Get the skinny on slang
Where to find it: Urban dictionary
– www.urbandictionary.com
Who runs the site: The site went live in 1999 and was founded by
Aaron Peckham when he was an undergraduate at Cal Poly San Luis
Obispo, but the people who really run the site are users who post
their explanations of urban and slang words for the rest of us who
are out of the loop.
Who is likely to use the site: The site is great for anyone who
has heard a term and isn’t sure what it means
– and it’s not the kind of word that Webster’s is going to
define. So basically the site is perfect for parents who feel like
their kid is no longer speaking English; employers who work with
anyone under 25 and anyone who has just watched a skit on Saturday
Night Live and feels completely lost.
Get the skinny on slang
Where to find it: Urban dictionary – www.urbandictionary.com
Who runs the site: The site went live in 1999 and was founded by Aaron Peckham when he was an undergraduate at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, but the people who really run the site are users who post their explanations of urban and slang words for the rest of us who are out of the loop.
Who is likely to use the site: The site is great for anyone who has heard a term and isn’t sure what it means – and it’s not the kind of word that Webster’s is going to define. So basically the site is perfect for parents who feel like their kid is no longer speaking English; employers who work with anyone under 25 and anyone who has just watched a skit on Saturday Night Live and feels completely lost.
Pros: The site has a search engine that is easy enough to use – just enter the term and the engine will bring up all the definitions entered online complete with sentences showing examples of how the word is used. Urban Dictionary is so complete it even has definitions for a word I thought my friends and I had made up.
And for those who just want to expand their vocabulary, the Urban Dictionary lists a word of the day each week that usually comes out of some recent pop culture happening or current event. Recent words of the day include “spin doctor” – for all those political consultants who are trying to put their spin on things as the November election approaches – and Joe Sixpack, the new phrase coined by vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin in last week’s debate.
Since launching the site, some of the entries have been compiled into a book for sale through Amazon.com and there is even a blog that offers updates on Urban Dictionary, like how to get words of the day sent to your phone or how many people use the site each month.
Cons: The entries are written by users, so expect a lot of misspelled words and bad grammar – these are people who aren’t using proper English, after all. And there might be words out there you just don’t want to know about.
