Jails are, for better or worse, a big part of American civilization. The American prison population is one of the highest of any country in the world. They have been entrenched into American society for centuries, and so for many people jails have played a … Read more
Greetings and farewells are an area of language ripe for slang. We use them every day, and it’s something that’s particularly important to add a bit of uniqueness and emotion to. Depending on the context, saying goodbye can be really sad! In Australia this is … Read more
Australians love their dogs, and they’ve got plenty of slang to prove it! Whether you’re talking about a working dog, a scruffy stray, or just your beloved pet, there’s a unique Aussie term for it. Some are affectionate, others a little cheeky, but they all … Read more
Police are always an interlinked part of any community. It’s not surprising that any given language usually has a fairly wide variety of slang terms by which to refer to the police. This is just as true in Australia as it is anywhere else. There … Read more
The most common American slang terms for a car are “ride” or “wheels”. These are more or less universal throughout America and used just about everywhere. You might also hear terms like “auto” or in a tongue-in-cheek way, “horseless carriage”. “Beater” is a common term … Read more
Simple slang terms used to refer to friends are among the most common in any local vernacular. There are usually lots of them that can be used in many subtly different contexts and situations, and this is just as true in South Africa as it … Read more
Whether we like it or not, money plays a big role in our everyday lives. In the U.S., it’s no secret that money is a huge part of the picture, especially with the contrast between wealth and poverty. But one thing everyone has in common, … Read more
Laughter is a universal language, but the Brits have a knack for dressing it up in all sorts of colorful expressions. From a quiet chuckle shared between friends to a full-on roar that fills the room, every kind of laugh has its own special name … Read more
The 1980s were a blast from the past where everything cool had its own special word. This was the decade that turned up the volume on fun slang, giving us phrases like “rad,” “gnarly,” and “totally tubular.” It was a time when style, music, and … Read more
Common slang terms in the 1950s for police included some widely used today, such as “pigs”. Other, more specifically 1950s slang for police included the term “heat”, “the fuzz,” and in Britain they were sometimes called “Old Bill” or “Old Bill Peace”. They may also … Read more