Slang in Writing

[cantdog]

Tolkien was a linguist, too.

but grok was supposed to have come not from the English, but the Martian, and waldoes were a device invented by his character, Waldo, so that it was from a proper name.

In context, they are all right. I wouldn't want a Martian word that I could guess the derivation of. It has to sound unrelated to earthly languages.

 

[Xelebes]

Tolkien was a linguist, too.

but grok was supposed to have come not from the English, but the Martian, and waldoes were a device invented by his character, Waldo, so that it was from a proper name.

In context, they are all right. I wouldn't want a Martian word that I could guess the derivation of. It has to sound unrelated to earthly languages.

If the items were truly based off of Martian words, I think the most common spelling would end up as Grock and waldo thing was fine. However, the w does trip the mouth a bit.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Slang? Shit, I think I use it without really knowing that. I think a lot of people do. I've been here all my life, so it takes a careful thoughtful ear for me to realize that House isn't pronounced Haasss (pronounced Ha -as in haha, laughter, and ssss as in, well kind of a hissing sound, hardly more than a S naturally sounds like). And that people end their sentences in the phrase n'at ("and that" for non-Pittsburghers) such as: "I'm goin' to the store n'at? you want some pop?" Pop=soda, of course. I never really reaised how much of that was local, and still really don't. I dunno if "Y'ens" (as in you ones --pronounced "Yins") is used all over or not, but in Pittsburgh, get used to hearing how "Y'ens don't know nothing about good Pop n'at..."
i think I notice it so little, and read enough that I tend to write around it without thinking much, but I also know it sneaks in there. In and outside of dialogue. Don't know if that applies to the topic or not...

Been posting here too long today.

Q_C

 

[Quiet_Cool]

damnit!!!!

 

[Xelebes]

Slang? Shit, I think I use it without really knowing that. I think a lot of people do. I've been here all my life, so it takes a careful thoughtful ear for me to realize that House isn't pronounced Haasss (pronounced Ha -as in haha, laughter, and ssss as in, well kind of a hissing sound, hardly more than a S naturally sounds like). And that people end their sentences in the phrase n'at ("and that" for non-Pittsburghers) such as: "I'm goin' to the store n'at? you want some pop?" Pop=soda, of course. I never really reaised how much of that was local, and still really don't. I dunno if "Y'ens" (as in you ones --pronounced "Yins") is used all over or not, but in Pittsburgh, get used to hearing how "Y'ens don't know nothing about good Pop n'at..."
i think I notice it so little, and read enough that I tend to write around it without thinking much, but I also know it sneaks in there. In and outside of dialogue. Don't know if that applies to the topic or not...

Been posting here too long today.

Q_C

I know for us Canadians (or maybe just Western Canadians) we replace n'at with arright.