Slang, Dawg.

I dont know how many of you have ever heard or seen these "Slang Flashcards," but sadly, they have been a highlight o f my life. I often give my parents quizzes when they complain about how old they are getting. The saddest part is, is that I can honestly say that I know the majority of the words and can explain what they mean. According to Dalzell's article, I should be in the prime of my "slang knowledge." I think I am, or at least I thought I was until recently I began to notice that my four and a half year old nephew is using words that I thought he was making up. Dalzell states "..American youth slang has borrowed consistently and generously from the slang of the black American urban experience." This has beyond proven its point to me through my nephew, Jayson. Jayson is not African America, he is half Samoan, half white. But, both of his parents listen strictly to hip-hop, rap, R&B, and reggae. He honestly thought, when he was younger, that the only appropriate way to say goodbye was to say, "P-p-p- Peace out," and although he couldnt throw up a peace sign, he pretended he could. Dalzell also says "..When we are young, we are subject to the generational imperative to invent a slang vocabulary that we perceive as our own.." Through his parents, Jayson has done just that, and I am looking forward to the day when his young parents realize that they wont be "down" forever, and it might not be funny or as clever when they cant figure out what the kid is saying. A few weeks ago, I unintentionally called my intimidating CEO "dude" on accident. I immediately realized what I had done, and he gave me a very serious look. He eventually laughed, but told me it wasnt very professional. It proved to me that once you are so used to using these slang words that you learn in your youth, it does become a subconscious state of mind, and you dont really have to think about where and when you can plug it in, but when you should try to bite your tongue.