'Osama' and 'terrorist' the new teenage slang
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.American teenagers who wanted to insult their friends and schoolmates used to use words such as "busta", "bootsy" and "chicken head". Now they call each other "terrorist", or even "Osama".
If their rooms are a mess, they describe them as "ground zero". Hot sauce might be described "weapons-grade salsa". And if someone sounds overly petty in their concerns, well, "that's so September 10".
Six months after the attacks on America, teenage slang in the United States has kept up with the vocabulary of daisy-cutter bombs, anthrax spore clusters and Islamic jihad – all phrases that have been spewing out of the news media.
According to numerous linguists, lexicographers and teenagers themselves, it has actually jumped on to the cutting edge of linguistic invention, walking a fine line between humour and tastelessness.
Yesterday's Washington Post reported from a ethnically diverse Virginia high school and found increasingly regular use of phrases such aa "terrorist", "Taliban" and even "Osama yo mama" as insults between classmates. Unduly harsh punishment was dubbed "total jihad", while students wearing unhip clothes would be asked, "Is that a burqa?"
The American Dialect Society has noticed and recorded similar usages. It also notes inventive neologisms such as "shuicide bomber" (a reference to the alleged shoe bomber, Richard Reid) and even "Osamaniac", meaning a woman who might find Mr bin Laden sexually attractive.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments