SLANG WORDS (I) - Meaning, American Slang.

Hey, what's up guys!!!...How have you been?!

So, in this post, I'm going to talk to you about some popular and common slang that Americans regularly use.

And remember, learning slang, it's mostly important for your listening comprehension(Lêssênên-kõmpriRRénxên).

So let's talk about some common(kãmên) American slang that Americans love to use. 

• Number one is cool.(Kúôl)

• cool = very informal words or phrases.

The first one that I want to talk to you about is cool.

And no, I'm not talking about the temperature(tempêThôr).

I'm talking about something or someone that you like.

If something or someone is cool, it means that you're impressed by this thing(inPréstBái-dêsTên) or you're impressed by this person(inPréstBái-dêsPôrsên).

• She's the coolest girl in school.(Ela é a garota mais legal da escola.)

• You're so cool!

• The coolest!

• Number two is shotgun(xóGã):

So when you call shotgun, you are basically saying that you want to sit in the front passenger seat of the car.

• shotgun = front passenger seat of the car.

So if you are driving somewhere with a group of people, maybe the people that are not driving will call shotgun, and that means that person gets to sit in the front with the driver.

It's commonly used with the word call and somebody calls shotgun.

Now, there's all sorts of weird rules when it comes to shotgun that you have to be outside before you can call shotgun.

Some people say that you have to be able to see the car before you call shotgun.

So it's kind of become a bit of a game to some extent. And it's regularly used among younger generations, especially kids in high school when they first start driving and they go places with friends and everybody's calling shotgun and they're arguing over shotgun.

• I call shotgun!(áikóxóGã)

• Shotgun! Everyone knows you can't call shotgun before the see the car.

• Alright, I'm ready to go in on call shotgun.

• You never heard someone calling shotgun to sit in the front seat?

• Number three is creep(Kríp):

Now, this is an adjective that's used to describe a person who is unpleasant, strange, or a bit and weird. And weird in a bit of an awkward and get away from me type of way.

A lot of times it's used to describe guys.

It is a gender-neutral word, but mostly guys get this label and sometimes they deserve it. And people might say he is a creep. Stay away from him! Or maybe somebody is acting creepy because they're saying things that are a little unpleasent.

• That creep!

• But you're a creep!(bádió-aKríp)

• But I'm a creep.

• I thought that creep was going to stay there for an hour.

• Number four is bucks(Bóks):

Buck is just another word for a dollar. They're basically synonyms(sênêNênms). 

• Buck = a dollar.

So, if you have three dollars, you can say that you have three bucks.

• 3 bucks! 40 bucks! 30 bucks?! 10 bucks. 20 bucks!

• We borrow a few bucks, just a small loan from the briefcase.

• Number five is for real(fôrRíôl):

So, this is a declaration of honesty.

It's kind of like saying: believe me, I'm being honest, trust me, for real.

So if you're telling a story and you really want those people to know that you're being honest you can add that at the end and just say for real. This is what the word means...for real.

It can also be used as an interjection, kind of asking the question to somebody else.

• Are you being honest?(óiBín-Ãnéstch)

• Are you being serious?(óiBín-Síuriás)

Maybe they're telling a story and you're not sure if it's true, and you just ask them: you say for real?    

• For real? is that what happened? Are you sure? For real?

• Thor is real, for real?

• Number six is knock(Nók):

Now, you can knock something or knock someone.

• Knock = a bad or disparaging remark.(uma observação ruim ou depreciativa.)

It's a disparaging remark.

And mostly it's used to talk about an activity.

Maybe you don't want to do something and you're not really thrilled about it, and then the other person.

Often it's used in a negative sense when you're telling somebody: don't disparage it, don't say something bad, don't knock it.

There is also a popular expression that goes don't knock it til you try it.(dõNókê-thíu-íuThráiê)

• I mean don't knock it til you try it, right?

• Hey, don't knock it til you try it!

• Number seven is sweet(suÍt):

Now, this is used to say that something is nice. It's talking about a favorable situation and people will just say "sweet".

You want to say it with a lot more flavor, a lot more energy, a lot more pizzazz.

• Number eight is zonked(Zónkêd)(zonzo):

• zonked = tired, exhausted.

Now, zonked is just when you are completely exhausted. You are so tired, you say that you are zonked.

Often, if you haven't been sleeping that much, you might tell someone: You know, I am just so zonked right now.

It also means you're a little out of it because you haven't been sleeping, or you're just tired from doing something and you can't think clearly.

• You're so zonked!

• Your body, from the neck down, is zonked!

• And she chooses today to show up totally zonked!

• It's a very important job for you, but you're going to be zonked out all the time.

• Number nine is jonesing(Djónzên)(doido por algo):

• jonesing = strong craving or desire.

So, jonesing is a srtong craving or desire for something.

It's tipically talking about a drink or food, something that you're craving, you want, you are addicted to.

You could be jonesing for coffee, jonesing for sweets, jonesing for chocolate. Jonesing for anything really.

• I'm jonesing for some coffee.

• What are you jonesing for?

• Good, I'm jonesing for a cup of coffee.(fôakapiKófí)

• Number ten is bail(béôl)(evitar algo ou largar alguem):

• bail = to leave somewhere or abandon plans(usually leaving someone behind).

Now, to bail is to leave somewhere and often when you bail, you are tipically leaving somebody behind.

So in this case, you are bailing(Bélên) someone.

You can also bail on something, maybe you want to bail on the party because you don't want to go.

You want to bail on the dinner.

Bail can also mean to avoid plans altogether.   

So maybe you are supposed to meet somebody at the movies you never show up, they might ask you: Hey, why'd you bail on me last night? Where were you?

But regularly you are bailing on someone, if you're just leaving and you don't tell somebody, you're bailing on them.

• It's not good to bail on people.(êtsná-GudBélonPípôu)!

• Don't bail on me!

• You bailed on me, okay!(iu-Béldõmi-ôukêi)

• Oh I see, you're chickening out. You're bailing on me.

• And now, when I need you most, you're bailing on me?

Okay, so now you're a bit more proficient(prôFêxent) in American Slang.

You can use them, practice these slang words and also listen for them if you're watching TV or movies.

Now before we go, I want to teste your knowledge of slang.