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Tokay High students, from left, Chelsea Kreiter, Sabrina Hernandez and Brandon Castillo talk about the use of slang Tuesday. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)
Decoding slang of Lodi's teens: 'Wuz good' and what's not?
Would you know what to say if somebody came up to you and said, "wuz good?"
How would you respond if somebody asked about your "village?"
And surely you're familiar with phases like "bees knees" and the "cat's pajamas," but would you even consider using them today?
Words and phrases like these may not be SAT words, but they are almost essential in understanding how Lodi teens communicate with each other.
When Lodi High School junior Kirven Phillips wants to borrow some money from a friend he says, "Let me cop a dollar."
"It's just easier to understand," Phillips said, while eating lunch with his friends Tuesday afternoon.
To some teens, the type of slang they use develops organically and distinguishes one group of friends from the next.
Michelle Peres, 14, a freshman at Tokay High School, says "Whadda doo cuddy?" to her close friends. The phrase, which she picked up from her cousins, means "How are you?," but she doesn't just use it with anybody.
Other teens however, intentionally manipulate their speech as a form of self expression.
Lodi High sophomore Preston Dillon, 15, makes it a point sprinkle his speech with words that have a retro twist, including "gnarly" and "rad."
"It's just how it comes out," he insists.
Dillon's friend, Lodi High junior David Devencenzi, 16, reaches even farther back with his expressions, many of which, like "bee's knees" and "cat's pajamas," are phrases that date back generations.
"I like the older stuff," Devencenzi said.
David Simpson, a professor of English at the University of California, Davis, said certain slang words can give their users a sense of belonging among their users.
Simpson makes the distinction between slang, a term he uses to describe more widely known words, and dialects, which are used at the regional level.
Are you slang savvy? Answer these questions to see if you are up-to-date on the latest slang.
1. What does the phrase "Heckno Techno" refer to?
a. A type of electronic music similar to house or trance.
b. An especially melodic cell phone ring tone.
c. A phrase expressing a strong "no," similar to "No way, Jose."
d. A person who does not have strong computer skills.
2. If someone tells you that you're "banging," what are they trying to say?
a. That you're speaking really loudly and giving them a headache.
b. That you're an attractive person.
c. That you are lacking in the ability to speak to the opposite sex.
d. That you are listening to loud rock music while moving your head back and forth in a violent manner.
3. What does the word "jazzy" mean?
a. It refers to an activity that's fun to do but that not many people like watching, like playing jazz music.
b. A person who can dance well or who is quick on his or her feet.
c. It refers to somebody who is uncool because they take part in more mature activities like playing chess and listening to jazz.
d. It's a word for something favorable, like "cool."
Answers: c, b, d
— News-Sentinel staff
1. What does the phrase "Heckno Techno" refer to?
a. A type of electronic music similar to house or trance.
b. An especially melodic cell phone ring tone.
c. A phrase expressing a strong "no," similar to "No way, Jose."
d. A person who does not have strong computer skills.
2. If someone tells you that you're "banging," what are they trying to say?
a. That you're speaking really loudly and giving them a headache.
b. That you're an attractive person.
c. That you are lacking in the ability to speak to the opposite sex.
d. That you are listening to loud rock music while moving your head back and forth in a violent manner.
3. What does the word "jazzy" mean?
a. It refers to an activity that's fun to do but that not many people like watching, like playing jazz music.
b. A person who can dance well or who is quick on his or her feet.
c. It refers to somebody who is uncool because they take part in more mature activities like playing chess and listening to jazz.
d. It's a word for something favorable, like "cool."
Answers: c, b, d
— News-Sentinel staff
Simpson pointed out that words and phrases used among young girls, such as "Oh my God" and "totally," can establish a bond within a group of speakers.
Authors such as Irvine Welsh and Mark Twain, have also used dialects to give readers a glimpse into a particular subculture.
Welsh's novel "Trainspotting," which Simpson said came with its own dictionary when it was reprinted in the United States, allows readers to glance into the lives of a group of Edinburgh heroin users.
Other times, Simpson said people may pull various words from the media in order to identify themselves with popular culture.
Nick Miner, 17, a Lodi High junior, knows something about weaving words from popular culture into his speech.
When describing something favorable, Miner says it's "very nice," a phrase he adopted from Borat, the character portrayed by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen on which the 2006 movie "Borat," was made.
Miner also borrowed the word "village" from the movie and frequently asks his friends whether or not he can come over to their "village" instead of their house.
However, for Miner, part of the thrill of using slang is not only being able to identify with a group of people, but seeing how many other people he can influence by getting them to use one of his words.
"It's kind of fun when you walk down the hallway and hear people saying your stuff," Miner said.
That sense of impact on another person is shared by Lodi High sophomore Crystal Smith, 15, who argued with her friend Alyce Stacher, 15, over who started using the word "fruitloop," a term referring to a strange person.
"That was my word," Smith told Stacher over lunch.
Still other slang words have made the leap from text to talk.
Kimberly Wong, 15, a sophomore at Tokay High School, said she uses phrases like "IDK," short for "I don't know," and "JK," an abbreviation for "Just Kidding," in everyday speech.
Tokay High students Mykalla Delp, left, and Kristen Scheven about the use of slang Tuesday. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)
Although such phrases are often used on American Online's instant messaging service, Wong has no problem saying "LOL," when she thinks something is funny.
Other slang provides teenagers a way to keep activities that might get them in trouble off the radar of adults.
Mykalla Delp, 16, a junior at Tokay High, said teenagers often take the first letter of a expletive and add the suffix "eez" to replace a word that might otherwise get them in trouble.
"And plus you can say it in front of your parents," said Tokay High sophomore Kristen Scheven, 16.
Martha Dent, vice principal at Tokay High, remembers the days when she used to enjoy talking over her parents' head with her and her friends' preferred slang words.
Nowadays, she says, she tries to keep up with what her students are saying, but she doesn't try too hard.
"I try to not appear stupid," Dent said. "I do (try to understand) a little bit because I don't want to be out of their world, but I don't want to pick up all of it because I'm not in their world.
And for Heaven's sake, she said, she doesn't want to start using it.
Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.
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