Slang refers to words that are understood by a distinct and often marginalized group of people. These words could express ideas or concrete objects in the realms of politics, culture, or occupation. Political slang is influenced by current events and social movements, cultural slang by music and social media. Occupational slang evolves in the workplace. Today I want to talk about how using slang reflects your setting in both time and place.
Be Intentional
Each generation develops its own vocabulary to augment language of the time. 
When you use slang in your fiction, your reader gleans information such as the age or occupation of your character, the era in which they live and sometimes even a specific location. For this reason, you must be intentional about using slang. When writing historical fiction (fifty or more years ago) research the lingo of the day. Don’t use LOL in a 1970s setting, or groovy in a 1950s setting. Google slang by decade to start your research. Here are a few links to get you started.
Using Slang
On the other hand, if you want your writing to be timeless, limit your use of slang, as it doesn’t always age well. Readers ten years from now may not understand that when a character says, 
no cap, it means what they are saying is true. Inclusion of a few slang terms shouldn’t derail your reader, but a cavalcade of unfamiliar words will frustrate most. The exception to this is occupational slang also known as jargon. If your character is a professional, let’s say a lawyer or an investment banker the words used will convey competence. Your reader may not know what slapped with an indictment means, but use of the term gives your lawyer character credibility. Likewise, using slang terms related to your character’s occupation outside the professional class fleshes out your characters and gives insight into how they think.
Evolving Language
Language is constantly evolving. Each year words are added to the Dictionary 
granting them acceptability and giving them gravitas. Typically, there will even be a ‘word of the year’ which has earned its spot through common usage. Top words of 2025 were AI Slop, Six-seven, Rage bait, and Vibe coding.
In conclusion, be intentional about using slang in your writing. It can evoke an era (catch you on the flip side v BRB), suggest the age of your character (cool beans v hot diggity dog), and allude to an occupation (upsell v bump).
Share your favorite slang words and their meanings in the comments below.
