In the modern world, meeting a foreigner can be very difficult if you do not know American slang with translation. Such words have long been integrated into our daily lives and we cannot do without them. Especially in countries such as America. How not to get into an uncomfortable situation, even if you know English? Let's figure it out.
What is slang?
Do not confuse slang with curses. These are mainly ordinary words that are used in an unusual meaning. In Russian, there are also such. Moreover, American slang also includes the so-called idioms, small phrases that are never taken literally. In this article you can get acquainted with some examples of such phrases.
Do not forget that
American English slang can include classic British words.
How to feel yours at a party?
Of course, although the older generation also often use American slang, still the youth use it much more. You can probably hear the following words at one of the parties:
Hang out is the Russian equivalent of “freezing”, that is, just going for a walk at some party or regular meeting.
Pig out - eat up to dump, because often we do this at such events, right?
Hyped (adj.) - A state of great excitement or arousal.
Bail - abruptly leave, that is, if someone suddenly decided to leave the party.
Lighten up - “Cheer up!”, Nobody likes to see sour faces when everyone has fun. After all, you came to a party to party, right?
Give a ring - call. Someone did not come to the party, although he should have? So he definitely needs to call!
Cram - getting desperate for the exam, usually after neglecting school for the entire semester. Suitable if you want to explain why someone could not come.
Crash - in the case of a party, it means that someone burst in without an invitation. It may also mean suddenly "disconnecting" in a dream.
Knock - to respond negatively, or even completely pour mud on someone.
Trash - used as a verb and means "turn something into trash", that is, "break / destroy / spoil".
The cold shoulder - used to describe a situation when one person ignores another.
Couch Potato - may refer to those who did not come to the party because they prefer to lie on the couch.
Drive up the wall - bring someone to the brink, that is, annoy.
For real - can be used both as a statement and as a question. "Really? / Seriously?"
Sweet - in the slang version it has nothing to do with sweets, it can more likely be translated as “chic” or “class”. The party was a success? You can use this word in its description!
Expression of joy
Happiness is one of the main emotions of a person, therefore there are a lot of idioms in English for its reflection. Here are the most basic ones. Here is a translation for understanding the very meaning of the phrase. True, usually American slang is replaced by either one word or the corresponding phrase, which can be completely different, but reflects the full meaning.
On cloud nine - we usually say "be in the seventh heaven", and Americans are nicer in the ninth.
Like a dog with two tails - like a dog with two tails. After all, doggies vigorously wag their tails during joy!
Fool's paradise - if you translate directly "fool's paradise", then little will be clear. This expression describes a state of joy that cannot last long, because this happiness is caused by some kind of illusion and false hope.
Full of the joys of spring - if you are full of the pleasures of spring, then of course, you are happy, full of enthusiasm and energy.
Grin from ear to ear is the equivalent of our expression "smile from ear to ear". That is, someone is very pleased with something.
Grin like a Cheshire cat - did you still watch Alice in Wonderland or the new Alice in the Looking Glass? Have you seen the smile of a Cheshire cat? This is precisely the expression that this phrase describes.
Happy camper is a "happy tourist", that is, a person who is happy with everything at this stage of his life. He has nothing to complain about.
Happy as a flea in a doghouse - of course, a flea in a doghouse feels extremely happy. Therefore, if someone lives in abundance and full of joy, then they use this expression.
Happy-go-lucky - if you translate this phrase into Russian as it is, then it will be completely meaningless. But it is precisely this phrase that describes a person who is cheerful and carefree.
Jump for joy is another phrase for which the Russian language has the exact equivalent of "jumping from happiness."
Expression of sadness
Sorrow is also one of the main emotions, without which we would not know joy. American slang with a sad meaning includes the following phrases:
Cry one's eyes out - if someone "cries out his eyes," then this person has been crying for a very long time.
Down in the dumps - do you feel like sitting "at the bottom of the dump"? Of course, you are not having fun there, but very badly.
Down in the mouth - if “the corners of your mouth are down” and you look like a sad smiley, then surely your life is not going smoothly.
Face like a wet weekend - when you are sad and lonely, your “face is like a rainy weekend”.
Your heart sinks - and although it translates approximately as one of the phraseological units in the Russian language, in fact, in English, “the heart sinks” when you are sad.
Conclusions and Tips
It is difficult in one article to fit all American slang. Phrases can be completely equivalent to ours. Each is not to be mentioned here, but you can remember a few basic rules. If we are talking about idioms, then they mainly need to be looked in a special dictionary. Just remember that, like in Russian, English also has phrases that should not be taken literally. It is not necessary to know all American slang, it is enough to understand the essence of the sentence, where it is used, then the expressions themselves will be clear to you.