A 'cushty' book...
"Thousands of new slang words and expressions have flooded into the English language, most of them to be flushed summarily away," says John Ayto, co-editor of Stone the Crows. "This dictionary includes the terms that are in the Oxford English Dictionary. Slang seems to be much more widely accepted these days in society and the media. And the fear of appearing fuddy-duddy has helped the spread of youth slang beyond its original enclaves."
From ladettes to hoodies, shagtastic to minging, and Glasgow kisses to happy slapping, Stone the Crows: Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang
gives us a panoramic view of twentieth and twenty-first century slang - from Britain, North America, Australia, and elsewhere in the English-speaking world.
The language of liquor reaches intoxicating new heights...
Beer goggles, mashed, trolleyed, and wazzed are among the new words that have joined the ever-growing list of words to describe those who are, perhaps, slightly Adrian Quist.
And there may be a few of these in the coming weeks, as English football fans welcome the new season and celebrate team wins. Many will be heading to the footy pitch with their peeps to watch some aerial ping-pong. For others, it's a time to get ready to mug up for school and university so that later on in the school year they won't flunk the examinations. It's probable that there will be munchies (snacks) by their sides as they revise and do homework for the various stinks (school subjects).
Here is a more detailed look at some other words that can be found in this new edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang.
Slang Word |
|
Meaning |
|
Origin |
| Arm candy |
|
A physically attractive companion, especially one escorting a more celebrated or influential person at a social event |
|
Originally US English 1992-. |
| Brainiac |
|
A very intelligent person, an expert |
|
From Brainiac, the name of a super-intelligent character in Superman comic strips from 1956, from brain + man)iac. |
| Chav |
|
In Britain, a young person of a type characterized by brash or loutish behaviour and the wearing of designer-style clothes |
|
Probably either from Romani chavo unmarried Romani male, male Romani child, or shortened from CHAVVY noun (baby, child). (The notion that it is connected with Chatham, the name of a Kent town associated in the popular imagination with chav culture, is almost certainly a post hoc rationalization.) 1998- |
| Doofus |
|
A foolish or stupid person; an idiot |
|
Perhaps an alteration of GOOFUS noun, perhaps influenced by the German doof (stupid). Originally and mainly US English 1955- |
| Plonk |
|
Cheap or inferior wine |
|
Probably from blanc in French vin blanc white wine, though plonk is perhaps more commonly applied now to red wine. Originally Australian English 1933- |
| Screenager |
|
A young person who is at ease with and adept at using new technology and media, especially computers |
|
Blend of screen noun and teenager noun. Originally US English 1994- |
| Wag |
|
The female partner of a male celebrity, especially a sportsman |
|
Back-formation from wags, acronym from wives and girlfriends. British English 2004- |
Discover more quirky and colloquial slang, their meanings and origins, from this book that's full of surprises. Readers can now also track down slang expressions in their favourite subject area - whether it's terms for incompetence, insanity, or certain parts of the body - thanks to the new thematic index at the back of the dictionary.
Now, that's what I call a cushty book...
24/09/2008
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