How to use Lingo
In order to use lingo, a writer needs to understand the group that it comes from. So, for example, in a story about a heart surgeon, using medical lingo is a great way to make the character come to life—but you shouldn’t use it if you don’t know surgical terms. Or, if you are writing a piece of fiction in which the setting or a character’s hometown is important to the plot, using local lingo is a great way to make it seem authentic, but you need to be familiar with the area you are referring to. Remember the once popular phrase “cool beans”—it is used a positive response when you like something. Imagine the following dialogue:
“Let’s go to the park tomorrow.”
“Ok, cool beans!”
Now, imagine this next dialogue:
“Let’s go to the park tomorrow.”
“Ok, those are cool beans!”
The second phrase use of the lingo “cool beans” doesn’t work—instead, it sounds strange and silly. So, using another group’s lingo without understanding it can be misleading, confusing, or even offensive. As such, remember these few key things when using lingo in your writing:
- Know your audience
- Know the meaning of the words or phrases you use
- Know the proper way to use the lingo in speech
When to use Lingo
Lingo is a great tool in literature, especially in works that include a lot of dialogue—but when used incorrectly, it can really take away from a story’s credibility. In fact, it can be the most difficult part of learning any new language, because lingo often can’t be translated or found in a dictionary, so it is hard to understand. Thus, the most important thing to remember is to only use lingo when you understand it. For example, you wouldn’t want to use phrases from your Japanese character’s “local dialect,” only to learn that you actually used Chinese words.
Since lingo emerges from distinct people and locations, it’s a great tool when targeting a specific audience—the language you use for adult readers would be different than what you use for young adults. It can also be a great form of characterization—for example, you may write about a character that is an immigrant or expat and struggles to understand the new country’s local lingo.