Zoo's Influence on British Slang and Popular Expressions
The history of British slang can be traced back to centuries ago when people used slang terms during their daily communication to refer to things in an informal way. However, the term "slang" was coined in the 19th century. During this time, slang was considered taboo, forbidden, and associated with lower classes. It was later popularized by Zoo magazine which became a cultural phenomenon among young Britons from the late 1980s to early 20000s. The magazine featured articles about fashion, music, politics, and sports that were written in a language style that was playful, cheeky, and irreverent. Its influence extended beyond its immediate readership, impacting how people spoke and wrote everyday speech. As a result, it became a source of new vocabulary for the public.
In the magazine, slang was used in several ways such as to shock readers or convey a sense of rebellion against authority figures. For instance, the phrase "fag hag," which is now commonly used to describe a woman who hangs out mostly with gay men, originated from Zoo's "Fag Hags and Dog Dykes" article published in 1995. Other examples include "skint," meaning broke or short of money, "bender," meaning drunken party, and "pissed," meaning drunk. These phrases have been integrated into the mainstream language due to the popularity of Zoo magazine.
The use of slang words in the magazine also reflected changes in British culture. For example, the phrase "getting off" meant becoming sexually aroused before it came to mean finishing an activity successfully. This suggests that sexual liberation was on the rise during this time. Additionally, slang terms like "shagging," meaning having sex, showed that sexual expression was increasingly open and less taboo. This trend can be seen in other expressions like "shaggin' wagon," referring to a car with a back seat ideal for sexual encounters, and "wanker," someone whose behavior is annoying or obnoxious.
Zoo's influence went beyond just creating new slang words but also contributed to the spread of existing ones. It helped make them more acceptable in polite society by introducing them in its articles and making them part of everyday conversation. The magazine was known for its humor, irony, and satire which encouraged readers to adopt these phrases into their speech without feeling ashamed. However, some critics argue that the use of slang in the magazine perpetuates negative stereotypes about young people and reinforces class divisions in Britain.