February 26, 2003

 

Slang and grammar

The term "slang" doesn't always apply to lexicon only. Consider "uptalking": the use of high rising intonation (similar to a question) at the end of a sentence. Or the "double negative":

  1. Standard English: I don't have any books (single negative)
  2. Nonstandard English: I ain't got no books (double negative)
  3. Standard French: je n'ai pas de livres (double negative)
  4. Nonstandard French: j'ai pas de livres (single negative)

The word "like" in contemporary colloquial English "slang" has a range of grammatical functions. (Analysis and examples from Romaine and Lange1991)

  1. Verb: She likes watermelon
  2. Preposition ('similar to'): She looks like her father.
  3. Conjunction ('as'): Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.
  4. Discourse marker ('focussed information'): And there were like people blocking, you know?
  5. Quotative ("be like"): She's like, "I know". (Compare "She's", "She's all", "She goes", "She says")

The quotative use of "like" is thought to have evolved from the prepositional use:

  1. He bought several useful presents, like a magnificent paperweight and jewelry.
  2. Matt goes something like, "No way".
  3. Shorty don't mean short. It just means like, "Hey man, what's happenin'?"

All examples below are from the Corpus of Spoken American English (Du Bois et al), from a segment entitled "Try a Couple Spoonfuls", which is a conversation between Pamela (a 25-year-old woman) and her mother Louise.

Transcription conventions:

  1. .. ...: short and long pauses
  2. (H) : breathing
  3. @ : laughter
  4. <X X>: uncertain transcription
  5. = : lengthened sound
  6. <VOX VOX> : stylized delivery

 

 

 

===============
LOUISE: did you take the Tylenol,
like I told you to yesterday?
===============
LOUISE: It seems like such an old-fashioned name for a little baby.
===============
LOUISE: .. %% what are you gonna do that's inexpensive.
PAMELA: ... Go out to eat.
LOUISE: .. Like where.
PAMELA: ... I don't know,
like Burger and Brew,
or something,
[you know]?

===============
PAMELA: (H) We always played like <X Payette X>,
(H) [that we like] beat every year,
LOUISE: [Oh].
PAMELA: for like seventeen years,
and then I think,
(H) our senior year,
junior or senior year,
we @lost [to em.
LOUISE: [@And they beat you.
@Yeah @@@@.
(H)]
PAMELA: (H) Yeah.
it was like,
<VOX Oh God VOX>].
.. (H) ... But,
the only reason I went to the game was just to figure out what was going on @afterwards,
so it didn't really matter,
LOUISE: I know.
===============
PAMELA So she has to wear that heart monitor,
<@ and Gordy said @>,
.. @ (H) you know they wanna have a <@ baby,
and he's like @>,
(H) @ (H) He's like let's have sex tonight <@ with that heart monitor.
(H) And Cathleen's like no= way- @>.
(H) and then Christina goes,
(H) wouldn't it be funny if your heart monitor went (BUZZ)=,
and @then leveled out,
then what- how would you @feel.
But Cathleen's like,
<@ you're not even touching me.
.. (H) He's so funny @>.
.. It's like,
(H) I know he just needs a reason.
===============
PAMELA: and I'm like,
Oh my Go=d.
===============
PAMELA: and then we had the retirees come,
and they're really nice ladies.
And we got corco- .. corsages for em and stuff,
you know they really like that.
... And um,
... like this is probably the last year you guys get to do this,
with the merger,
and we're like yeah,
probably.

===============
PAMELA: I just had a hot dog for lunch.
I was gonna go buy something and I thought,
God,
why waste money on ... a hot dog when I,
or %,
on food when I could just eat a hot dog.
So I had two of em.
And I mean the first one kinda tasted pretty good,
.. and I ate the other one,
then half of the other one,
it was like,
whoa.

===============
PAMELA: it's not real sweet at all,
it's more like a butter cream kinda thing.

===============
LOUISE: [But then] I thought,
that'd be kinda stupid,
I call you at work,
and if you didn't go to work they'll say,
... No,
she's home sick today.
And,
.. kinda like,
(H) <Vox what kinda mother are you.
[You live in the same house VOX>].

===============
PAMELA: Today everything looked @good.
I was like,
<VOX Oh VOX>.
(H) Cause you know I had to go over to the store and get the punch,
and,
... um,
cups and stuff,
for the open house?
today and,
I mean,
... everything looked good at the store.
And she was sick.
So nothing looked good to @her.
And I was like,
<VOX That looks good,
doesn't that look good VOX>?
(H) NO,
NO,
@@
LOUISE: ... That was like yesterday,
after I got my car fixed.
... G- I went and took it in for,
... you know the,
.. [maintenance] thing?