This stems in part from the contest between conservatism and ‘multiculturalism’ or ‘liberalism’, which in the late 1990s focused on the stalled attempt to establish so-called ‘ebonics’, or black spoken English, as a linguistic variety with official status. In the US, on the other hand, slang and so-called ‘vernacular’ use is still highly controversial.
Of communication, for clarification, to show solidarity or – a reason sometimes overlooked by analysts – just for fun. The use of slang forms part of what linguists call code-switching or style-shifting – the mixing of and moving between different languages, dialects or codes. Perhaps they have come to see slang as their own common language, in which they are fluent, and which may therefore take precedence over the other varieties in their repertoires (Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Creole, ‘Cockney’, ‘textbook English’ etc.). The school in question has pupils from many ethnic and linguistic groups – which may give a clue as to why young people might opt for slang as a medium of communication and not just an embellishment. In the last five years I have only come across one instance, reported in local and national newspapers, of a south London secondary school head publicly warning pupils of the dangers of using slang in their conversation. There has been surprisingly little criticism of the use of slang (as opposed to the ‘swear-words’ and supposed grammatical errors which constantly irritate British readers and listeners). Today, tabloid newspapers in the UK such as the Sun, the Star and the Sport regularly use slang in headlines and articles, while the quality press use slang sparingly – usually for special effect – but the assumption remains that readers have a working knowledge of common slang terms. Attitudes to the use of language have changed profoundly over the last three decades, and the perceived boundaries between ‘standard’ and ‘unorthodox’ are becoming increasingly ‘fuzzy’. Both, however, involve value judgements which are essentially social and not linguistic. The first description now sounds quaintly outmoded, while the second could be applied to street gangs – today’s posses, massives or sets – and their secret codes. For him, theirs was an interestingly ‘pathological’ form of language. So what happens once it is accepted, even in some cases embraced and promoted by ‘mainstream’ society? Not long ago the Oxford English Dictionary characterised slang as ‘low and disreputable’ in the late 1970s the pioneering sociolinguist Michael Halliday used the phrase ‘anti-language’ in his study of the speech of criminals and marginals. INTRODUCTION: SLANG IN THE 21ST CENTURY Slang and Society Slang derives much of its power from the fact that it is clandestine, forbidden or generally disapproved of.
Text typeset by A & C Black Publishers Printed in Spain by Graph圜ems The logging and manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. Heather Bateman, Emma Harris, Katy McAdam, Rebecca McKee This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed, sustainable forests. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the permission of the publishers. First published in Great Britain 1990 Paperback published 1991 Second edition published 1997 Paperback published 1999 Third edition published 2005 This paperback edition published 2007 A & C Black Publishers Ltd 38 Soho Square, London W1D 3HB © Tony Thorne 1990, 1997, 2005, 2007 All rights reserved.
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