{"id":1324,"date":"2010-01-29T18:56:46","date_gmt":"2010-01-29T22:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/?p=1324"},"modified":"2010-01-29T18:56:46","modified_gmt":"2010-01-29T22:56:46","slug":"yo-dude-the-origins-of-common-slang-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/yo-dude-the-origins-of-common-slang-words\/","title":{"rendered":"Yo, Dude! The Origins of Common Slang Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yo, Dude! The Origins of Common Slang Words<\/strong><\/p>\n

By:\u00a0Danielle Samaniego<\/p>\n

Slang is defined as an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech, according to Merriam-Webster\u2019s Dictionary<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In other words, slang can be \u201ca dope spin on a sick word that deserves props for being mad fly, yo.\u201d<\/p>\n

And yet, in the age of And yet, in the age of <\/span><\/p>\n

Coining <\/span>original jargon<\/span> that\u2019s able to catch on with the masses is a feat not just accomplished through popular and hip-hop culture. There are a slew of phrases that have become so commonplace, it\u2019s easy to forget that they\u2019re inherently slang. Here\u2019s a look at some of these words, new and old, that have had an impact on our vernacular.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dude<\/strong>
\nSo popular it hardly seems like slang, Merriam-Webster<\/em> defines \u201cdude\u201d as a city dweller unfamiliar with life on the range, an Easterner in the West, and a fellow or guy\u2014sometimes used informally as a term of address. This jargon dates back to the 1880s, according to an article in the New York Times<\/em>. The article, itself dating back to 1900, states, \u201cConsidering the number of German immigrants into the United States, we naturally suspect it to have been suggested by some German dialect. It can hardly be other than an abbreviated form of duden-pop, a blockhead, a common term of depreciation in many parts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bling-Bling<\/strong>
\nInitially it was little more than a written sound effect that reflected a shine. But the term was later born out of the hip-hop culture to represent garish jewelry worn in the late 1990s. Members of the Louisiana-based Cash Money Millionaires, a group of rappers from the same label known as Cash Money Records, were among the first to use the phrase in their music. Rapper B.G. used \u201cbling-bling\u201d in a song title as did Lil\u2019 Wayne in the song \u201cMillionaire Dream.\u201d Lil\u2019 Wayne also recorded with Cash Money Records. Since its acceptance, the term has arguably peaked in popularity. I mean, when <\/span>Mitt Romney<\/span><\/a> starts using \u201cbling-bling,\u201d it reeks of overexposure. <\/span><\/p>\n

Yo<\/strong>
\nThe phrase was made popular as a sailor or huntsman\u2019s call circa 1420, according to dictionary.com. It gained popularity during World War II as a common response at roll calls. Today, however, it\u2019s more likely you\u2019ll hear it in the following examples: \u201cYo, what\u2019s up for tonight?\u201d or \u201cYo, just do your homework, yo!\u201d Ah, the beauty of versatile slang.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hipster<\/strong>
\nCurrently referring to a lifestyle usually defined by skinny jeans, ironic T-shirts, and some sort of artsy or nomadic background, the term itself actually sprang out of the 1940s in reference to those into the jazz scene. Nowadays you\u2019d likely find hipsters hanging out in coffee shops feigning aloofness (especially in places like the Mission District in San Francisco, Silver Lake, California, and\/or Brooklyn), though it wouldn\u2019t be so surprising to find them in a jazz club either, for the cool factor and all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gnarly<\/strong>
\nSean Penn\u2019s \u201cJeff Spicoli\u201d said it best in the 1980s classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High<\/em>, bringing the term originally stemming from the word \u201cgnarl\u201d\u2014meaning contorted or twisted\u2014from the confines of surfer culture into the mainstream of pop culture. Its slang version now refers to something that\u2019s cool or lame, depending on the user\u2019s preference. The online etymology dictionary dates \u201cgnarl\u201d back to 1814, stating that the 19th century romantic poets picked it up and brought it into currency.<\/span><\/p>\n

Geek<\/strong>
\nAnother popular term derived from German, the slang version refers to an enthusiast or expert, particularly in a technological field or activity, according to Merriam-Webster\u2019s<\/em>, but it has since expanded to everyone from your comic book aficionado to that over-informed music lover. It originated in 1914, deriving its etymology from the English dialect geek, geck<\/em> (fool) and \u201cgeck,\u201d from Middle Low German. Of course, seeking the origin of such a word is, in fact, pretty geeky in itself, which is why it had to make the list!<\/span><\/p>\n

Phat<\/strong>
\nBack in the 1990s, this slang phrase was all the rage as a way to point out something or someone who was \u201cPretty Hot and Tempting.\u201d Its origin is not entirely clear, though the online etymology dictionary says the hip-hop acronym used to express \u201cgreat\u201d or \u201cexcellent\u201d goes back to the late 1980s, initially meaning \u201csexiness in a woman.\u201d The spelling is attested as far back as 1678, as an erroneous form of fat (a classical over-correction). While it\u2019s fallen out of favor in the new millennium, you might find yourself hearing it thrown around these days for kitsch sake, like \u201crad\u201d or \u201cfly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Groovy<\/strong>
\nIn its heyday, groovy was the word. If it was cool, it was groovy. If it was fun, it was groovy. If it was excellent, it was groovy. Its popularity soared during the 1960s, only to lose its groove by the 1980s. Merriam-Webster\u2019s<\/em> dates it back to the 1930s. Supposedly, it came out of the Jazz culture where the word was used to describe the groove of the music. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cheesy<\/strong>
\nYes, the base of the word itself is derived from everyone\u2019s favorite dairy product (sans you lactose intolerant kids), but it refers to something that\u2019s trite, clich\u00e9, or of poor quality. Example: \u201cThat romantic comedy was so cheesy; I saw the ending coming a mile away.\u201d Its etymology stems from the Urdu word chiz<\/em>, meaning \u201ca thing.\u201d By 1818, the British in India picked it up and used it in the sense of \u201ca big thing,\u201d according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. By 1858, cheesy had evolved a slang meaning of \u201cshowy,\u201d which led to the modern, ironic sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schlock<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s not just the hip-hop culture we tend to borrow from when it comes to our slang. There are lots of slang words that are little more than twists on Yiddish terms, and that includes schlock. Spelled \u201cshlak\u201d (meaning evil or nuisance) in American Yiddish, we have come to know it as meaning \u201cof low quality.\u201d Merriam-Webster<\/em> dates it to 1916, but you\u2019ll likely hear it these days when someone is referencing a B-movie or the latest by Quentin Tarantino, who actually strives to put schlock into his work for that cult classic effect. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cracking into the cultural zeitgeist with the right slang word isn\u2019t always easy, but when it hits, it can explode, as evidenced above. And if and when the sun finally sets on a favorite phrase, you can be sure there\u2019s bound to be another \u201cdawg\u201d or \u201cjiggy\u201d right around the corner.<\/span><\/p>\n

First published July 2009 <\/span><\/p>\n

Groovy<\/strong>
\nIn its heyday, groovy was the word. If it was cool, it was groovy. If it was fun, it was groovy. If it was excellent, it was groovy. Its popularity soared during the 1960s, only to lose its groove by the 1980s. Merriam-Webster\u2019s<\/em> dates it back to the 1930s. Supposedly, it came out of the Jazz culture where the word was used to describe the groove of the music. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cheesy<\/strong>
\nYes, the base of the word itself is derived from everyone\u2019s favorite dairy product (sans you lactose intolerant kids), but it refers to something that\u2019s trite, clich\u00e9, or of poor quality. Example: \u201cThat romantic comedy was so cheesy; I saw the ending coming a mile away.\u201d Its etymology stems from the Urdu word chiz<\/em>, meaning \u201ca thing.\u201d By 1818, the British in India picked it up and used it in the sense of \u201ca big thing,\u201d according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. By 1858, cheesy had evolved a slang meaning of \u201cshowy,\u201d which led to the modern, ironic sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schlock<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s not just the hip-hop culture we tend to borrow from when it comes to our slang. There are lots of slang words that are little more than twists on Yiddish terms, and that includes schlock. Spelled \u201cshlak\u201d (meaning evil or nuisance) in American Yiddish, we have come to know it as meaning \u201cof low quality.\u201d Merriam-Webster<\/em> dates it to 1916, but you\u2019ll likely hear it these days when someone is referencing a B-movie or the latest by Quentin Tarantino, who actually strives to put schlock into his work for that cult classic effect. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cracking into the cultural zeitgeist with the right slang word isn\u2019t always easy, but when it hits, it can explode, as evidenced above. And if and when the sun finally sets on a favorite phrase, you can be sure there\u2019s bound to be another \u201cdawg\u201d or \u201cjiggy\u201d right around the corner.<\/span><\/p>\n

First published July 2009<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yo, Dude! The Origins of Common Slang Words By:\u00a0Danielle Samaniego Slang is defined as an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech, according to Merriam-Webster\u2019s Dictionary. In other words, slang can be \u201ca dope spin on a sick word that deserves props for being …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[218],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1324","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-literature","7":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taciej.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}