Colloquialisms and Slang
Slang:
Slang is street language--the highly informal
language that works just fine for conversations
between friends but is inappropriate in formal
writing.
Slang is often specific to social groups or
regions of the country. For example, carbonated
drinks are called "pop" in the North and "Coke" in the South.
Southerners often address both friends and strangers as
"Ya'll" while northerners may refer to "you guys."
Colloquial:
Slang is also sometimes referred to as colloquial,
a term which describes the very limited audience likely
to understand its meaning.
While slang may be perfectly
appropriate for talking with friends,
you should avoid using slang when you
write since it is so easily misunderstood.
These simple steps will help you avoid slang:
- 1. Write more formally than you speak.
- 2. Analyze your audience.
- 3. Rethink what you really want to say.
The language in the following sentences would be appropriate
if spoken between friends, but is inappropriate for writing.
Replace the slang with more formal language suitable for written text.
"After work, I'm gonna stop by Mickey D's for a bite.
Then my buds and I will probably stay up half the night
cramming for our physics final."
Many correct revisions are possible. Here is one suggestion
for comparison:
After work, I plan to stop by McDonald's for dinner.
Then my friends and I plan to spend several hours studying
for a final exam in physics."
Practice: In your notebook, try revising the following
sentences to eliminate slang.
- 1. When he told the neighbors to can the noise, they freaked out.
- 2. After a hard day, Sarah likes to veg out in front of the idiot box.
- 3. John was wiped out after his workout at the gym
- that he couldn't get it together to defrost a frozen dinner.
- 4. When Paul tried to put the move on Maria, she told him to shove off.
- 5. His father claims that most grease monkeys are rip-off artists.
- 6. The movie grossed her out.
Source: http://www.burlington.mec.edu/~grammar/FOV1-0001D416/?OpenItemURL=S00D4879B
The language in the following sentences would be appropriate
"After work, I'm gonna stop by Mickey D's for a bite.
Many correct revisions are possible. Here is one suggestion
Practice: In your notebook, try revising the following