On American Slang

The first part of this dissertation aims at offering readers an overall view of American slang by describing and analyzing such aspects as what is slang, the history of slang, the military and civilian influences on slang, the cultural environment of slang and slang distinguished from other levels of discourses. By means of semantic and literary analysis, the second part of this dissertation analyzes the meaning of specific slang item and the method used in conveying the meaning. It also explains in detail the three general effects achieved by using slang, and accordingly help users of slang correctly select proper items in order to achieve the desired goal.