Every decade or so, teenagers invent new definitions for particular words. In the twenty-tens, that word is swag.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the original definition of swag is “goods that have been stolen” or “a pack of things tied or wrapped together and carried by a traveler.” But to the teens of 2011, the word carries a different meaning.
The loose definition of swag describes what looks good in style, and is used in a similar context to which other slang words are used. The word “cool,” for instance, is used to express satisfaction, approval, and interest. Widely used since before the 1990s till now, “cool”s seven definitions are used by all age groups to this day. “Swag” may carry the same effect.
“I hear it everywhere: Facebook, Twitter – all the social networks,” said sixteen year-old Paul Messana, when asked about “swag.” “It’s like the new word. It’s like the new thing to do.”
“Swag” seems to have already become part of teens’ society. What the next word of the decade will be, who knows?
