Valerie Toth-Laporte

1) Shin dig (n)-a party, a get together., a gathering of people. 
-Sal invited me to a shin dig on Saturday night in an effort for me to meet his friends.
-I have heard students and adults, all in various age groups use this term, shin-dig. I would not expect this term to be used in a formal/professional setting.


2) Busted (v)-got caught.

-When Henry tried to break into his neighbors car, his neighbor walked out and Henry was busted.

-This lingo, if you will, is commonly used by many young adults. I have not heard busted, used by professional associates or by any of my family members. Commonly,I hear caught versus busted. I believe this word to be a generation thing.



3) Sick (adj)- Cool, gnarly, off the hinges/hook, awesome.

-The party last night was sick.

-This word is definitely associated with the use of Generation Y and probably used by Generation Z. As in, my youngest cousins are between the ages of 8-15. Within this age realm, sick is often attached to anything that piques their interest. This context is not and would not be appropriate in formal settings or professions. This word is only appropriated within a social context.


4) What A Cop Out (adj)-To not face an issue. A description of an avoidance tactic.

-When Sally confronted Henry about his confession to his love for her, Henry got uncomfortable and changed the subject. Sally reasserted her question about what he said and his wandering eyes suggested he was trying to cop out of the topic.

-I have heard everyone, at one time or another use this phrase. It is not a new slang term but rather, a slang term with longeviety. It is used in every social context: professional, social, formal, informal. It is a polite way to suggest an impolite gestuer without coming off being rude or judgmental.


5) Bogus (adj)-To describe something that is absolutely ridiculous, absurd.

-Jules often goes out on a Thursday evening and all of her co-workers are familiar with her routine. When Jules called in sick the following morning, her Boss ridiculed her claiming her excuse was bogus.

-This slang is again, not a new term, but deinitely a goody. Bogus was more commonly used in the 1980’s but has made a comeback in small chit chat, gossip, and professional, on the surface, colloquy.


6) Blast (adj)-It’s going to be a lot of fun.

-The Easter Egg Hunt being held on Sunday is going to be a blast for the young kids.

-The word blast is used to reference fun and enjoyable activities. People across the board use this word regardless of the socioeconomic class system. The word blast is ubiquitious across all ages, races, and demographics.


7) Dude/Dudette (n)-An extremely informal way to address a boy/girl, young man/woman.

-Oh my goodness Sarah, look at that dude in line.

-This word became very popular in the 1980’s and was represented by the very typical of the times, 1980’s cult classic movies. This word is often used by Generation Y and Generation Z. I have found that when dude/dudette is used while addressing someone of an older age, it is highly inappropriate and frowned upon. Most all people in middle to low class systems use this word. I have not heard this word used by the elite or in the professional setting. Dude/dudette commonly characterizes the person using the word as uneducated, young, arrogant, surfer, West Coast..etc.



8) Dough (n)-money.

-I have a lot of dough in the bank because I just got paid.

-This word is definitely a Generation Y phenomenon and is commonly associated with the Rapper/R&B/Hip-Hop genre. The use of the word dough is commonplace in almost all rap songs. Most often, I hear it among young African American students. This word is informal and extraordinarly inappropriate in a formal and professional setting.


9) Bitch a Ride (v)-To get a ride from someone.

-John, yo, my car just broke down. Can I bitch a ride from you?

-This slang is again, represented by its use among Generation Y and Generation Z. I have not heard this phrase among any of my friends or co-workers. I would have to assume this phrase is common in young college students who are learning their identity through the use of exploring and mirroring language patterns around them via music, lifestyles, etc. This is informal slang and could be viewed as slightly rude, depending on its contextual use.


10) Loaded (adj)-Someone who has too much to drink or has a lot of money/dough.

-Samuel got really loaded last night and is suffering with a pounding headache.

-Samuel shifted his career path last July when he was hired by the Investment Firm and he is loaded now. Talk about the right move!

-This word is used ubiquitiously across all generations and ages. I have heard this word in professional settings as well as in social more casual settings. I have heard this word used by several different ethnic groups and affiliations. This word is common on Arizona State University’s campus and very common in the language context of Generation Y as people often use it to express what they did the night before. This is a casual, fun word associated with activities or socioeconomic class systems.


11) Mooch (adj)-A way to describe someone who borrowers frequently or takes things from others.

-Johnny is always mooching my leftovers from dinner without asking.

-Mooch is commonly used by many of different ethinic backrounds. Every culture has a mooch. On ASU campus, I overheard someone calling their roomate a mooch. The “mooching” is predictable behavior for college students as they are often strapped financially. In an effort to keep cash in their wallets, college age students may tend to mooch more often than others and describe others behaviors as mooching as well. This word is most often used in a lax social setting between friends. It is informal and less impolite than calling someone cheap.


12) Scoop(n)-to gossip, to discuss rumors.

-Kylie and her best friend Deanna commonly fill each other in on the scoop of their other friends personal and private lives during their daily lunch meetings.

-Scoop is used interchangeable with the word gossip. It is used between several members who exchange in conversation. Professionally, this word is used to ease the seriousness of a topic while personally, it is used as a casual reference to confer stories. This word is used across the board with all generations, all ethnic backgrounds, all races…etc.


13) Tacky (adj)-In poor taste, overdone, ridiculous.

-The 1980’s fashion scene was absurdly tacky with the long, over sprayed and blown out hair and bangs coupled with clothes in neon colors, shoulder pads and too many patterns.

-Tacky is used everywhere. I have heard elite professionals refer to someone’s behavior as tacky where I have also heard tacky used to describe someone’s clothing style. This word shortens the, in poor taste definition, and remedies it by making it succinct and more polite. Tacky describes particular tastes and traditions in cultural backgrounds rather than imply that a specific culture is tacky.




14) Ghetto (adj)-Something trashy, flashy, appearance like a ragamuffin/tatterdamalion, low-class, impolite, use of profanity, abbrasive.

-Brenda was talking politely to the clerk who appeared very ghetto because she was wearing gaudy, oversized jewelery, and constantly rolling her eyes as if to communicate she hasn’t any time to help Brenda.

-Ghetto references a culture. Some are proud to state they are ghetto rather than come from the ghetto because it gives them clout within their reticulum. However, ghetto is not often used by others outside of this cultural context in a positive light. Everyone acknowledges that there is a ghetto, a particular place that is impoverished where they live, but it is not often used to portray in a positive light a mentality. Ghetto has made its way into language compliments of the hip-hop/R&B/rap influence. The word is used between all generations, especially generation X and Z, but used most commonly by African Americans and other minorities.


15) Zonked/Zonked Out(adj)-completed exhausted, tired, fading fast.

-After studying for three tests in one evening, I am feeling completely zonked.

-Zonked is used as a fun, silly reference to describe a feeling. It is not a threatening word. Instead, zonked is a playful reference that almost goes to compliment the tired state of being as playful imposes delirium from lack of shut-eye. I have heard this word more commonly between European-American Whites than any other race. I do not find this word to be associated with a socio-economic class system between European-American Whites.


16) Donk (adj)-nice butt.

-Chris was admiring Erica’s new atheletic physique and especially admired her donk.

-Donk is associated with the hip-hop culture. It is used most commonly between African American dialogue. The word stems from its popularity in hip-hop culture music. This word would not be acceptable in the professional setting or formal. Instead, this slang should stay between the friendship/social conversing.


17) wimp or wimp out/chicken or chicken out/bitch out (adj)- describes someone who does not follow through with their word. Someone who is threatened by another person or object, to be scared of the consequences, coward behavior.

-Ryan said he wanted to marry Susanna but wimped out of the proposal because he is not sure he is ready to settle down with one woman.

-Wimp or wimp out/chicken or chicken out is used by all people, all generations, of all ages. The slang imposes some derogatory remarks toward the one wimping out but the slang is not restricted to one social norm. People chicken out at work, in their personal affairs, with friends, etc. This phrase is impolite depending on the context it is used in but does not impose any sort of cultural or socio-demographic stereotype.


18) punk (adj)-Someone who appears to be a bit edgy, someone who is trying not to confrom, a young kid who appears to be deviant. Someone who watches out for themselves and themselves only.

-I was trying to open a door for an elder woman when some young punk shoved his way through the door, almost knocking down the older woman.

-The word punk may not be slang any longer but it most definitely sounds nicer than calling someone deviant or deviant natured. It is used commonly by the Baby Boomer Generation when they are trying to describe the behaviors of the younger Generations. The term punk also references a hip-hop culture where the word punk translates into communication by way of inducing a potential threat. The word is informal and most often found in informal social settings.


19) swagger (adj)-a stylish demeanor, very dapper, put together, polished, coupled with a confident attitude.

-I am so surprised that Molly can pull off such swagger while on such a tight budget.

-Swagger stems from the hip-hop culture. Swagger is used in many songs that describe a good-looking, confident female or male. Swagger is one word that can transcend into other cultures and also be used by other races where the “other” races do not feel uncomfortable borrowing the word. All social-economic classes use this word. Generation Y most often uses the word swagger, but the word has also transcended into the Baby Boomer Generation and Generation Z. Swagger is a fun, polite way to discuss style in any context.


20) crunk (adj)-extremely fun, crazy, insane.

-The concert is going to be so crunk tomorrow night.

-Crunk was derived from the hip-hop/Rap/R&B culture. It was vastly used with the younger persons of Generation Y as a way to describe an evening of activities or events. Crunk is a word that is most often heard and attached to African American culture. It is not wrong to use if you are not part of the culture, but it does not seem acceptable, effective or appropriate to use unless the context allows for it.