Friday, 16 August 2013

465. IELTS - Special Words


IELTS - Special Words

Slang
Jargon and Argot
Dialect and Briticisms

Slang
Test: Write In
Slang is a very informal use of vocabulary and idiom, typically formed by creative, often clever juxtapositions of images or words. It is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid, and ephemeral than ordinary language.

New slang expressions tend to come from subcultures, such as adolescents, ethnic minorities, citizen-band radio broadcasters, sports groups, criminals, and members of established institutions, such as the armed forces or labor unions.

If members of the subculture have sufficient contact with the mainstream culture, the slang expression often passes into general use. For instance, "cool" (fashionable, well-accepted), "nitty-gritty" (the core or crux of some matter), and "The Man" (the law) all derive from the black culture of New York's Harlem area.

Slang develops just as other levels of language develop. In some instances, words acquire new meanings ("cat" for a person); in others, a meaning becomes extended ("fink," at first a strikebreaker, now refers to any betrayer).

Words become abbreviated ("burger" for "hamburger," "perk" for "percolate"), and acronyms become widely used ("VIP").

Often words are created to deal with social and other innovations (as "tailgating," "yuppie," "hip-hop").

Slang expressions can quickly become passé ("sheik," "skiddoo," "goo-goo eyes," "the cat's pajamas," "hepcat") or standard speech ("hand-me-down" for "second-hand item").

Today, mass communication has greatly speeded up the circulation of slang expressions.

While slang invigorates a language, giving it freshness and energy, it has no place in formal speech and writing.

Use it occasionally to flavor your conversation, but be careful to suit your audience and purpose. Also, make sure the words you're using are not stale and out of date.

Write In
Each of the following sentences contains an italicized slang word or expression that is perfectly appropriate in the context of informal conversation.

For each sentence, replace the slang word with a word or phrase that would be better suited to more formal usage and notice the effect of the change. Write your answer in the space provided.

_________________1. He really bugs me when he does that.
_________________2. Slow down! Smokey's up ahead behind those bushes!
_______________3. That chore was a real pain in the neck.
_______________4. Johnny was hit on the bean with the softball.
_______________5. I had a lot of moola riding on that bet.
_______________6. I blew it all at the races.
_______________7. That franchise deal was a ripoff.
_______________ 8. If you keep on drinking like that, you're going to get plastered.
_______________ 9. I wish he'd quit his bellyaching.
_______________ 10. When she's in one of those moods, she's a real sourpuss.
_______________ 11. He zapped the figures marching across the screen and defeated his opponent.
_______________ 12. What's your beef?
_______________ 13. I told him to bug off.
_______________ 14. If he doesn't start studying soon, he's going to flunk this course.
________________15. Mike is hooked on video games.

Jargon and Argot
Legal Argot
Publishing Argot
Printing Argot
Theater Argot
Computer Argot
Aeronautics Argot

"Get him in here stat," the doctor ordered. "Stat," a word adopted by the medical establishment from Latin "statim," is medical argot for "immediately" and is used when doctors and their assistants want to communicate quickly and efficiently.

Both "jargon" and "argot" refer to the vocabulary that is peculiar to a specific group of people and that has been devised for intergroup communication or identification.

Its use is also a means of restricting access by the uninitiated and creating a sense of exclusivity among group members.

Though the words "jargon" and "argot" are interchangeable,

"jargon" has derogatory connotations and one of its common meanings is gibberish, nonsense.

For that reason we shall use the designation "argot" for specialized terminology.

While some argot does pass into general circulation, most of it remains incomprehensible to the layperson.

Argot should be used only within the field to which it belongs; otherwise, it will
probably fail to communicate your meaning. Here are some examples of argot drawn from different disciplines.

Legal Argot
on all fours              a legal precedent exactly on the mark
blacklining              marking up a legal document for changes
nit                             a small point
conformed copy      a legal document with a printed rather than a signed name
counterparts           identical copies signed by different parties

Publishing Argot
dummy                    a mocked-up copy to be checked, as for pagination.
proof                        a trial impression of composed type taken to correct errors and make alterations
gutter                       the white space formed by the inner margins of two facing pages of a book
slush pile                  unsolicited manuscripts

Printing Argot
bleed                        illustration or printing that extends beyond the trim size of the page
roll size                    paper width
live art                     the actual art being used
blanket                    the rubber sheet in a printing press that transfers the image from the plate to the paper

Theater Argot
angel                        a theatrical backer
spot                          a spotlight
apron                       the part of a stage in front of the curtain
ice                             free tickets

Computer Argot
boot up                    to start a computer by loading the operating system
crash                        a major computer malfunction
debug                       to detect and correct errors in a system
interface                  connection; interaction
on-line                      connected to a main computer

Aeronautics Argot
jig                             a device in which an airplane part can be held while it is being worked on
BAFO                      best and final offer
RFQ                         request for quote
CDRL                     contract data requirements list


Matching Synonyms
Below are some examples of baseball argot. See how closely you can match each word or phrase with its meaning. Write your answer in the space provided.

_____ 1. fungo                        [   ]       a. a high fly ball that's easy to catch

_____ 2. around the horn        [   ]       b. batter hits the ball down so it will bounce high
_____ 3. hit for the cycle        [   ]       c. a baseball tossed in the air and struck as it comes down
_____ 4. can of corn               [   ]       d. a home run with three runners on base
_____ 5. grand slam                [   ]       e. to get a single, double, triple, and home run in one game
_____ 6. Baltimore chop         [   ]       f. a double play started by the third baseman

Dialect and Briticisms

A dialect is a version of language spoken in a particular geographic region or by a specific group of people.

Dialects frequently contain words, pronunciations, and grammatical structures that are not accepted as standard English. For example, in the British Yorkshire dialect, "something" would be rendered as "summat."

Although the Americans and the British have little difficulty communicating with each other, each country nevertheless retains a vocabulary of its own.

Words used specifically by the British are known as Briticisms. Here are some of the more common ones.

Americanism Briticism
bar                                           pub
laid off (from a job)                redundant
raincoat                                   mackintosh
police officer,                          cop bobby
guy                                          bloke
candy store                              sweet-shop
crazy                                        barmy
druggist                                   chemist
TV                                           telly
gasoline                                   petrol
elevator                                   lift
run (in a stocking)                   ladder
sofa                                         settee
subway                                    underground
hood (of a car)                        bonnet
naked                                      starkers
napkin                                     serviette
truck                                        lorry
call up (on the telephone)        ring up
French-fried                            potatoes chips

Matching Synonyms
Match each Briticism with its American counterpart.
Write your answer in the space provided.

1. LIFT                                    [ f  ]                 a. napkin _____
2. UNDERGROUND            [   ]                   b. sofa _____
3. TELLY                               [   ]                   c. hood (of a car) _____
4. BARMY                             [   ]                   d. truck _____
5. CHIPS                                [   ]                   e. guy _____
6. REDUNDANT                   [   ]                   f. elevator _____
7. SETTEE                              [   ]                   g. druggist _____
8. PETROL                             [   ]                   h. TV _____
9. BLOKE                              [   ]                   i. police officer, cop _____
10. BOBBY                            [   ]                   j. run (in a stocking) _____
11. LORRY                            [   ]                   k. subway _____
12. CHEMIST                        [   ]                   l. crazy _____
13. RING UP                          [   ]                   m. call up _____
14. MACKINTOSH               [   ]                   n. gasoline _____
15. SERVIETTE                     [   ]                   o. raincoat _____
16. PUB                                  [   ]                   p. French fries _____
17. SWEET-SHOP                 [   ]                   q. bar _____
18. LADDER                         [   ]                   r. laid off _____
19. BONNET                          [   ]                   s. candy store _____
20. STARKERS                     [   ]                   t. naked _____


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