Slang

Slang is a very informal language. A complete list of slang is difficult to make, for by the time it was finished, the list would be out of date! However, here are a few examples: Safe, sorted, sound, cool and wicked all mean “That’s good.” or “I understand.” Instead of saying “very”, “really” or “completely”, people use “well”. For example, “I’m well tired.” or “You got it well wrong!” Whatever means “I don’t care”. For example, A: “But the teacher says we can’t leave until we’ve finished.” B: “Whatever. I’m going.” “He’s fine.” and “He’s fit.” both mean “He’s good-looking.” Fine and fit can describe a boy or a girl. Not everybody uses slang or likes it. A school in the north of England recently told its pupils to stop using slang words such as “hiya” (= hello), “cheers” and “ta” (both mean “thank you”) if they wanted to get a place at university or a good job. When British people use language like this, it’s no surprise that some learners say they can’t understand native speakers. But perhaps learners don’t need to worry so much. Research shows that most of the English spoken around the world today is between non-native speakers of the language. So, how important is it to understand these slang words and expressions? If you watch films or TV in English, read magazines in English, chat online in English or are interested in English song lyrics, then understanding slang can be very useful. You probably won’t see much slang in your English examinations, though.