Yolo Swag
For this week's language log, I decided to talk about the topic I chose for my Explainer project, which is all about the word "swag" and where it came from. Merriam-Webster defines swag as goods acquired by unlawful means, but this isn't the only definition. Urban Dictionary defines swag as the new generation's alternative word for "cool", which is the way I've seen this word used.
The first time I remember using the word swag is in sixth grade. My friends Julie and Olivia bought two wallets, one that said swag and one that said "yolo", which stands for "you only live once". They put the two wallets together, took a photo, and posted it one Instagram. The photo was seen by everyone in my middle school and soon everyone was saying "yolo-swag". We didn't really know what the term meant but we basically used it in replace of cool or if we were debating to do something. For example, if I said:
"Should I get ice cream instead of do my homework?"
My friend would say:
"Yolo-swag!" meaning that it would be cooler for me to get ice cream instead of do my homework.
So that's the first time I remember using swag. The word is still in my vocabulary and I hear it being used by my friends and people around me today. Instead of swag meaning cool, I use it more sarcastically. For example, if my friend got a new shirt that they thought was cool, but to me it wasn't, I would say "Swag..." The word swag has become embarrassing for older people to use, so that is why it is used more sarcastically now.
The term swag and the way I have used it throughout my life has inspired me to choose the topic: Where did the word "swag" come from? Upon looking for sources, I found the interesting article, "Slang for the Ages. It's Swag Bae." It describes how swag has been used in music today by artists like Jay-Z and Justin Bieber. It states that, "Take "swag." As a noun ("Check out my swag, yo / I walk like a ballplayer" -- Jay Z), a verb ("I smash this verse / and I swag and surf" -- Lil Wayne), an adjective ("I got ya slippin' on my swag juice" -- Eminem), and even as an interjection ("Say hello to falsetto in three, two, swag" -- Justin Bieber), swag refers to a sense of confidence and style. It's slangy enough that few dictionaries have entered it yet." Based on my research so far, artists and musicians have created the slang word, or at least made it popular. This quotation specifically shows how many ways the term swag can be used and how prominent it is in today's language.
The first time I remember using the word swag is in sixth grade. My friends Julie and Olivia bought two wallets, one that said swag and one that said "yolo", which stands for "you only live once". They put the two wallets together, took a photo, and posted it one Instagram. The photo was seen by everyone in my middle school and soon everyone was saying "yolo-swag". We didn't really know what the term meant but we basically used it in replace of cool or if we were debating to do something. For example, if I said:
"Should I get ice cream instead of do my homework?"
My friend would say:
"Yolo-swag!" meaning that it would be cooler for me to get ice cream instead of do my homework.
So that's the first time I remember using swag. The word is still in my vocabulary and I hear it being used by my friends and people around me today. Instead of swag meaning cool, I use it more sarcastically. For example, if my friend got a new shirt that they thought was cool, but to me it wasn't, I would say "Swag..." The word swag has become embarrassing for older people to use, so that is why it is used more sarcastically now.
The term swag and the way I have used it throughout my life has inspired me to choose the topic: Where did the word "swag" come from? Upon looking for sources, I found the interesting article, "Slang for the Ages. It's Swag Bae." It describes how swag has been used in music today by artists like Jay-Z and Justin Bieber. It states that, "Take "swag." As a noun ("Check out my swag, yo / I walk like a ballplayer" -- Jay Z), a verb ("I smash this verse / and I swag and surf" -- Lil Wayne), an adjective ("I got ya slippin' on my swag juice" -- Eminem), and even as an interjection ("Say hello to falsetto in three, two, swag" -- Justin Bieber), swag refers to a sense of confidence and style. It's slangy enough that few dictionaries have entered it yet." Based on my research so far, artists and musicians have created the slang word, or at least made it popular. This quotation specifically shows how many ways the term swag can be used and how prominent it is in today's language.
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