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Wannabees both?
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milky  #428933  Tue, 09 Oct 07 03:55 PM
 MrPedantic wrote:

 Milky wrote:
LEET!
PWNED!
WHOOT!

The "young person" is looking doubtful. She is about to ask for her money back...

It's spent.
  
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Yankee  #430054  Fri, 12 Oct 07 01:43 PM
 Kooyeen wrote:
I don't think it's very different. There are some words used in a different way... some are quite widespread (used in many parts of a state or in the whole US), others are only used in a town, in a school, or just in a class.
Or mainly in inner-city areas. Or mainly in suburban areas. Or just in written English. Or used exclusively by texting addicts. Or mainly by a particular race.  Or predominately by gamers.  Or mainly by hackers. etc. Tongue Tied [:S]

I think Kooyeen's analysis is pretty good,  and it also seems to me that "norms of coolness" would by definition have to be things that are very widespread. But by the time a slang word in "American teenage youth culture" has become widespread, is it actually still "mad cool"?

What a dilemma.
  
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Kooyeen  #430191  Fri, 12 Oct 07 08:01 PM
 Yankee wrote:


What a dilemma.



Well, it's not a dilemma. Because "norms of coolness" can't be taught. Wink [;)]
You are not a cool guy because you talk cool, you talk cool because you are cool. And if you are cool you are probably already in a cool environment, so you can learn the slang by yourself. Otherwise... why on earth1 would anyone want to learn "Beverly Hills High's slang" if they don't go to that school?
Everybody can learn "mainstream slang" though, just watching some TV. If you just watch a couple of episodes of South Park, you  can already learn about 90% of mainstream swear words. Wink [;)]

Notes:
[1] - In modern English, according to the norms of coolness, it should be replaced with the hell.
  
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MrPedantic  #430223  Sat, 13 Oct 07 12:27 AM

And the terms that seemed particularly fashionable a few weeks ago, when this thread began, are already rather August.

MrP
  
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milky  #430340  Sat, 13 Oct 07 08:52 AM
 MrPedantic wrote:

And the terms that seemed particularly fashionable a few weeks ago, when this thread began, are already rather August.

MrP

And how would one find out just what is October? Wink [;)]
  
MrPedantic  #430380  Sat, 13 Oct 07 12:45 PM
 Milky wrote:

And how would one find out just what is October?

If you need to know, you don't need to find out; and if you need to find out, you won't know till November.

MrP
  
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