BACK TO PROJECTS
Originally this was just planned as a writing exercise, and then I figured I might as well film it once I was done with a couple of my friends. However, on one of my searches through Mandy.com I came across an advertisement by ShaneDaly.co.uk � a London-based commercials company was looking to get into making some short films during summer 2006 and were looking for scripts. Preferably they were after humorous, character-based stuff, which was exactly what I was working on at the time with �Slang�. Ahead of getting into the writing process on a feature script (which I am now busy with � April 2006), I wanted to do a short piece which focussed specifically on dialogue, in a very �banter-based� style � something that was familiar to me. As the title suggests the main focus of the humour is that of personalised �slanguage� and in this script I used various �phrases of choice� from my university lexicon. How the guys talk in the script is pretty much how my uni mates and I talked. Obviously I ruled some out as they were too in joke-ish, or downright offensive to the uninitiated � the terms I did include are pretty easy to �get� if you�re an outsider � part of our uni slang came down to intonation anyway.
So with the intention of submitting my script to the company I went about refining it, adding in more visual description which was now important to the humour of the piece. �Slang� is a simple idea, based on anecdotal style and the student way of life. In the background of the narrative I place little visual nods and winks towards the student lifestyle � the lazy attitude, the cluttered living room table, the never-ending amount of pocket fodder you have to fish out before you sit down and so on. One of the main two characters goes about telling his mate of what he got up to all day � dragging into university for a seminar, which wasn�t on, meeting a girl he liked and going to the city with her for the afternoon. After a dull couple of hours dragging around after a girl out shopping he�s ready to give up when his afternoon takes a turn in the right direction. Visiting a lingerie shop he starts to think this girl is interested in him, especially when he gets to see her in some in the changing room (so he says anyway). However, it all goes arse over when her boyfriend turns up � and may the ribbing from his friends begin, all capped off with a communal game of Halo � another key aspect of student life � a bunch of lads sitting around with each other playing videogames whilst taking the mick.
What follows are the terms used in the script, taken directly from how my uni mates and I talked to each other, complete with translations.
GLOSSARY:
�Easy now rude boy� � greeting/hello
�Innit� � isn�t it
�Go-an-on� � going on
�Lumpin�� � heavy-footed
�Gutted out� - disappointed
�Pegged it� � ran
�Reet sesh� � right session
�Flids� � idiots
�Ming-wah� � girl who talks a lot of rubbish
�Whatchu chattin� about� � what are you talking about?
�B�ave� � behave (stylised)
�Jabber� � talk
�Ooh arr� � oh yes
�Schweet� � very good/sweet (stylised)
�No diggity, no doubt� � undoubtedly
�Noobery� � amateurism
�Sposed� � supposed (stylised)
�Wo�eva Trev�ah� � dismissive/whatever (stylised)
�Hob-nob-viously� � obviously
�Fassy� � arse
�Cool beans� � cool
�Buggernaut� � Juggernaut (Halo multiplayer mode)
�You�re talking shit Gervais� � you�re lying
�Peeping out� � checking out
�Dropped a nut� � got too excited
�Fitty� � attractive girl
�Chaff� � steal/take
�Leet� � elite/very good
�Sausage fest� � an abundance of men with no women around
�G-h-e-a-y� � turn for the worse/bad
�Shady� - suspicious
�Easy on� � steady on
�Intut� � isn�t it (stylised)
�Fitches� � attractive girls
�Blates� � blatantly
�Gev-me� � gave me (stylised)
�Rinse� � to destroy/use quickly
�Choco-cock� � man-to-man put down
�Gay� - stupid
