Definition of slang - Essay Example

Slang is the continual and ever changing use and definition of words in informal conversation, often using references as a mean of comparisons or showing likeness. Some modern slang has endured over the decades since its inception and some will only last a few years before rendered obsolete or outdated.Faggot in modern American English, Canadian English and Australian English uses is a generally pejorative term for a gay man or for mean that are judged to be unmanly, weak or effeminate. Its uses have spread to varying extents elsewhere in the English-speaking world.

The term faggot or faggit or fagot used for contempt for a person literally means, "bundle of sticks for burning", originated from French during 1300 AD. In medival England homosexual were supposedly burnt or the Bible is claimed to refer homosexuals stoking the fires of hell. This however is an urban myth. There is no such passage in bible and has never been a tradition in England of burning homosexuals at the stake. Moreover in the 1500 AD -1800 AD in Britain the word faggot has been used to contempt for a woman specially an old or dissipated women.

It is also possible that the meaning derived from the use of the word as a derogatory term for street prostitutes, female and male because of their association with the gutter, where butchers threw "faggot- ends" of meat. The Yiddish word faygele, means "little bird".The word faggot is occasionally used in part of Britain to denote a silly or foolish person- some one who is "as stupid as a bundle of sticks". It has been used as a British slang in 1800 AD as "to copulate with a women" or "to womanized to consort with sexually loose women".

In the pilot episode of 1960 British comedy "in loving memory" from Yorkshire television undertaker Jeremiah Unsworth is killed in an accident at work. After the funeral widow Ivy receives the condolences of her old friend Emi Jenkins who says he heard the call he answered it and he fell in the line of duty. No man can ask for a better epitaph than that. Ivy thanks her says goodbye and then turns to his nephew, Billy, as soon as the door is shut and says in reference to Amy "silly old faggot!

He heard the call He answered it The only call your uncle Jeremiah ever heard was time, gentlemen please!" The term also used specially in Wales and the black county to refer to a kind of pork meatball covered in gravy. The word faggot have become understood as an Americanism in British English primarily due to its uses in films and television series imported from US. Faggot as a US slang use from early 1900 AD meaning for a male homosexuals usually considered as a strong derogatory remarks.

It has been also used for "an unattractive young woman". The earliest known reference to the word in print was in 1940 Jackson and Hellyer "a vocabulary of criminal slang". Common use of faggot such as, "all the faggots (sissies) will be dressed in drag at the ball tonight". The word was also used by a character in Claude Mckays in 1928 novel "Home to Harlem", indicating that it was used during the Herlem Renaissance. Faggot has been historically used as a most offensive terms to address to an American man or adolescent boy.

Even in recent year among many gay man use of the term is considered offensive or impolite. Originally confined to US the word in its homosexual senses has been spread by American popular culture to other English speaking countries. The observational comedian George Carlin once pointed out the distinction between faggot and queer. Queer means "homosexuals" where as faggot means "unmanly". The lyrics for 1985 song hit "money for nothing by Dire straits includes" the little faggot with the earring and makeup; yeh, buddy, that's his own hair; the little faggot got his own jet airplane; the little faggot is a millionaire".

The repeated use of term mockingly and British usage meaning fool but the term nonetheless caused some controversy due to perception of US meaning.