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

[Dennis R. Preston]

How about "booze"?

dInIs

>>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

--
Dennis R. Preston
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Languages
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Michigan State University
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