American slang is widely used and is typically used by the younger age groups. For people with children, siblings, or colleagues within that age group, trying to make sense of the ever-changing vocabulary can prove to be challenging.
To be able to communicate effectively with the younger age group, one must keep up with the slang, or forever be lost in translation.
As an effort to keep the people updated, a very short, but very fun test has been created just for the slang deficient. The purpose of this slang test is for your amusement only and more specifically, to add a little bit of slang into your vocabulary bank because slang can make you well liked and appear really cool- not really.
1. When you ask your colleague if they liked the new history professor, and their reply is, “The new history professor is pretty sick!” This means:
a. They don’t like the new history professor.
b. The new history professor makes them feel nauseous.
c. They think the new professor is really cool.
2. Which of the following words does not mean wonderful or awesome?
a. Dope
b. Gay
c. Tight
3. Your child sends you a text regarding their math teacher’s unfairness. They begin their litany of complaints with “OMG!” What do the letters stand for?
a. Oh my god (or gosh)
b. On my grandma/grandpa
c. Oh my gooberness
4. You overhear a young man with his buddies commenting about a new girl in town. The young man states, “She’s fly.” What is your interpretation of this?
a. He thinks she’s irrelevant and doesn’t impress him.
b. He thinks she’s super cool.
c. He finds her annoying like a fly.
5. A term used for an individual who is pessimistic and is constantly talking about his or her friends is:
a. Hater
b. Ninja
c. Meano
6. You ask your colleague what they were doing outside in the cold, and they reply, “I’m just chillin’.” What they are really saying is:
a. “Life is awesome. I’m just relaxing.”
b. They feel stressed out and blindsided.
c. It’s really cold that their fingers have turned to ice.
7. You ask your colleague about the biology lab practical exam, and their response was that it was pretty “H”. What does this mean?
a. Hilarious- the exam was a joke.
b. Hardcare- the exam was an intense experience.
c. Horrible- the exam was lame.
8. A person accidentally bumps you in the hallway and says, “My bad.” What does this mean?
a. Sorry, it was totally my fault.
b. Watch where you are going- it’s entirely your fault.
c. My bad eyesight prevented me from seeing you; why are you in my way?
9. You’re shooting hoops with a colleague when they abruptly say that they “gotta bounce.” What do they have to do?
a. Bounce the ball until you give up.
b. Finish the game in twenty minutes or less.
c. Get going.
10. The word “peeps” means:
a. Marshmallow candies in the shape of bunnies and chicks served around Easter.
b. Short for “people.”
c. Peephole.
Answers: 1. C 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. A 6. A 7. B 8. A 9. C 10. B
This article appeared in the winter 2011 print of the Prospector.
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