wow, what a response!

[Catherine Crain-Thoreson]

I was just talking to my daughter and she reminded me of another one that
is in the process of changing from negative to positive connotation.

The term "ghetto" has been used (at least here in the Northwest) to mean
bad, falling apart, awful, e.g. "Our hotel was really ghetto."  It is
currently sometimes now used to mean something really good.  As in, "I just
got a new Pathfinder."  Reply: "That's ghetto."

I have really enjoyed this conversation.  Thanks for asking the question!

Catherine

At 08:29 AM 8/16/99 +0100, Annette Karmiloff-Smith wrote:
>My little question about adolescent language (I needed a few US examples,
>different to those used in Britain) generated some very interesting facts
>and discussion. Thank you all.  Most of you replied cc'ing info-childes,
>but a few wrote directly to me. Rather than flood the system with the other
>examples, would anyone particularly interested simply email me and I will
>send them the extra examples.
>Thanks again for all your replies.
>Annette
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Professor Annette Karmiloff-Smith
>Head, Neurocognitive Development Unit
>Institute of Child Health
>30 Guilford Street,
>London WC1H
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>
>



************************************
Catherine Crain-Thoreson, Ph.D.
Psychology Department
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA 98225-9089

Tel: (360) 650-3168
Fax: (360) 650-7305
email: thoreson at cc.wwu.edu