I think the purpose of slang is amusement, accomplished through humor or showing variation. Dalzell seems to take an evolutionary view on as far as his mention of survival of the fittest, kind of a tribe mentality with slang, genetic drive to linguistic creativity, and regenerative qualities are concerned. I also think so, at least partly.
I remember a friend who used to refer to people as freakshows. With that word you'd think he'd use it so it carried only a negative connotation. But no, he called everybody freakshows. You name it, it was a freakshow. So one day I decided to confront him on it, and said "Dude, you can't just call people freakshows." Then he said: "Well, why not?". I didn't really have an answer to that, but it was kind of his thing.
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I love how you stated slang is amusement, accomplished through humor or showing variation. The more I observe the environments around me slang is used to "break the ice." My setting that surrounds me are usually European Americans. I have to laugh when I hear them trying to speak slang it's as if my mother has said something "hip."
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