Abstract: American slang is a special language form with a long history. In the 19thcentury, American "westward movement" prompted the formation of American slang. Since 20th century, American slang has developed rapidly. Slang developed from subculture into the mainstream culture because of its continual penetration and the appearance of newborn concepts and stuff. In the course of development, American slang has gradually formed its own characteristics: particular, practical, colloquial, interesting, and commonly-used. Nowadays, mainstreaming and internationalization will be the main trends of American slang. This thesis tries to discuss the main characteristics of American slang by citing the slang expression in American movies and focuses on the analysis on reasons why slang is used so frequently in American movies. At the end of the thesis, conclusion is that the future trend of American slang based on its status.

Keywords: American slang; America movie; Characteristics; Trend

CONTENTS

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 The Definition of American Slang-1

1.2 The Background and Origin of American Slang-2

2. Language Features of Slang in American Movies-3

2.1 Rhetoric Features-3

2.1.1 Euphemism-3

2.1.2 Exaggeration-3

2.1.3 Metaphor and Simile-4

2.2 Expression Features-4

2.2.1 Humor-4

2.2.2 Obscurity-5

3. Advantages for Movies Using Slang-5

3.1 Story-telling Effect-5

3.2 Informal Effect-6

4. Future Trends of Slang in American Movies-6

4.1 Becoming the Mainstream-6

4.2 Internationalization-7

5. Conclusion-7

Bibliography-9

Acknowledgements-10