vocabulary

Question

new words keep getting added to what is known as the urban dictionary.Are using these words correct grammatically or is it better we ignore them

GPY · Accepted Answer

happyjames new words keep getting added to what is known as the urban dictionary.Are using these words correct grammatically or is it better we ignore them

Urban Dictionary contains user-generated content. There is no proper editorial control, and people can, and do, submit incorrect information and made-up nonsense. The definitions are often written in bad English. Urban Dictionary also seems to have a bias towards offensive words and phrases, or offensive meanings of normal words, and its definitions may not be objective. Urban Dictionary can be useful for finding the meaning of obscure or very new slang terms, but it should be treated with caution and not used as a regular dictionary.

CalifJim · Answer

happyjames~~Are~~ Is using these words correct grammatically or is it better we ignore them?

There is a difference between grammar and usage. Even the weirdest words you might find in the Urban Dictionary can be used grammatically. It's just that the usage described there is unusual and is restricted almost exclusively to young people who invent all kinds of new (and usually foul) words and expressions, I suppose for their own amusement. A large proportion of the entries reference sexual practices. I would use the Urban Dictionary only to find word meanings that cannot be found anywhere else. Words and phrases from rap music might be an example.

CJ

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