Bafflegab is a term used mainly in North America for incomprehensible or pretentious verbiage or jargon, designed to deliberately hide the true meaning from the listener. Research Bafflegab
Gibberish is a term for nonsense. The word originates with the famous 11th century Arabian alchemist, Geber, who wrote several treatises on the art of making gold. However, as he would have been put to death by the Christian church for such writings, he deliberately obfuscated the texts with mystical jargon, anagrams and other apparent nonsense, hence the term gibberish. Research Gibberish
Jargon is a vocabulary used by a special group or occupational class, usually only partially understood by outsiders. The special vocabularies of medicine, law, banking, science and technology, education, military affairs, sports, and the entertainment world all fall under the heading of jargon. Examples of occupational jargon include such formal technical expressions as perorbital haematoma (black eye, to the layperson), in medicine, and escrow and discount rate, in finance, and informal terms such as liquorice stick (clarinet, among jazz musicians).
Cant, sometimes defined as false or insincere language, also (like argot) refers to the jargon and slang used by thieves and beggars and the underworld. Colourful terms and phrases such as mug (either a police photograph or to attack a victim), payola (graft or blackmail), hooker (prostitute), and to rub out or to blow away (to kill) are examples of cant that eventually became commonly known to, and adopted as slang by, society in general. Some writers reserve the term jargon for technical language. Applied to colourful occupational expressions such as liquorice stick, the concepts of jargon and slang overlap greatly. In general, however, slang is more casual and acceptable to outsiders than jargon.
Slang and cant are more vivid than jargon, with a greater turnover in vocabulary. The special in-group speech of young people and of members of distinct ethnic groups is generally called slang, especially when it is understood by outsiders. Some writers use the term argot in a generalized way that covers cant, in-group slang, and occupational jargon- no uniform terminology has been adopted for these common ways of using language. The term jargon, however, also pertains in general to gibberish and unintelligible language and to over inflated, needlessly technical language. In addition, it can refer to specific dialects resulting from a mix of several languages (as in Chinook Jargon, used by American Indian traders). Research Jargon
Jargon (also known as Jargoon or Jacynth or Matara Diamond) is a colourless, yellowish or smoky coloured variety of zircon found in Sri Lanka. Research Jargon
An argot is the jargon, slang, or peculiar phraseology of a class or profession; originally the term referred to the conventional slang of thieves and vagabonds, invented for the purpose of disguise and concealment. Research Argot
The definition of slang varies from source to source, however the generally accepted definition among the public is of language which is very informal (that is more so than colloquial language which is simply informal) or much below the standard level of education. Hence the dividing line between slang and colloquialisms is very fine, and moving. Many terms start as slang, and become adopted as standard language. Similarly, the precise meanings of slang terms varies through the ages. Because the term slang also encompasses vocabulary not in general use, many dialectal words may also be considered slang. The origin of the word slang is unsure, but one source suggests that it derives from the Norwegian 'slengja' meaning to sling or to cast. The original use of the term slang in English applied to a peculiar jargon employed by rogues and vagabonds, and this usage remained in use until the 17th century. Subsequently respectable trades and professions adopted their own jargons which also became known as slang.
Slang is American slang for to sell drugs.
Slang was 19th century British slang for counterfeit scales or measures.
Slang was 19th century British slang for a hawker's licence.
Slang was 19th century British slang for a travelling show.
Slang was 19th century British slang for a watchchain.
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Bafflegab
