This
past Saturday, I attended a symphony dedicated to playing Frank Sinatra songs.
Then I got the idea to research slang terms from the 1920s-1940s. I read from
rollingstone.com that Sinatra got his big break in 1937. I think this era is so
fascinating. There are some words that I know like “broad” and “pushover”. I've definitely heard of “wise guy” and “upchuck.” It’s insane how some of the words are still
used today.
I
definitely want to learn more about the slang terms from this era. In my
opinion, I think the usage of certain slang words show what’s important in a
societal standpoint. For instance, in today’s society the term “selfie” shows
how narcissistic our society has become. This topic affects the world because
it’s important to learn about where we came from. It gives us insight and
provides us with some historical background. Like during those times, the term “speakeasy”
was popular. Nowadays, I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone saying they are going
to a speakeasy since drinking isn’t illegal over the age of 21 in America.
"It is too late to be studying Hebrew; it is more important to understand even the slang of today"- Henry David Thoreau
This was awesome!!! So intriguing to see that some of those words are still used today. I feel like "selfie" is going to stick around for some time.
ReplyDeleteYour blog was fascinating to read. I agree with you that slang is a big part of our culture. Nowadays, if we want to learn a new language, we learn how to speak formally. Yet, the language most spoken by the native speakers use slang. I believe that if we study one language, we should also go over slang and what they mean. Overall, learn intercultural communication. I guess some slang words are popular, they will be use more often, which is a window to how our society thinks. Additionally, the term "selfie" made me laugh, because it is true that it reflects America's narcissist attitude. In essence, I enjoyed reading your blog and thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThat was very interesting! I did not know that the slang words was such a huge part in people's life, our culture. Also, how there are a lot of slang words that I did not know there were slang until now. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting. Slang does seem to be a common thing, but we use it so thoughtlessly. I didn't know where all these terms came from or when but I'm glad I have a little insight today. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI use some of the slang words from that time, but I don't think it means that same thing as today. I can only imagine what people from that time think of the slang people use now! I still can't get a grasp of every new word that people randomly start saying. Great blog post! I think I will trying saying some of these words from now on.
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