As time slip by and things have evolved, some significant changes also took place in the lingua Franca of the world. Modern English now does not only comprise imported pronunciations of English vowels, but it also has grown to teenagers’ lingo and colloquialism.
It is frequently seen that individuals mistakenly employ the terms colloquialism and slang as synonyms, supposing them to indicate the same thing. The similarities are that they are both spoken languages with simple vocabulary. It’s vital to remember that they’re two different types of language with distinctions in a variety of characteristics of usage.
What Is Colloquial Language?
Writing and speech continuously modify and evolve words, resulting in a rich and diverse vernacular. This universal language is not the same as it was in former days; be it punctuation marks, dialect, or adjectives starting with Q. And with such modifications, the world came to learn about words and expressions that become popular within a particular language, geographic location, or cultural era, known as colloquialisms.
Moreover, it alludes to ordinary people’s everyday use of language, which includes words, phrases, and aphorisms. Consider it a type of daily language or customary jargon that is more acceptable in a conversational or speaking form in local people.
Examples of Colloquialism
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Colloquial Words
-Wicked: really or very. Ex (To be honest, this steak is wicked good!)
– Include contractions. Ex (y’all, gonna and ain’t)
– Curse words that are specific to a region. Ex (“Bloody” is a bad word used in the United Kingdom)
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Colloquial Phrases
-“Knee jerk reaction”: A rapid or instinctive response
-“Hard to swallow”: hard to believe
-“Up for grabs”: indicates that anything is open to anybody.
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Colloquial for Everyday Stuff
-Flat vs Apartment
-Truck vs Lorry
-Pop vs Cola or fizzy drink
-Soccer vs Football
What is Slang?
This is a very casual sort of language that is frequently spoken rather than written and is prevalent among certain social groups such as soldiers, youths, professionals, and individuals who are well acquainted.
Slang is more casual than colloquialisms, and because it contains highly informal vocabulary, it may be insulting if used on someone who does not speak in that manner.
It’s important to remember that slang changes swiftly as people produce new phrases; certain words and expressions might vanish from the language as quickly as new ones arise, making it challenging to keep up.
Apart from this, slang comes in different forms; sports slang, college slang, schoolboys slang, WhatsApp slang, and gamers slang. And since it has a humorous part associated, it is used more often by the people.
Examples of Slang
-Cheugy: This informal word has replaced “basic” in slang lingo. It refers to those actions or activities that were used to be a thing back then, but now it has become basic.
-Vibe Check: This is one of the most common slang among youth, used when someone is behaving suspiciously or shady. It actually analyses the vibe radiating by other person, and if they sound negative, they fail the vibe check test.
-Understood the Assignment: Yes, that is the one that gained fame via TikTok videos. It applies to people who are doing good in a specific aspect of their life, and they got the hang of it. It could be related to any possible thing.
-Bussin’: Often used when something is really good, specifically for food. For instance, “This soup is Bussin’.”
Let’s Put it Together
Colloquilosim is an informal spoken language understood by a wide range of people in a geographical area or region, while slang can be comprehended by only those groups of people who originated that certain secret vocabulary.
Slang phrases frequently migrate into the general lexicon (despite many speakers being unaware of the term’s origins) and eventually become popular colloquialisms. Following are a few examples that can help you comprehend English language class better, aiding you to crack your mid-term exams.
1. Formal: “Your dress is extremely pretty and elegant.”
Colloquial: “I am loving your dress!”
Slang: “This dress is sick!”
2. Formal: “You are going to do good in exams.”
Colloquial: “You’re going to ace the exams!”
Slang: “You’re going to kill the exams!”
So, now that you have gone through many examples regarding colloquial and slang, we hope that you got the perfect idea of the difference between two informal spoken languages.
Also, not to mention that it’s crucial to remember that colloquial language is more formal than slang since it doesn’t seem as offensive, so beware before mixing up both because that can lead to some embarrassing or unusual circumstances.
