Change is one of the common facts of life. Most of us have seen a number of changes in our own lives from simple things like fashion trends and entertainment to big changes in technology. Language, too, has experienced change and continues to develop. The continuous change is what keeps languages alive. Slang is a way in which languages can transform and are renewed. Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in a language. Some consider slang to be witty   and clever, adding spice to the informal written and spoken language. Walt Whitman described slang as "the start of imagination and humor, breathing into its nostrils   the breath of life". However, others criticize its use, believing that it weakens the language. The spoken English language of today's younger generation is filled with slang words and expressions. These lively words and phrases are an example of how language plants its own seeds of change that develop within social circumstances. Sometimes slang is the use of a word that is already in the standard dictionary, for example, lift (to pick up or raise) is given a new meaning, such as "to steal"; or hunk (a large piece of something) has now become "a handsome man". Other times, slang is an invented word, such as chocoholic, which means "a person who loves chocolate". Other invented words are mula, which means "money" and airhead, which means "a person who is stupid". Now, you'll understand your friends if they say something like, "I was such an airhead to think that I could get away with lifting a whole box of chocolates from the store just because I was all out of mula." What's the main idea of the passage?
An introduction to slang. The change of language. The use of slang. The origin of slang.