Colloquialisms are considered more acceptable and more expected in standard usage than slang is, and jargon is often created to talk about aspects of a particular field that are not accounted for in the general lexicon. While colloquialisms and jargon may seem like slang because they reference a particular group, they do not necessarily fit the same definition, because they do not represent a particular effort to replace the general lexicon of a standard language. On the other hand, slang tends to emphasize social and contextual understanding. Although jargon and slang can both be used to exclude non-group members from the conversation, the purpose of jargon is said to be optimizing conversation using terms that imply technical understanding. Jargon refers to language used by personnel in a particular field, or language used to represent specific terms within a field to those with a particular interest. While viewed as inappropriate in formal usage, colloquial terms are typically considered acceptable in speech across a wide range of contexts, while slang tends to be perceived as infelicitous in many common communicative situations. While many forms of lexicon may be considered low-register or "sub-standard", slang remains distinct from colloquial and jargon terms because of its specific social contexts. slang is on the edge." Slang dictionaries, collecting thousands of slang entries, offer a broad, empirical window into the motivating forces behind slang. it is often impossible to tell, even in context, which interests and motives it serves. Michael Adams remarks that " is liminal language.
It replaces "a well-known conventional synonym." This is done primarily to avoid discomfort caused by the conventional synonym or discomfort or annoyance caused by having to elaborate further."It's a taboo term in ordinary discourse with people of a higher social status or greater responsibility.".Its use implies that the user is familiar with whatever is referred to, or with a group of people who are familiar with it and use the term.It lowers, if temporarily, "the dignity of formal or serious speech or writing" in other words, it is likely to be considered in those contexts a "glaring misuse of register".Dumas and Jonathan Lighter argue that an expression should be considered "true slang" if it meets at least two of the following criteria:
Attempting to remedy the lack of a clear definition, however, Bethany K. Some argue that slang exists because we must come up with ways to define new experiences that have surfaced with time and modernity. Linguists have no simple and clear definition of slang, but agree that it is a constantly changing linguistic phenomenon present in every subculture worldwide.
Jonathon Green, however, agrees with the possibility of a Scandinavian origin, suggesting the same root as that of sling, which means "to throw", and noting that slang is thrown language – a quick and honest way to make your point. A Scandinavian origin has been proposed (compare, for example, Norwegian slengenavn, which means "nickname"), but based on "date and early associations" is discounted by the Oxford English Dictionary. The origin of the word is uncertain, although it appears to be connected with thieves' cant. By the early nineteenth century, it was no longer exclusively associated with disreputable people, but continued to be applied to usages below the level of standard educated speech. In its earliest attested use (1756), the word slang referred to the vocabulary of "low" or "disreputable" people.