Which statement about slang and language change is accurate?

Which statement about slang and language change is accurate?

• A. Slang originates in communities and can diffuse into mainstream language; examples include 'lit' (exciting) and 'spill the tea' (reveal gossip).
• B. Slang originates from formal institutions and rarely influences everyday speech.
• C. All slang words eventually become standard parts of the language.
• D. The diffusion of slang cannot be observed in current usage trends.

Answer: (A)

Slang grows from the everyday talk of specific communities and groups, and its power comes from spreading into broader use through social interaction, media, and popular culture. When people hear a term in their peer circles, on TV, or online, it can catch on and move from a niche to mainstream language. That’s why the examples like lit for exciting and spill the tea for revealing gossip are helpful: they show how terms can originate in particular communities and then become part of everyday speech that many people use. This view isn’t supported by the idea that slang starts in formal institutions or that it rarely influences daily language, because slang typically isn’t born in official settings and it often filters into casual conversation long before it becomes formalized. It’s also not true that all slang words end up as standard language, since many stay informal or fade away. And we can indeed observe diffusion in current usage trends through social media, popular culture, and everyday talk, showing how new slang terms spread today.

Slang grows from the everyday talk of specific communities and groups, and its power comes from spreading into broader use through social interaction, media, and popular culture. When people hear a term in their peer circles, on TV, or online, it can catch on and move from a niche to mainstream language. That’s why the examples like lit for exciting and spill the tea for revealing gossip are helpful: they show how terms can originate in particular communities and then become part of everyday speech that many people use.

This view isn’t supported by the idea that slang starts in formal institutions or that it rarely influences daily language, because slang typically isn’t born in official settings and it often filters into casual conversation long before it becomes formalized. It’s also not true that all slang words end up as standard language, since many stay informal or fade away. And we can indeed observe diffusion in current usage trends through social media, popular culture, and everyday talk, showing how new slang terms spread today.