Flashcards on The Science of Communication
The Science of Communication: Human Language & Animal Signals
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Youth Slang
11 cards
Card 1
Question: What does the slang term 'budge' mean, as mentioned in the text, and how was it used in context?
Answer: 'Budge' is an abbreviation of 'budget' used to negatively describe something as cheap; for example: "I can’t go out tonight." "That’s budge."
Card 2
Question: What does the expression 'blatantly' mean in the youth usage described?
Answer: It was frequently used for emphasis, such as in "Blatantly budge" to reinforce a negative idea about something being cheap.
Card 3
Question: Besides 'budge' and 'blatantly,' name three examples of 90s teen slang mentioned in the text.
Answer: 'Phat' (favorable circumstances), 'spazzes' (high-maintenance friends), and 'psyche' or 'sike' (a tease or joke).
Card 4
Question: According to the text, what happened to many of those 90s slang terms by the end of the decade?
Answer: They disappeared or became obsolete; most faded away after the 90s.
Card 5
Question: How have the spread and lifespan of youth slang changed in the era of social media and the internet?
Answer: Platforms like Vine and Twitter have helped spread and standardize regional terms, and the internet has shortened the lifespan of some slang when it's
Card 6
Question: According to the text, what role do brands play in the lifespan of youth slang?
Answer: Brands that try to speak in teen slang can co-opt terms, which often shortens their lifecycle.
Card 7
Question: What is the main idea of Mary Kohn's research regarding the influence of teenagers on language?
Answer: The idea that teenagers drive lasting linguistic changes is exaggerated; adolescents don't influence language as much as commonly believed.
Card 8
Question: According to Mary Kohn, what other factors besides age influence how much a person's slang or speech changes?
Answer: Personality, social position, exposure to different influences, and social motivations for identity formation; personal factors are also important.
Card 9
Question: Why do people in positions of privilege tend to show fewer changes in their speech, according to Kohn?
Answer: Because they speak prestige dialects and don't face the same social pressure to adapt their language, making them more linguistically stable.
Card 10
Question: What methodology did Mary Kohn use to study changes in speech, and why is it relevant for understanding youth slang?
Answer: She used an audio database with interviews of the same children at four stages (4th grade, 8th grade, 10th grade, and early 20s) and analyzed sound wa