slangwall (2024)

In today’s communication system many words are used in slang to refer differentlythan what the actual meaning is. A prominent slang word that I usein my vocabulary is the word “sugar.” I think this word sugar hassuch great diversity in the different meanings it has. First off,“sugar” can be used in proper noun like the music group Sugar Ray or eventhe former light-heavy weight boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard. These twonames in themselves are well known to the public. The dictionarydefinition of the word means a sweet crystalline or powdered substance,white when pure, consisting of sucrose obtained mainly from sugar caneand sugar beets and used in many foods, drinks, and medicines to improvetheir taste. You can also use “sugar” as substitution for a cussword. There are many other meanings to this word that I willlater discuss, but the meaning I enjoy the most is the way I use it.

Thispast year I had rediscovered a word that has other well-known meaningsto it. I started using “sugar” as another way to say “sweetheart”or “honey”. I felt that “honey” always reminded me of the way mygrandmother talked to me when I was younger. And although I likedit at the time it just made me feel like I was seven again when peoplewould call me that. And the word “sweetheart” also seemed like aword I would call little kids, which I would whenever I would baby-sitthe neighbors across the street. It also seemed like a word of pity,for instance, “Oh sweetheart, did you hurt your knee?” I appreciatethe usage of “sweetheart” in that sense at the time when I was a childmyself, but yet again not now. So I began to call most of my friends’“sugar” whenever I feel the need to not call them by their name.For instance, I would say, “What’s up sugar?” or “How are you today sugar?”I just found this word to be very catchy and like the way it sounded asopposed to the other words of endearment. The dictionary definitionof this meaning is, compliment or flattery used to disguise or render acceptablesomething obnoxious, honeyed or soothing words. Other ways to usethis word, as terms of endearment would be either “sugar-pie” or “sugar-baby”as it was in the 1930’s.

Otherknown uses of the word “sugar” are a unit, such as a lump or cube, in whichsugar is dispensed or taken and in the United States and Canada it’s averb that means in making maple sugar, to complete the process of boilingdown the syrup till it is thick enough to crystallize; to approach or reachthe state of granulation as stated in the New Dictionary of American Slang.

In the Oxford English Dictionary, there are also many good uses of theword. In 1862, the word “sugar” meant money; money available to bespent for pleasures; money east to obtain, an abundance of money. For instance,“He’s always got the sugar.” Another term in 1974 meant a narcoticdrug, specifically heroin, but could also be cocaine or morphine.

Oneof the most interesting meanings that I have never heard of I found inthe NTC’s Thematic Dictionary of American Slang, that instead of usingthe word “sugar” as in a sweetener, the word “sand” was used. A couplesimple examples of this were, “Please pass the sand” and “Do you use sandin your coffee?”

There are numerous words used everyday out of their regular dictionarycontext. It is always interesting to either overhear in a conversationor see each year or even each day what old word has a new meaning.Although some people might see this as silly or uneducated English, I thinkslang words are very interesting and am exciting to see as the years goon what differences and similarities words may or may not change.