Friday, November 2, 2007

VERNACULAR:Hip Today, Mass Tomorrow

What the kids are sayin' in the high school generation is always changing and sometimes building off the old, so in the past 2 weeks when i've been around the teens i've heard this latest in terms, keep it fresh with these new spits!

Caking: This came from ohio, it means to flirt with someone. When asked on the origin and how cake became the subject of the phrase no one knew, it just had been around. Ex: "Yeah, she's totally caking" (She's obviously flirting with someone)

Scratch: This came from the Monterey Bay kids, but its not pronounced like 'scratch' you phonetically pronounce it like this "Skee-Ratch". You say it when someone messes up on something (probably coined to a broader spectrum/built off the billiards scene) oh and you say scratch with an elevated voice sometimes holding out the 'skee' with an increasing pitch before descending into the 'ratch' part. It is a term said usually in a public place so everyone can observe the foul up of the poor patron.

Soddy: This word has hand motions when verbally applying the term. You poise your hand like you would when you say something is okay, except you use your middle finger to your thumb instead of the pointer and rub them together while saying soddy. The word means that something is sketchy even skeezy at times with a hint of being under par. The word is pronounced 'Saw-Dee' and has equal length in pronunciation and is sometimes accompanied by the word 'balls' not sure if this is reference to the male genitalia but for some reason i'm pretty sure it is.

The Skinny:This is actually an oldy but i like using it. It means the latest news or lowdown on whats going on Ex: "Here's the skinny gents, we need to...." I learned this from old black and white films with Fed Astaire and other kids of the 30's-40's.

Thats all for now cool kids, if you have any new ones that should be mentioned do share, i love words! woot woot!



4 comments:

Angela McPherson said...

I'm with you on the old slang, Tommy, I enjoy saying "Lousy" or "Swell" accordingly. Lucille Ball inspired, I believe.

I caught myself telling my friend her hat was "da bomb" the other day. Remember that one? I also said "I feel like a dweeb". There's another one! I fondly miss the word "rad", and don't quite know if it was ever as cool when I said it as when I heard it mentioned on Full House.

Here here and kudos to your general topic!

Anonymous said...

This is a funny blog.

I remember when I was a kid... haha (I can remember that far back!)... Anyways, my grandma used to always laugh when my sister & I would say "rad", she claimed that she too used the word "rad" growing up in the late 20's & 30's in Fessenden, N.D.

Anonymous said...

Language is so much fun... your blog brought a smile to my face. With all your journeying across the ol'USofA, you should write a dictionary of local vernacular... that would be so totally narly!

jamila said...

my bro is a cool kid and when some one is bothering you or giving you the 3rd˚ he says "and he was giving me the blues"
you say "giving me" really quick and then say blues with emphasis on "blu" and somewhat slower. it's like an explosion. not necessarily loud but the "blu" is a shocker. i thinks it's my favorites.