If Geoffrey Chaucer, hailed as the ‘father of English literature’ was to be alive again, he would not get what was being said in his own mother tongue. In December 2021, ‘floofy’ was one of the new ...

Slang’s literary origins are widespread and ever-expanding. Its social roots, however, are narrow and focused: the city. If, as has been suggested, the story of standard English is that of a London ...

Mastering English slang is key to sounding more like a native speaker, enhancing casual conversations and cultural understanding. Context is crucial, as slang varies by region, age, and social setting ...

Before we look at your book selection, could you tell us what slang is? Slang is difficult because everything about it defies simple classification. Nobody knows the etymology of the word slang. If ...

Lovers of language will be engrossed by Décharné’s (Hardboiled Hollywood) excavation of the history of English-language slang. Based on his work, humans should be grateful for slang, or we wouldn’t ...