This work investigates the origins, evolution, and social functions of slang within the English language. Julie Coleman, a noted linguist and expert in the history of language, examines how informal vocabulary emerges from specific subcultures and eventually permeates mainstream discourse. She utilizes historical linguistic data and sociolinguistic analysis to argue that slang serves as a vital, adaptive mechanism for social identity and group cohesion.

Linguists and educators frequently cite this text for its rigorous approach to a subject often treated with academic dismissal. Readers note that the prose is accessible to laypeople while maintaining the depth required for serious study of linguistic evolution.