evanescence of slang (was: An initial 4A N2...?)

[Laurence Horn]

>on 7/1/02 11:45 AM, Dave Wilton at dave at WILTON.NET wrote:



>  > Another problem with defining "slang" is ephemerality. While most slang
>>  terms are ephemeral, some (like "grass" and "threads") hang around for
>>  decades. Slang is characterized by ephemerality, but it is not defined or
>>  categorized by it. The same could probably be said for social groups and
>  > slang usage.

I always trot out "cool" as the longest-surviving lexical item that
has retained its slang categorization.

L