English on-line: Сленг в английском языке (часть 2)

Деловой портал delo.ua совместно с British Council реализует проект "Английский язык on-line". В рамках проекта на портале появляются видеоинтервью с преподавателями British Council.

Тематика видеоинтервью — новые методики и подходы в изучении английского языка, интересные факты и практические советы по улучшению произношения и увеличения словарного запаса.

Тема сегодняшнего интервью — использование сленговых выражений в английском языке. Интервью дает преподаватель British Council Питер Росси (Peter Rossi). Это вторая часть видео, посвященной этой теме.

Первое видео можно посмотреть здесь.

Еще несколько примеров сленга

'bunjoed' — быть побитым (как правило, по лицу)

'brass monkey' — человек, который употребляет наркотики

'faggot' — человек, который торгует сигаретами

'еlectric soup' — очень дешевое вино

Текст интервью

Hello again. In part 2 of my presentation about slang I want to develop this theme further by talking about dialect.

Dialect is a particular way of speaking in particular part of the country. In my previous video presentation I talked a little bit about Glasgow patter. For example in Scotland if we talk about the old deceased American comedian Bob Hope we in fact are talking about drugs because 'Hope' rhymes with 'dope'. So this is how it will be used on the streets: 'I need some Bob Hope'. 'I need some Bob Hope' [with different accent] as they would more likely say.

This form of rhyming slang is also popular in East London. So for example there, if you pardon my very bad cockney accent, 'trouble and strife' would equal 'wife', 'apples and pears' would equal 'stairs'.

But back to my native city. And in fact terms of musical reference are often used in Glasgow patter or in this slang of the streets. So for example if you are 'bunjoed' it doesn't mean that you're playing a musical instrument, it means that you are being punched. Normally in the face. And also if we speak about 'brass monkey' we're not referring to a section of an orchestra, we're in fact are talking about a 'junkie' which is someone who takes a lot of drugs.

As you may have already determined stimulants or the partaking thereof is a very common pursuit on the streets of Glasgow. In the same way 'faggot' is someone who sells cigarettes and not what you might think it means. 'Electric soup' is a very cheap form of wine which will put you into the realms of make believe very quickly.

To conclude this little snapshot of slang and it's usage particularly in the west of Scotland I just 'd like to say that the usage of slang determines the borders of who you are and where you come from. Thank you very much.