Evergreen
I learned a new term the other day, Evergreen. When I heard the word all I could think of was a tree. However, I learned that it is also a type of slang used to describe a slang word that survives the test of time. You learn something new every day!
Researching how evergreen came to also mean something long lasting started at its botanical roots (so punny). The evergreen tree stays green and keeps its leaves all year unlike a deciduous tree. It’s a lovely metaphor for long staying or persistence. Over time, the term evergreen started to be used in journalism to identify between here today and gone tomorrow content versus something long lasting.
As I am in the middle of transcribing and editing my second middle grade (upper) book, I noticing I used slang from when I was younger. I was constantly checking to see if it was terminology used by today’s tweens and teens. It was fifty-fifty. Since I’m not in the classroom, my exposure to the rapid rise and fall of teen vernacular has been limited. I know the cardinal rule of writing is to avoid the most current slang as it comes and goes so quickly. I also wanted to avoid the ‘cringe factor of an adult author shoehorning language, too often inappropriately. There is also the fact that I couldn’t write Rizz, Sigma, or Skibidi and keep a straight face!
I know my parents thought the use of solid or Coolio were ridiculous right along with the infamous sit on it and up your nose with a rubber hose. I challenge you to sit and watch an old Welcome Back Kotter episode with a group of Gen Alpha kids and you’ll get the idea.
Slang, the short hand of generations, is fun to use and play with. It’s also interesting to see which words survive as evergreen or are only acceptable within a certain context. Culture and Society can be cruel mistresses when it comes to language and its usage.
Thus, I have started my own evergreen list to refer to as I write. How often do you stop and think about terms you have kept in your vocabulary that cause your kids, grandparents, or students to look at you and laugh or tell you that word you just used is no longer used, or worse, it’s cringe factor? Well, at least it will give you something to laugh about!
Until next time,
Cheers to the storyteller in all of us!
Sources: <br>Oxford English Dictionary.com<br>Urban Dictionary.com