Bazinga!

Mar 9
Amy

Post-A-Day 2011:  What are your favorite slang words?  Which ones are overused?

I’m not going to necessarily talk about my favorite slang words, though I might touch on one or two, rather, I thought I’d talk about some of my favorites, and where they came from.

Seriously?  Seriously!  Seriously!  You get the idea.  A few years ago during an episode of Gray’s Anatomy the characters each used the word “seriously” to express many different emotions.  It was used so much during that episode (maybe it was more than one episode) that the word became common “slang”.  It can now be used to express disgust, bewilderment, anger, incredulity, and, given the right verbal inflection, just about any emotion human beings are capable of.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZHJ2iHQz_0&tracker=False]

I’m tellin’ ya – those pop culture shows are trend starters!

For example, who can tell me what “Bazinga!” means?

I’d be willing to be there are several of you right now who are faithful viewers of The Big Bang Theory, and as soon as you read that sentence, you immediately thought of the poor clueless soul, Sheldon Cooper.  He is a brilliant physicist who sticks to a very strict routine, has no understanding of irony, sarcasm, or humor, and has a complete lack of humility.  Those traits are what make his character so funny.  He is constantly the geekiest character on the show, and whenever he tells a joke, or plays a prank, he concludes with the word “Bazinga!” to signal that he just told a joke.

 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skQGve3XksU&tracker=False]

Okay, so I have to admit that when I watched this video clip (I didn’t actually see this episode), that I started laughing.  I don’t mean quiet little giggle laughing, either.  I mean full-bore tummy laughs that promptly threw me and my bronchitis self into a coughing fit I never thought I’d get out of.  Thankfully, I did.

And then I watched the clip again! 

I love Sheldon!  So much so, he’s worth a second (very short) clip!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn2S7fq_p1E&tracker=False]

No matter what decade it is, what shows are popular on TV, or what movies are hits, they always influence the slang of the times.  Think back to Happy Days and the Fonz – “Aaaayee”, or Friends‘ Joey and his ability to make the phrase “How you doin’?” sound dirty and sexy.

Slang is a part of every day language.  It wasn’t until I read the prompt for today’s post that I really started to think about where a lot of slang comes from.  In the current culture of texting and electronic media, a lot of slang has developed through short-cutting for “text-talk”.  We have LMAO, CW2CU, IMHO, and many more.  I don’t have a personal problem with slang, as I believe it is part of our culture.  It is vital, sardonic, and direct.  The reason, it is so prolific is because it is just a tad less than respectable than ordinary language, and it’s the “cool” thing to use in casual conversation.

So, before I “split” for the “boonies”, leaving everyone “high and dry”, I will “belly up” to the bar and “tip one back” before heading out to “get down” and “groovy”.   Don’t worry about me, it’s all “copacetic”, and I’ll catch you “on the flip side”.

And on that note . . .

See you later, Alligator ~ After awhile, Crocodile!