Sunday, June 20, 2010
Slang Terms Group 2
Let us start by Welcoming you here to America. To aide you in your language transition, here is a sample of what we Americas affectingly call slang terminology. Slang terminology is a word used different from it’s definition, some origins may make more sense then others. A popular slang term we have here in America is the slang term “gay”. Its origin comes from the Old French word "gai" in the 12th century. Since that, time "gay" has evolved into many different aspects of our language throughout the centuries. So far, its meaning has gone through many transformations. The term gay can be defined as having or showing a merry, lively mood, bright and showy, or a homosexual. However, in America you will see a lot of Americans, mostly of the younger generation use it as a slang term for describing something “stupid” or “lame”. None of the definitions listed above from www.dictionary.com mean stupid or lame, but yet again that is how “gay” is used as a slang term. In our nation people take old words and try, to give them new life by inventing new meanings and we call this “slang terminology.” We hope that you enjoy life here in America and will suggest if you would like to copy and use slang terms that you try to find out of the actual word meanings first to help you make a smoother transition here in America.
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Hi group 2, I liked the way you immediately got into your explanation with the foreigner who needed help distinguishing slang terms. Your choice of "gay" has been over used, so it was a good choice and is used quite often in our culture. I also thought giving them the tool, such as the web site was a good idea for solving other terms that they are unfamiliar with and also preparing them for ones that they may encounter. Great job.
ReplyDeleteI like the beginning where you welcome the person to America, nice touch. It seems to flow a little better that way rather than just a straight definition. The word 'gay' was a good one to use, especially since it's one that can often cause offense to people accidentally. It is amazing how many definitions this word has had. I wonder how many more it will have 20 years from now.
ReplyDeleteGreat job explaining it though. I liked your conclusion at the end and advice on copying down slang words :)
I absolutely love this blog!! I love that you set it up as if you have written a short note to someone coming to america. I like how you define gay and than define it in slang. I am sure alot of us could admit to stating that something was gay including myself rather than saying I thought it was stupid!! I no longer use that term since a close friend of mine became gay, but its true that we use it for other reasons than what its actually intended for! Great Job!
ReplyDeleteI thought you definition was very good. You explained it possible origins and then went on to say that the definition may not be easily found by simply looking it up. The addition of the link was a great idea. I thought the definition is good but it lacks an example. for example: "this game is gay" meaning this game is stupid or lame.Your definition explains the slang term gay very well for someone that would not know the term.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to really understand the context of the situation well, but I think I would have said a bit more about the pejorative use of the word "gay" in American culture (since today this is the most common usage).
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