Page 199 - English Vocabualry In Use 3 (Upper Intermediate)

96 Formal and informal words 2

A Monosyllabic informal words

Informalversionsofwordsareoftenshortandmonosyllabic(consistofonesyllable).

Thecopshavearrived.[police]
Thehousehastwoloos.[toilets]
Itcostmetenquid.[pounds]
I’llhelpyoupeelthespuds.[potatoes]
Mybike’sbeenstolen.[bicycle]
Ialwaysgobytube.[wordusedfortheLondonUnderground]
Hisdadspenttenyearsinthenick.[prison]
I’llgetacabfromthestation.[taxi]

B Clippings
Shorteningawordtendstomakeitlessformal,thoughtheseformsareacceptableinawiderangeof
contexts.

I’llmeetyouinthelab(oratory).
Sheworksforatech(nology)company.
What’sontellytonight?[television]
Haveyouseenthatmag(azine)?
Weshouldputanad(vertisement)/anadvert(isement)inthe(news)paper.
CanIuseyourmobile(phone)?Ineedto(tele)phonemybrother.
There’smilkinthefridge.[refrigerator]
Hersister’savet(erinarysurgeon).
Wouldyouliketobeaceleb(rity)?[famousperson]

C Slang

Slangisextremelyinformallanguage.Slanghelpstomakespeechvivid,colourfulandinterestingbut
itcaneasilybeusedinappropriately.Slangismainlyusedinspeechbutitisalsooftenfoundinthe
popularpressandinliterature.Slangchangesveryquickly,sosomewordsgooutoffashion,butyou

maymeettheminnovelsandfilms.Someslangexpressionsmaycauseoffencetosomepeople.Here
aresomeexamplesyoumayhearorread.
Expressionsformoney:doshreadiesmoolah
Expressionsforfoodanddrinks:noshgrubsarnie[sandwich]cuppa[cupoftea]
Peopleobsessedwithcomputersorotherequipment:nerdgeekanorak
Jobs:quack[doctor]shrink[psychiatrist]theoldbill[thepolice]squaddie[soldierofalowrank]

Language help

If you are interested in slang, you can find more examples in films or in the tabloid press but it is
probably safest to keep it in your passive rather than your active vocabulary.

198 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate