xxv name of something but they call it with another name that already use and understood
among them. They use many of synonyms to communicate each other. Most of the users of workmen’s slang are laborers, neither town or farm
laborers. Furthermore, town and farm laborers have the differences. The town labors are more ready with their tongues and fluent with their slang than the farm labors
which is not too modern instance, ancient saw, and weather-lore. Below are some examples of Workmen’s slang:
Brass means Money. It seems a general word originated in the cooper and iron industries.
a. Screwed up means without money, therefore unable to move about at will. b. Want an apron means to be out of work.
c. Sling one’s hook means to be dismissed.
4. Tradesmen’s Slang
In Tradesmen’s slang as in Workmen’s slang, some of the words are related to origin slang and the users are the worker too. But, in tradesmen’s slang consider four
as typical: tailors, butchers, chemists, and builders. Here are some examples of Tradesmen’s slang:
a. Operation means a patch, especially on the trousers-seat. b. Curly means Troublesome.
c. Syrup means Money
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5. The Slang of Commerce
This term refers to slang used in trade and the words are closely related to the trade or commerce. This slang is usually used when a member of committee has
unable to meet his engagement, a notice is written out and handed by a porter, who ascends a rostrum and the porter call a member to pay attention and read the notice.
Basically, this is often used by business men in transaction, mostly used in stock exchange. Then, appears some slang words in business term, such as the bulls
and bears operators who buy in expectation of rise and operators who sell in expectation of fall respectively, bucket-shop an unauthorized business for
speculating in stocks. Other examples of this term are:
a. Take the rate means to borrow the stock; like wise give the rate is to lend stock. b. Go on the dole means to receive unemployment benefit.
c. To axe means to cut down expenses, sometimes by dismissing employees, in the effort of economize.
6. Slang in Public School and University
Actually, the important source of slang has been the language of students. From the middle ages to the present, students have authority-defying spirit in their
life to express in an outlaw form of speech. In public house, as in board and private schools, there have two kinds of slang; a slang proper and gibberish. The other kind
of slang is almost impossible to generalize, for every school has special words known by other school.
xxvii There are some examples of public school slang
a. Bonse means head, for example “Look out, or I’ll fetch you a whack across the bonse”
b. Bung means a lie, example “Everything he said is a bung” c. What’s the mat? Means what is the matter?
Slang language in university might be different from public school slang. When boys leave school and go to university, they tend to drop the old school slang
and to mould themselves to the slang of the university. Growing boys and high- spirited young fellows detest restraint of all kinds and prefer making a dash at life in
slang phraseology of their own to all the set forms and syntactical rules of alma mater. Many of the most expressive words in common free-and-easy conversation
are old university vulgarism, such as crib a house or apartment, dead-man empty wine bottle, fizzing splendid or first-rate. Among those words that fast society has
borrowed from great scholastic. The examples of slang words or phrases that are commonly used in university
are: a. Bug-shooter means a volunteer, a member of what is now called a Cadet Corps
b. Damn means damage. d. Screwed up means to be vanquished.
e. Leccer means a lecture.
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7. Society Slang
