Slang vs. Speaking Correctly

"The chief use of slang, is to show that you're one of the gang" - David Crystal

This quote captures the idea that the function of slang is to identify a social group which is very conscious of its identity. 

Slang can be defined as "informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered acceptable in certain social settings". 

Everyone belongs to a range of "gangs" or social groups and this membership can be demonstrated and enforced through utilising the language deemed appropriate in that context. The ability to do so which stems from an understanding of the values and conventions underpinning the ideology of that group

Membership to different groups can indicate a lot about one's own individual identity. Factors such as age, ethnicity, occupation gender, education and personal values can be reflected through the social groups one associates with. 

The nature of slang means that it tends not to be used for a very long time. It either become part of general usage (as in Whatever) or stops being trendy. This idea however, is subjective and not absoloute. It is never possible to be completely definite about the currency of words within the spoken mode of English. As slang can often signal in-group membership, if a particular colloquialism transcends its original social group and pervades general usage, its value within the initial group is diminished and it no longer just signals belonging to one group. 

This notion was exemplified in the 1990s with the rise and fall of the colloquialism "Bling Bling". Initially coined amongst the US rap music scene to denote any kind of exuberant clothing accoutrements, the success of the song in which it was used meant that people outside of the initial social group began to incorporate it into their vernacular. The popularity saw the word used without the reduplication and an expansion in its connotations as a result of the word being used outside of its original context (eg: Mr. Bling - tooth specialist). However, the adaptation of "Bling" by the middle class has rendered it useless to the US rapping community because it no longer signifies in group membership and solidarity for them

The high turnover rate of slang is evidence of its social function to promote in-group solidarity and exclude others. Its short lived nature is due to the fact that once a colloquialism is incorporated into the idiolects of members outside of the social group in which it was originally used, its potential to signal in-group membership is diminished. For example, the term "dropping" amongst some social groups refers to the ingestion of an illicit drug in the form of a pill.It many social groups it has replaced the now passe term "gacked". Speaking in these obscured terms ensures that passers by and eavesdroppers are oblivious to the nature of the conversation whilst promoting social cohesion based on common knowledge within a group.

Some people perceive slang to be the sole domain of "persons of a low or disreputable character" and the driving force in the deterioration of the English language. This contention is based on a prescriptivist (strive for correctness rather than appropriateness) perception of language and overlooks the value of slang in expressing insight into how we think and feel as humans as well as being a reflection of social climate and pop culture and of course a means of indicating social belonging. Slang includes some of the most vulgar, but equally expressive language in all of English, linguist Eric Partridge captured this in saying that "[slang is] the acme and quintessence of spoken and informal language". 

In an unfamiliar context where we will be pinpointed socially, such as meeting a stranger or in a job interview, we tend to adhere to the conventions of Standard English in order to maintain face. Due to Standard English's connotations of overt prestige, its ability to promote in-group solidarity comparatively less than non standard variants of English, unless we are trying to signal belonging to an elite or academic group. 

In a similar way, the quintessentially Australian, non-standard, casual mode of address "mate" not only has the communicative / transactional function of its formal, standard counterparts "Mr and Mrs", it also promotes solidarity in its friendly connotations and intimate nature. Furthermore, hyper-formal modes of address "sir" and "madame" work in the complete opposite direction to establish and reinforce segregating notions of social distance and social hierarchy.