Slang in English

[Khatores]

Spanglish or Tex-Mex - Spanish and English together (spoken in S. Florida, CA, Texas, etc.)

cops - police (this is well-known from movies)

deadbeat - someone who does not pay their debts, or in particular, child support, which is what you pay after getting a divorce

ricecar - Small Asian cars with giant tailpipes, a large collection of stickers, weird paintjob, etc. The name is rice + racecar.

SUV - Sports Utility Vehicle, like a Land Cruiser or a Jeep. Somewhere between a truck and a van. Not really slang, but they are called other things in other places.

www.urbandictionary.com has millions of words. Some of these are commonly used in English, and some are not...but more than likely, most people can figure (some of) them out. If not, you can always act like you know a word they don't. :)

*Note: Some of the words at UD are really offensive though. You have been warned.

[Khatores]

Who can tell me a definition of slang ?

Giang
Main Entry: slang
Pronunciation: 'sla[ng]
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
1 : language peculiar to a particular group: as a : ARGOT b : JARGON 2
2 : an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech

Here's some more slang from the Southeast US... :)

ya'll - contraction of "you all". Originally used only in the SE, but has now spread to some of the rest of the US. At least in the south, it's considered ordinary speech and is even used in formal situations.

Used for a specific group of people - "Where are ya'll going today?"
Used in the abstract - "Do ya'll have any more chicken left?" (at a store, for example)

yonder - meaning "over there" or "in that place there", for a place within sight, this is an old word from Middle English and is used almost exclusively in the south. If you use it elsewhere, people will say, "over...what?"

Used to indicate a destination - "Let's go over yonder."
Used to indicate something - "What's that over yonder?" "What's that yonder thing there?"

ain't - Contraction of "are not". Used for - am not, are not, is not, have not, has not, do not, does not, did not. Widely catching on in the rest of the US (partly because of its versatility).

"No, I am Vietnamese. I ain't Chinese."
"I ain't going home right now."
"He ain't going to the store. He's lazy."

Note that none of these expressions are considered "proper English" (with the exception of "yonder", which is archaic), and will probably get you yelled at in any ESOL class. :lol: However, I believe they have linguistic value and are a unique contribution to the language from my area of the country.

[giotbuon]

A few slangs from a college student...

beer goggles – thinking people are more attractive than they really are, due to the effect of alcohol
**Either that guy is really hot or I am wearing beer goggles.

get wasted - get really drunk
**John got so wasted, he couldn't even walk.

pulling an all-nighter – to stay up all-night
**Last night, I had to pull an all-nighter to finish a 20-page term paper on the history of the Roman Empire.

take a chill pill – relax, calm down
**Dude, why do you have to make such a big deal out of everything? Take a chill pill...

drop the L-bomb – to tell someone you love them
**Oh my gosh, yesterday Mike dropped the L-bomb! What should I do?

facebook – to look someone up on Facebook (a social network website that allows college students to connect with each other through the Internet)
**I have never heard of him before, let's facebook him.

Hella – very, really, super; the slang is believed to have originated in Northern California.
**Ludacris' new song is hella tight.

Legit – right, real
**Are you sure the info you got from Wikipedia is legit?

[bschuess]

Thanksgiving Holiday seems like a good time to introduce some turkey slang:

"turkey" to call someone a turkey is to call him a fool

example: Chubby is such a turkey! (I don't mean our Chubby. I mean a different one:D.)

Turkeys are one of the stupidest animals on earth. It is said that if it rains, a farmer must chase the turkeys inside or they will drown.

"cold turkey" If a person has an addiction to tobacco or drugs or anything else, if they try to quit the addiction suddenly it is referred to as "going cold turkey". This means giving up addiction immediately rather than by slowly cutting back on the addiction.

"talk turkey" To "talk turkey" means to speak frankly. Someone might say "OK, let's talk turkey." This means let's stop the small talk (idle conversation) and get down to business.

[bschuess]

"chicken" is slang for "cowardly" or "afraid". It can be used a noun or an adjective.

"He's a chicken." or "He's chicken" both mean "He is afraid."

"henpecked" refers to a guy who's wife nags him and bosses him around. "Pecking" is what a chicken does with its beak, poking and digging at the ground or each other. "John never speaks up for himself at home. He is totally henpecked"

"a chick" refers to a girl. Sometimes it is used to refer to a cute girl, but more often it just means a girl. "That chick over lives in my neighborhood." It is usually considered "derogatory" or "impolite", at least by females.

"rooster" refers to a guy who has a lot of girl friends.

"mother hen" refers to a woman who is overly protective or overly involved with those around her. It is usually not a positive reference. "She get's into everybody's business. She's a real mother hen."

"egg" (ok this isn't necessarily a chicken reference) is sometimes used to refer to a person. "He's a good egg." means he's a good guy.

"chicken little" (not little chicken) refers to a person who is alarmist, i.e. gets overly excited by things. "She's a real Chicken Little." This refers to a children's story of a young chicken by the name of Chicken Little who is hit on the head by an acorn falling from a tree and runs around the barnyard yelling "the sky is falling!!!!!"

"chicken feed" refers to an unsatisfactory amount of money. "I like the job, but the pay is chicken feed."

"chicken ****" means petty or insignificant. It can be used as a noun or adjective. "I hate school because you have to follow so many chicken **** rules."

[duy]

...
example: Chubby is such a turkey! (I don't mean our Chubby. I mean a different one:D.)
...

Good point, guy! With just an arrow, you can kill two targets; you should have been my mentor :D

duy

[ChubbyChocobobo]

Good point, guy! With just an arrow, you can kill two targets; you should have been my mentor :D

duy
Eh.... what's your point?

[bschuess]

chicken **** means gutless / coward.

That too. Both work. You are correct. But I think this meaning of "chicken ****" is just a macho version of the single word "chicken". The "****" doesn't really add much in terms of meaning or art.

[Khatores]

That too. Both work. You are correct. But I think this meaning of "chicken ****" is just a macho version of the single word "chicken". The "****" doesn't really add much in terms of meaning or art.
What about "turkey ****"? :p

[bschuess]

Never heard that one.

I do want to comment for students on the word "****". I assume everyone knows it means "excrement", but it is used so much more often just as a swear word when someone is angry or unhappy.

We probably shouldn't use it so much on VIEX because it is really not EVER acceptable in polite conversation. Students shouldn't get the idea that they can use it generally.

Guys use it a lot when they are together, especially without girls or grownups around, but if used in the wrong time and place it will give people a bad impression.

[ChubbyChocobobo]

Let's learn some slangs (not dirty ones)

More **** anyone?

[Khatores]

We probably shouldn't use it so much on VIEX because it is really not EVER acceptable in polite conversation. Students shouldn't get the idea that they can use it generally.
Yeah, that's probably true. It's not exactly the best way to reel in new recruits (or maybe it is). lol

Anyone else have interesting slang?

[bschuess]

Enough of this sh*t

A lot of trends in fashion, music, etc. come from the African-American community. The angle you wear your ball cap, how baggy your pants are and how low you wear them, and a lot of other things start there.

The same is true of new words, especially with the importance of rap music in American culture.

Some clean Black American slangs that are used by a lot of young Americans:

"Homie" This is short for "homeboy" and it means a close friend.

Chubby's my homie. I've know him forever.

"Crib" means home, the place you live.

Meet me at my crib at 6 oclock.

"Hood" is short for neighborhood, so it means the area where you live.

Let's hang out today in my hood. ("hang out" means spend time in a place)

With a capital "H", "Hood" is also used to refer to the ghetto...the black neighborhood as in the movie title "Boyz n the Hood".

[hieuphan91]

Chubby's my homie. I've know him forever.

I don't understand that sentence. Could you explain it to me?

[bschuess]

"Chubby is my homie." just means "Chubby is my very good friend."

In this case, "forever" is also a kind of slang meaning "for a long time". It's kind of a slang of exaggeration, which is pretty common in the US.

Someone might say a certain fashion is "everywhere", meaning they see a lot of it, but not literally "every place".

Or, a kid might ask his parent to buy something because "Everyone has one.", but, of course the mean that some people or a lot of people have it.

[ChubbyChocobobo]

Chubby's my homie. I've known him forever.

Hah!!!!!!!!

[Khatores]

Someone might say a certain fashion is "everywhere", meaning they see a lot of it, but not literally "every place".

Or, a kid might ask his parent to buy something because "Everyone has one.", but, of course the mean that some people or a lot of people have it.
A common version of that is "everyone is doing it" - meaning, it's the stylish or popular thing to do.

Many parents will respond, "If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?" - which means that if something popular were also a harmful thing to do, would you also follow everyone without thinking?

[bschuess]

When someone is addicted to alcohol, we say he/she is an alcoholic. This is a real and serious medical problem that ruins many peoples lives.

We have taken this word particle "holic" and used it to create new words that refer to other "addictions", some of which may be real problems, but many of which have a humorous side too.

shopaholic - a person (usually a woman) who loves to go shopping

workaholic - a person who works too many hours, never taking time for family and personal activities. I think this is a real problem, but I don't know if it is a disease.

foodaholic - a person who eats uncontrollably

[a related term - a "foodie", is a person who is really interested in food...not just eating, but cooking as well]

chocoholic - Can you guess? A person who LOVES chocolate. I have a lot of VN friends who are "darkchocoholics" because the only eat dark chocolate.

Death-a-holic - Album and song title for the Goth rock band, The Wake.

You might try to make up some of your own slangs with "holic".

Maybe:

Phở-aholic - a Vietnamese soupaholic

"VIEXaholic" - a person who spends too much time posting messages.

[bschuess]

To say something is "ass backwards" means it is very confused or mixed up, fouled up, out of order.

EX. You installed the door ass backwards!!! The lock is supposed to be on the inside.

OK, use this slang carefully. "Ass", which is slang for buttocks, (the part of the body you sit on) is not a polite word.

This origin of this slang confuses me a little. Last time I looked, an "ass" is supposed to be behind you or "backwards", so "ass backwards" seems no to be wrong or confused, but exactly as it should be.:D

[Khatores]

To say something is "ass backwards" means it is very confused or mixed up, fouled up, out of order.

EX. You installed the door ass backwards!!! The lock is supposed to be on the inside.

OK, use this slang carefully. "Ass", which is slang for buttocks, (the part of the body you sit on) is not a polite word.
Sometimes people say "bass ackwards" as a more polite term. It also further emphasizes the confused nature of someone's arrangement of things.

[bschuess]

American slang includes a lot of ways to refer to sleeping or going to bed (to sleep, ok!!!) Remember this isn't a place for dirty slang.

to snooze

EX There is a famous saying "You snooze, you lose." It means if you sleep (or lack agressiveness), you will not succeed. It means take advantage of opportunities and don't delay!

to doze, to doze off, to slumber These are not necessarily slang, but the all refer to sleeping

to nod off When you are sitting in a chair and are very tired, your head may fall a little then you wake and lift it up. This action of "nodding" your head gives us this term.

to hit the hay

EX I'm going to hit the hay now. = I'm going to go to bed.

This may refer back to when mattresses were stuffed with hay or people slept on hay stacks.

to hit the rack

same as above except refers to a bed as a "rack"

to catch some z's

EX I'm going to catch some z's on the couch.

"z's" refers to the cartoon symbol of sleeping or snoring Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

You can also say "to log some z's". In this case "log" is a verb, a minor meaning of which is "to record" or "attain".

"to saw some wood"

He's in the bedroom, sawing some wood.

This notes the similarity of the sound of sawing wood and a person snoring...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[bschuess]

Chubby reminded me of another one..

"to call it a night"

EX I'm going to call it a night. > I'm going to bed.

What is "it"?

"to turn in"

EX I'm going to turn in now. > I'm going to bed now.

Also a fun one. My girlfriend often says "I'm going to watch tv, but probably the tv will end up watching me."

This means I'll probably fall asleep with the tv on.

[sstnhgbrtnam]

Also a fun one. My girlfriend often says "I'm going to watch tv, but probably the tv will end up watching me."

This means I'll probably fall asleep with the tv on.

Can't the TV be automatically turned off ?

I like this sentence. Thank you guys for all of "your slangs" :D :)

[bschuess]

It probably does have an automatic timer, but that's pretty high tech for a sleepyhead.

"sleepyhead" is slang for a tired person, especially a child.

[bschuess]

"The N word" is a phrase used to refer to what might be the most unacceptable word in American English. When talking about this word, people will usually use this phrase instead of saying the word. Example, "Never use 'the N word." or "It's unacceptable to ever speak 'the N word'.

You will hear the N word if you listen to rap music, but you may never hear it anywhere else and you should not make the mistake of using it just because you have heard it.

The word, and I will only type it once, is "nigger". Historically, racist white people in America have used it as a hate word about black people. Currently you may hear this word used BY black rappers or other young black men when talking to each other. An example would be "Hey, N......, how've you been?" or "Yeah, he's my N......" (meaning he's my friend). There is much discussion within the black community about this way of speaking, and many disapprove. The use of the word by a non-black person is totally unacceptable in any situation. White celebrities have even lost fans and fame by using it casually, not intending hate.

The proper way to refer to the races is a powerful issue in American, given it's racial history.

Caucasians have pretty much been referred to as "whites".

People from Asia were traditionally called "Orientals", but this fell out of favor, and the "acceptable" word is now "Asians". There have also always been negative, hateful names used by some, but I am not interested in talking about them.

People whose origin is in Mexico, Central and South America and the Spanish speaking Caribbean are variously referred to as "Hispanics", "Latinos", "Spanish surname", "Hispanic-American". It is also common, and probably preferable, to refer to people by their country of origin....Cuban, Mexican, etc. Many Hispanic people resent being grouped with each other because there are national rivalries.

There are slangs, many negative, for members of different national groups. People from New Zealand are called "kiwis", after the bird, not the fruit. Australians are often called "Aussies". But many more examples have a negative origin.

Maybe the most interesting labeling issue concerns black Americans. Fifty years ago, "Negro" and "colored person" were the most common words in polite conversation. Since then, the "right" word has changed a number of times, and frankly there is no correct answer. "Blacks", "African-Americans", and "Black Americans" are probably the most common. Interestingly, "People of color", as a reference to all racial minorities including Hispanics, Native Americans, etc., is now popular among people who wouldn't think of using the words "colored people".

Our history makes us a very confused people when it comes to racial issues.

[bschuess]

"wheels" - a car

EX "How do you like my new wheels?" means "What's your opinion of my new car?"

"rag top" - a convertible car (i.e. with a cloth roof)

EX "His new car is a rag top."

"to burn rubber" or "to lay rubber" - to accelerate rapidly so the tires spin and leave a mark on the street

EX "He really laid rubber when he drove away."

"pedal to the metal" - This refers to pushing the gas pedal (accelerator) all the way to the floor.

EX "He was pedal to the medal when he burned rubber."

"to be on cruise control" - literally this means to be using the feature on many cars that automatically controls the accelerator pedal and keeps the car at a steady speed. In slang it means to be detached, to not be paying attention, to be uninvolved.

EX "He doesn't seem interested in anything these days. He's really running on cruise control."

"tire kicker" - a person who shows interest in buying a product and takes the time of a salesman but doesn't really get around to buying it. This refers to people who go repeatedly to the car lot and kick the tires on the car (to see if they are strong?) but continually delay buying it. But it is used in all kinds of situations, especially business.

EX Executive: "He asks a lot of questions about our software. Do you think he'll buy it?"

Salesman: "I'm afraid he's just a tire kicker."

"lemon" - a car which shows a lot of hidden defects after you buy it. This term is also used for other products, but it is most common for cars.

EX "That old car is really a lemon."

"gas guzzler" - "guzzle" means to drink rapidly. So a gas guzzler is a car that consume too much gasoline.

EX "Big cars are comfortable, but they are really gas guzzlers."

[ChubbyChocobobo]

Wow, except lemon, all of those slangs are totally new for me. Thanks, Bob. How about "Ride" for a car? People say that too right?

[bschuess]

Wow, except lemon, all of those slangs are totally new for me. Thanks, Bob. How about "Ride" for a car? People say that too right?

For sure. You're right.

Also a much newer one you'll hear in American urban slang"

"Hooptie" - refers to a big old American car

EX "Man, that hooptie is fly." ("Fly" is slang for hot, cool, stylish, sexy)


"Pimp a Ride" - Here's your slang at work Chubby. A "pimp" is a man who manages street prostitutes. Pimps are known for wearing ridiculously fancy clothes and driving fancy cars with lots of shiny parts added on. So "pimping a ride" means to fix up an old car...remove rust, new paint, new wheels, etc.

EX "I'm going to pimp my ride instead of buy a fresh hooptie."


Hey guys, this thread started out as a place to exchange slang. Can we have some more Vietslang.

[ChubbyChocobobo]

"Pimp a Ride" - Here's your slang at work Chubby. A "pimp" is a man who manages street prostitutes. Pimps are known for wearing ridiculously fancy clothes and driving fancy cars with lots of shiny parts added on. So "pimping a ride" means to fix up an old car...remove rust, new paint, new wheels, etc.

EX "I'm going to pimp my ride instead of buy a fresh hooptie."


Hey guys, this thread started out as a place to exchange slang. Can we have some more Vietslang.

There is this "Pimp my ride" show on MTV. I don't watch it, though. I happened to be sitting there when my bro was watching it.

I been collecting some Viet most common slangs, too. Will post them later when I have time. Have to make up for what I failed to do last weekend. Sigh!

[Khatores]

Hey guys, this thread started out as a place to exchange slang. Can we have some more Vietslang.
What's Viet for "pimp my motorcycle"? Hundreds of plastic jewels, 14-inch wheels, running lights... :p

đi xe mô tô kẻ mối lái?

[ChubbyChocobobo]

Hint: Độ xe :D

[bschuess]

What's Viet for "pimp my motorcycle"? Hundreds of plastic jewels, 14-inch wheels, running lights... :p

đi xe mô tô kẻ mối lái?

Really good try, Khatores. It illustrates the interesting thing about slang....it seldom translates directly.

First, in this case, it totally depends on the stereotypical American pimp, a stereotype that doesn't hold in Asia. In fact, to my knowledge, the whole institution of pimping may not exist as we know it.

Second, even if, such an indirect translation of the concept often doesn't mean what you want it to.

It's disconcerting at first in the Lacviet dictionary that comes with EV. It's a great dictionary, which not only gives Vietnamese words equivalent to the English word, but also translates idioms containing the English word in question. But the words suggested as a translation often don't appear in the translation of the idiom, because they translate the meaning of the idiom, not the words.

EX

rain = ­­­mưa

raining cats and dogs = trời mưa như trút (no mèo or chó)

in never rains but it pours = hoạ vô đơn chí (no mưa! in the Việt)

[bschuess]

"metrosexual" is a provocative sounding word because it reminds you of "heterosexual" or "homosexual"

It refers to a heterosexual man living in the city with high income who is very (overly) concerned about his personal appearance...grooming, clothes, surroundings...characteristics often stereotyped with gay men. At least in the U.S., gay men often (usually) dress more stylishly and groom more carefully than non-gay men. "metro" means "urban" because these guys normally live in the big city. I think the word became popular because "metro" is close in sound to "hetero".

"hobosexual" is just the opposite. A "hobo" is a poor, homeless wanderer; a guy who may prefer life on the road to a home and a job. His clothes are rough and worn and dirty. So a "hobosexual" is not a "hobo", but just a guy who doesn't care about his appearance or clothes. This is a funny, ironic slang and not as common as "metrosexual".

[bschuess]

In standard English, a "groove" is a long channel or depression. The most common use was on a phonograph record (does anyone know what that is any more), where the spiral depression in which the needle rides was called the "groove".

In slang:

"in the groove" means performing in top form.

EX "The basketball player made every shot. He was really in the groove."

"groovey" 1960's slang for "excellent"

EX "Man, I'm feelin' groovey today."

"to groove" with someone means to get along well.

EX "We spent the whole day talking and playing video games. We were really grooving together."

"gets her groove back" or "gets her groove on" This is similar to the first meaning above. "to get your groove back" means to get your life back on track...to start enjoying life, to take control of life, etc

[bschuess]

"gofer" - a person in a business or organization whose job is to run errands for others (get coffee, run to the store, take clothes to the cleaner, deliver packages, etc.)

The word is a play on the words "to go for something", so a noun is created from "go for" -> "gofer"

EX "My job isn't very interesting. I'm just a gofer."

This creation is cute because it is identical in pronunciation with the standard word "gopher" which is an animal that lives underground.

http://www.critter-repellent.com/images/fact-gopher.gif
Gopher Factoid:
Gophers are active at all times of the day and night. They are fierce defenders of their own burrow. Because they do not hibernate, they must accumulate stores of food for the winter months. During this time, they are much less active above ground, feeding on their stores as well as roots and tubers underground.
:D As far as I can tell, there is no relationship between the animal and the slang.

An organization that has too many bosses and not enough lower level workers may be described as
"too many loafers and not enough gofers". "Loafers" is slang for "lazy people".

Another saying for this same thing is "too many chiefs and not enough Indians", referring to native American tribes where "chiefs" are the tribal leaders. This phrase is not used often because some think any such reference is a "racial stereotype".

[nb]

It's disconcerting at first in the Lacviet dictionary that comes with EV. It's a great dictionary, which not only gives Vietnamese words equivalent to the English word, but also translates idioms containing the English word in question. But the words suggested as a translation often don't appear in the translation of the idiom, because they translate the meaning of the idiom, not the words.


and worse still that you then have no translation of the idiom translation, so you have to then go search for the meaning of the words used... and by that stage it's like "why do i bother with this at all". it'd be nice if they bothered explaining what they are saying, especially since it has nothing to do with the word originally searched-for!

[bschuess]

English uses color words in many slangs and idioms. I don't understand where they all come from.

"Blue" is used an adjective meaning "sad"

EX "My girlfriend left me and I'm feeling blue." This is the same meaning as the type of music called "the Blues" or "rhythm and blues". In this case it is a noun. EX "I've got a bad case of the Blues."

"the blue" also refers to the sky. A common saying is "out of the blue".
EX "The idea came to me out of the blue." I don't know where it came from...it just appeared.

"green" - If we are very jealous of something, we say "I am green with envy."

If someone has little experience with something, we say he is "green". In my opinion this refers to a tree, with is green when it is new, but the trunk turns brown when it has grown more.

"pink" - If someone is really happy about something...a gift, an award, a compliment...we say they are "tickled pink."

"red"

If someone is very angry, we say she is "seeing red".

If a person is caught while they are doing something wrong, we say they were "caught red handed", as if they were discovered with blood on their hands.

If a business or person is in great debt or losing money, we say that they are "in the red". This represents the color of ink used by accountants to show losses.

"red tape" refers to a lot of rules or bureaucracy. EX "We thought it would be easy to get a passport, but there was a lot of red tape."

"colorless" (having no color) is used to mean having no personality or boring. EX "I can't stand being around him for long because he's so colorless."

"yellow" is slang for "cowardly". EX "He won't fight with me because he's yellow!"

"purple" can mean "having a lot of profanity (bad words). You will sometimes see something that is written with many swear words "purple prose"

"black and white" means "obvious, without subtlety". EX "It's a black and white issue. If you drink alcohol, you shouldn't ride your moto."

"black and blue" means bruised. EX "He fell of his moto and he's quite black and blue all over."

[bschuess]

"800-pound gorilla" refers to something that is dominating or uncontrollable because of its great size or power. It can't be ignored.

I think it comes from an old joke:

Q Where does an 800 pound gorilla sit?

A Anywhere he wishes.

EX "Microsoft is the 800-pound gorilla in the software industry."

It also sometimes is used to refer to a problem or situation that just can't be ignored and won't go away...i.e. must be dealt with.

EX "As people get older, retirement income becomes the 800-pound gorilla in the room." It's something they may not want to think about or know how to solve, BUT it can't be forgotten or ignored.

[nb]

also something about an elephant... it's the elephant in the room or something. same meaning.

[bschuess]

Hip hop is a music style and culture that comes from the African-American community, originally in New York. It gave rise to rap music and to many fashion trends and a lot of slang. Some of the fashion-related slang is:

bling or bling bling- refers to the jewelry worn by male rappers. Big gold and platinum chains with "nameplates" or word symbols, rings, gold teeth, etc.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Bling.jpg/300px-Bling.jpg

kick - sneakers

saggin or sagging - refers to the practice of wearing loose jeans below the waist so your underpants can be seen

http://img.youtube.com/vi/2x4xE_4eRSo/default.jpg

do-rag or durag, do rag, doo-rag - a piece of cloth worn wrapped on the head.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f3/Dorag.jpg/200px-Dorag.jpg

[bschuess]

"w00t" is an expression of joy created by online gamers and was named as "word of the year" by Merriam-Webster online dictionary. It is an acronym for the phrase "We Own the Other Team".

"w00t" is an example of "l33t-speak" which is a hacker language in which numerals are substituted for letters they resemble (in this case '3' looks a little like "E" backwards). Using a numeric keypad, other substitutions are '7' to 'T', '4' for 'A', and '0' for 'O". "l33t" is short for "elite"

[Khatores]

"w00t" is an expression of joy created by online gamers and was named as "word of the year" by Merriam-Webster online dictionary. It is an acronym for the phrase "We Own the Other Team".

"w00t" is an example of "l33t-speak" which is a hacker language in which numerals are substituted for letters they resemble (in this case '3' looks a little like "E" backwards). Using a numeric keypad, other substitutions are '7' to 'T', '4' for 'A', and '0' for 'O". "l33t" is short for "elite"
I don't think the English language has been missing out on anything for the last millenium by not having "l33t speak" around. Hopefully, we won't be missing out on critical grammar in the next coming thousand years. I already see "WTF" in emails at work. I'm sure that in 30 years, I won't even be able to read memos sent to me by fellow employees who learned hW 2 2yp3 w12h #s. :rolleyes:

[bschuess]

English slang has some interesting slang to express good and bad opinions, and sometimes these seem contradictory in amusing ways.

"a bomb" means very bad.

EX "The movie was a bomb." or "The movie was a real bonb"

"the bomb" means very good!!!!

EX "The movie was the bomb."

The word "bad" itself can be used in slang to mean "good".

EX "That new singing group is BAD!" meaning "really good".

[khiflo]

Eh, I think it's universal hehehe.

Héhé, even if we would understand someone saying "drop a bomb" in french, we often say something like "drop a box" or "make a wind". Of course there are many other ways.:D

[Khatores]

To call someone "a fart" means he/she is an irritating or foolish person.
Also...I don't know if this is used up north, but here we call old people "old farts". Are you an old fart? :p

[bschuess]

Also...I don't know if this is used up north, but here we call old people "old farts". Are you an old fart? :p

Nah, but to think I started all these with a simple post about "bomb"!!! I guess you guys had a lot to get out of yourselves. So let's clear the air and put a cork in this topic before we cloud the air.

Thanks everyone who contributed Vietslang. We need more of that.

For Viet speakers, if you need a polite way to refer to this topic, we say "to pass gas", although I think in any language, the polite thing is probably to not refer to it at all!!! Also, the most formal word is "flatulence" (a noun) or "flatulent" (an adjective).

[bschuess]

There are a lot of ways to express surprise, admiration, and disappointment in English slang. Here are a few.

"wow!" - This is a pretty common way to express surprise and, usually, admiration.

"Wow! That's a great bike!"

"Awesome" - means "really good"

"Have you heard that awesome new song by Kanye?"
or you can just use it like "wow!" -> "Awesome!"

Other adjectives for good (some of them may be a little old) are "cool", "gnarly, "boss".

"fly" - this is a hip-hop term that means "good looking" or "stylish", but also can mean "good".

"Man, that chick is fly!" The girl is good looking.

"That new album is mega fly". It is "mega" (very) "fly" (good).


Some ways of expressing the opposite of "Awesome"

"Bummer" - This is used as a noun. "That test was a real bummer." meaning it was BAD (in this case meaning "not good".

"Downer" - "Visit the hospital was a real downer." means a depressing experience. You can use "upper" for a good experience. These words started as words for pills (drugs) that make moods and energy go up and down.

"Sucks" - "The helmet law really sucks." This means that the person saying this really doesn't like the helmet law. Some people have turned this into an adjective too. "That new tv show is really sucky."

[doman]

For Viet speakers, if you need a polite way to refer to this topic, we say "to pass gas", although I think in any language, the polite thing is probably to not refer to it at all!!! Also, the most formal word is "flatulence" (a noun) or "flatulent" (an adjective).

Thanks anh Bob for "to pass gass", we use this words too - it's "xì hơi", but in Vietnamese, we have a way to talk about that more polite, more poetic:
"Thoảng đâu đây hương lan hương huệ" - There is magnolia's or lily's perfume here here...:D

[bschuess]

"Thoảng đâu đây hương lan hương huệ" - There is magnolia's or lily's perfume here here...:D

So you think, but that's not what your friends say.

[Khatores]

"wow!" - This is a pretty common way to express surprise and, usually, admiration.

"Wow! That's a great bike!"

"Awesome" - means "really good"

"Have you heard that awesome new song by Kanye?"
or you can just use it like "wow!" -> "Awesome!"
Note also that these may sometimes be used sarcastically. For example:

"My new job is just awesome. Not only do I have to process cow livers, I also get to take the trash out at the end of the day! Wow, what will tomorrow be like? I'm sure it will be gnarly."

"Sucks" - "The helmet law really sucks." This means that the person saying this really doesn't like the helmet law. Some people have turned this into an adjective too. "That new tv show is really sucky."
I have a Viet friend who says, "This is very suck." :p

[bschuess]

Ha! I bet you thought this was going to be more "fart" slang. No! That's "so over".

To say that something is "so over" means that it's popularity is in the past. "Over" here is based on the meaning "being at the end" as in "The movie is over." (The movie is finished.)

"to shoot the breeze" means to have a conversation (nói chuyện).

Ex "Giang and I like to shoot the breeze."

Another way to express this that is less common and maybe a bit obsolete is:

"to chew the fat"

Ex "We liked to chew the fat together."

[bschuess]

Sometimes English speakers can't think of the word for something they are talking about. For native speakers this is more common for "old farts", but for language students it's probably even more common.

Native speakers have a number of fake words they use in such cases.

"Thingamajig" - "I want to buy one of those thingamajigs for listening to music. Oh yeah, it's an iPod."

"Doohickey" - (substitute for "thingamajig" above) or "My car has a doohickey that locks the doors automatically."

"Whatchamacallit" (contraction of "what you may call it") - "My whatchamacallit broke, and I don't know what to do without it!"

"Whatsis" or "Whatsit" - same as all of the above.

"Doodad" - same as above

"Whosis" or "whosit" or "whatsisname" (what's his name) - same as above except used for a person, not a thing. "Oh yeah, I saw whatsisname name at the party. He was talking to whosit."

If you are really forgetful you might say "I saw whatsisname at the store. He was trying to return some thingamajig he got for Christmas because one of the doodads fell off it! He exchanged it for one of those doohickeys."

Don't try to get away with this on your next vocabulary exam.

[Khatores]

Don't forget...

Thingy - same as doohickey; one of the original words that the OED points back to as being synonymous with all of these words is thingummy.


Whatnot - Used in place of "etc", usually as a collective noun.

"I think he's going to the store to buy screws, nails, washers and whatnot."


What-nots or wot-nots - Small figurines meant for display purposes. Pronounced "wot-nots" or "wot-knots"; probably comes from "whatnots", meaning, "various assorted things that have random names".

"I got Karen a new shelf for her wat-nots, which are taking over the house. She dropped a ceramic frog while moving them and started crying."


Blah, blah, blah - What someone says after you stop listening.

"And then he said, 'Now everyone listen up, we've got a very important announcement...blah, blah, blah...'."


Yadda, yadda, yadda - Means the same thing, although more polite and people often use it to mean "etc". This supposedly comes from Hebrew or Yiddish.

[bschuess]

A dipstick is the metal stick in a car's engine that is used to check the oil level.

In slang "dipstick" is used to describe a stupid person, *****, a dumb person.

Hmmm....I guess Viex doesn't like me to use the word i.d.i.o.t.:D

EX "You dipstick! You forgot your girlfriend's birthday again this year."

It's not clear where this slang originated. Some people think it is just a polite way to say "dipsh*t", another derisive slang.

Some other ways to insult a person for doing something stupid"

"dummy"

"dumf*ck"

"cretin" This word isn't so much slang as an old, now-unacceptable scientific of describing a retarded person.

"retard" This is short for "retarded". It is what we call "politically unacceptable" and many people will object to using it, because it is felt to be insulting to "developmentally delayed" or "retarded" individuals.

"doofus"

"dingbat" This is more often used for females.

"blonde" In American movies girls with yellow hair are often portrayed as dumb, so this has come to mean "dumb". There is also a genre of jokes about blondes.

EX Q: What did the blonde think of the new computer?
A: She didn't like it because she couldn't get channel 9.

Here is a website dedicated to "blonde jokes" http://www.zelo.com/blonde/index.asp

Other words often used to insult dumb girls: "bimbo", "ditz", "airhead"

They say that the Eskimo language has 500 different words for "snow" because they are so familiar with it in all it's different forms. It seems English has 500 words for stupid people. Hmmm....what does that say about us?!!!!!!

[Khatores]

They say that the Eskimo language has 500 different words for "snow" because they are so familiar with it in all it's different forms. It seems English has 500 words for stupid people. Hmmm....what does that say about us?!!!!!!
It means we build small, dome-shaped houses out of stupid people? :confused::p

Also, don't forget imbecile, buffoon, moron, dumb*ss, stupid*ss (generally used as an adjective), and bumbling (always an adjective).

Then there's a few unusual ones, like f*cktard (comes from retard) and *sshat (this one is fairly recent).

[giang]

Dear friends,

I have just moved the above posts from the "Let's learn some slangs" thread. Please post English slangs here.

Thank you

Giang

[Verticlo]

Hater-Someone who can't stand someone else's success and tries to knock them down a notch.

A real old one is to say that something worked like Gangbusters, which just mean something worked great.

Brainfart-A loss of short term memory when talking to someone.

I'm not positive how much hater is still used but brainfart is a pretty safe one to use.

[ChubbyChocobobo]

Talking about fart, an old fart *cough Bob* had a lengthy post about slang with the cheesy smell somewhere. Mwahahahah

Ok back to the topic:
(These are not slang but they are used rather extensively and even verbally but not many English learners are well aware of 'em)

ASAP = as soon as possible
FYI = for your information
RSVP = Répondez s'il vous plaît = Please Respond (The action of contacting the host of an event to confirm whether you're coming or not)
RIP = Rest in Peace (you should see this a lot reading news lately. May he rest in peace)
Indie = Independent [product] (usually games and movies)
FTW = for the win
Idk = I don't know
IMO = In my opinion
IMHO = In my humble opinion
and lately.... Eff (the pronunciation of F) well, go figure hehehe.