GRE Preparation

The Origins of Slang

The author of this text begins by depicting a scene in which the owner of a horse, which has lost its race,
is under the impression that he has been duped. What reinforces his feeling is that his horse was the
favorite . As the story progresses , the author introduces us to the culprit: A man who speaks slang.
The author then digresses and tries to unravel the origin of slang . He provides us with the etymology of
the word slang tracing its origin to the Nordic Languages where it means an invention. Moving
forward , he delves into the reason as to why people speak slang .He explains that Slang is a counter
language , adopted by the middle and poor classes as a kind of protest to the dominating class.