respectability, and it is this succinct, sometimes witty, frequently impertinent social criticism that gives slang its characteristic flavour.

A new slang term is usually widely used in a subculture before it appears in the dominant culture. Thus slang—e.g., “sucker,” “honkey,” “shave-tail,” “jerk”—expresses the attitudes, not always derogatory, of one group or class toward the values of another. Slang sometimes stems from within the group, satirizing or burlesquing its own values, behaviour, and attitudes; e.g., “shotgun wedding,” “cake eater,” “greasy spoon.” Slang, then, is produced largely by social forces rather than by an individual speaker or writer who, single-handed (like Horace Walpole, who coined “serendipity” more than 200 years ago), creates and establishes a word in the language. This is one reason why it is difficult to determine the origin of slang terms.

Slang is used for many purposes, but generally it expresses a certain emotional attitude; the same term may express diametrically opposed attitudes when used by different people. Many slang terms are primarily derogatory, though they may also be ambivalent when used in intimacy or affection. Some crystallize or bolster the self-image or promote identification with a class or in-group.

1.	2day	Today (hari ini)	I’ve done my job 2day. (aku sudah menyelesaikan tugasku hari ini)
2.	24/7	24 hours a day/ 7 days a week (setiap waktu)	I’ll be there for you 24/7 (aku akan selalu ada untukmu di setiap waktu)
3.	AFAIK	As far as i know (sejauh yang kutahu)	AFAIK, you got A+ in chemistry class. (sejauh yang kutahu, kamu mendapat nilai A+ pada kelas kimia)
4.	AKA	Also known as (juga dikenal sebagai/alias)	Bambang Pamungkas AKA BP, will join National football team. (Bambang Pamungkas juga dikenal sebagai BP, akan bergabung dengan Timnas sepak bola)
5.	ASAP	As soon as possible (secepat mungkin)	I need you to drive ASAP. (aku membutuhkanmu menyetir secepat mungkin)
6.	BBF	Best friend forever (sahabat baik)	She is my BFF. (dia adalah sahabat terbaikku)