Slang

JonSwift · Aug 21, 2009

How do you handle it? Or do you handle it at all? Or do you make up slang for your world (with essential context for clarity) and hope it sounds real? The only problem I see with slang is that it can date itself. So do you bother using it at all?

I love slang.

dawinsor · Aug 21, 2009

There are a number of ways to do this. For instance, Lindsey Davis writes a series of mysteries set in ancient Rome and her characters speak slangy contemporary English. The MC has a smart alecky voice and from the start, you know that's what you're getting. In contrast, in Elantris, Brandon Sanderson makes up at least one slang word (colo? Is that right? I don't have the book in front of me) whose meaning is clear by context. If you're making stuff up, I wouldn't do too much of it because it's not going to have the same impact on the reader anyway and can make them work too hard.

Libbie · Aug 21, 2009

JonSwift said:
How do you handle it? Or do you handle it at all? Or do you make up slang for your world (with essential context for clarity) and hope it sounds real? The only problem I see with slang is that it can date itself. So do you bother using it at all?

I love slang.

I use slang specifically because it can date a work. I write historical fiction, though, so that's useful to me.

I've been collecting all kinds of interesting slang from the turn of the 20th century to use in my novel about Houdini's life.

I think slang can be fun in a totally made-up world. And if I wanted to use it in "the real world" but didn't want it to date my work too badly, I'd be careful to use words that have been popular slang throughout many decades, such as "cool," "great," "neat," etc.

Shakesbear · Aug 21, 2009

Slang can be fun! It can also exclude readers who may not understand it. Georgett Heyer used thieves slang, also called cant, in some of her books and it does, as Libbie says, date the work. Heyers' work in which she used cant was set in Regency England. Most of the words and phrases she used can be found in the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 1811.

blacbird · Aug 21, 2009

The classic use of invented slang is Anthony Burgess, in A Clockwork Orange. Some of his has made its way into fairly common parlance, notably the high compliment "horrorshow". Done well, it can be very effective.

caw

Billytwice · Aug 21, 2009

shethinkstoomuch · Aug 22, 2009

I'm working on historical fiction myself, so group-specific slang is key to making everything sound right. Plus, I find its a good way to know my characters.

extortionist · Aug 22, 2009

blacbird said:
The classic use of invented slang is Anthony Burgess, in A Clockwork Orange. Some of his has made its way into fairly common parlance, notably the high compliment "horrorshow". Done well, it can be very effective.

caw

His slang isn't really invented, he anglicized a number of Russian words. "Horrorshow" is хорошо (horosho), which means "good" in Russian. "Droogies" is a play off друг (droog), which means "friend." Moloko is молоко, and so on.

It's really clever, though, because it implies a lot about his setting that Russian words are entering the vocabulary.

Ken Schneider · Aug 22, 2009

Take into consideration the timeline in which you are writing.

If your character is established as one that would use slang, let H/H.

If you're talking about southern slang, look at Samuel Clemons work, i.e. Mark Twian's Huck Finn.

Birol · Aug 22, 2009

Ken Schneider said:
If you're talking about southern slang, look at Samuel Clemons work, i.e. Mark Twian's Huck Finn.

That's more dialect than slang.

Ken Schneider · Aug 22, 2009

Birol said:
That's more dialect than slang.

You're right, I'm wrong.

I better check my wife's screen name here.

Wark · Aug 22, 2009

New slang is at the bottom of each page. I had a time traveler who grew up from 1890 to 1927 and retained his slang. Much of which we still use today, but we call it colloquialisms.

http://www.writersdreamtools.com/view/decades/default.asp?Decade=1910

Slang

JonSwift

figuring it all out

dawinsor

Dorothy A. Winsor

Libbie

Worst song played on ugliest guitar

Shakesbear

knows a hawk from a handsaw

blacbird

Billytwice

shethinkstoomuch

extortionist

the obscure

Ken Schneider

Absolute sagebrush

Birol

Around and About

Ken Schneider

Absolute sagebrush

Wark

Mark Brockman