This Everyday Slang

Slang identifies you! When I was younger my mom and her best friend Kelley would always have a certain tone in their voices when conversing one with another. A tone that my mom didn't use with anyone else, just Kelley. They also used different speech patterns and words. Mom told me that they started talking like that when they were 7 and 8 and it just stuck. I think this is a way that they demonstrate the close relationship that they have with each other. I know that I have a variety of different slang that I use with many of my friends and even family members. When two people or a group of people have a slang there is a sense of acceptance within that group with one another. There are so many different forms of slang in this world! When I was in Honduras serving my mission I made it a point to follow or stay current on the slang of the people in my different areas. And when I would use a particular slang when talking to a particular group, usually adolescents or young adults, I came to find out that they would more easily accept me. One thing that I found to be quite interesting from the reading is that sometimes a word sometimes doesn't stick and is discarded, but then years and sometimes a century or more later the word is recycled and somehow finds a way to stick. I found that to be extremely interesting! As for the purpose of a word or slang changing depending on the context, I have a funny story to illustrate this. Personally, when I am frazzled or my mind is discombobulated, from time to time I use the word bajingo. So to me when I say I'm all bajingoed I'm intending to say that I'm not not 100%. However, I have a friend who also uses this word, but she uses it as a reference to her female genitalia. Pretty funny, but when I'm with her bajingo takes on a whole new meaning.