It varies greatly in its degrees of coarseness or
refinement, and adapts itself to all classes and conditions. Many know
no other language, and we are unwillingly compelled to admit that
while their speech is often ungrammatical and unrhetorical, it is
generally clear, concise, and forcible.
Strive to acquire a vocabulary so large and to cultivate a taste so
fine that when a slang expression rises to your mind you can use it if
you think it best fits the occasion, or substitute something better in
its place. Purity of diction is a garden of slow growth even under the
most favorable conditions, and the
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unrestrained indulgence in slang is like scattering seeds of the
vilest plants among the choicest flowers.
SOCIETY SLANG
"This is an elegant day," "that is an elegant view," "Mary is awfully
nice," "Jennie is dreadfully sweet," "Gertrude is delicious," and "Tom
is perfectly splendid." The use of such extravagant phrases tends to
weaken the significance of the words when legitimately employed.
COMMERCIAL SLANG
Commercial terms are employed in the common language of everyday life
to such an extent as to constitute a form of commercial slang.
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