As someone who's been studying English for many years now, you might think you know the English language pretty well. But if you overheard a British person say,"A Billy left some bees and honey in my sherbet(冰冻果露) last night,"would you understand what they meant?
Probably not, but many native speakers may not know what this person was saying either.
The example above was a sentence that a London taxi driver might say to another member of his or her tribe. In plain English, the sentence would be,"A customer left some money in my cab last night."
So, what exactly is meant by"tribe"?
A recent article on the BBC Culture website pointed out that nearly all of us are a part of a tribe. This is a group that defines(定义) who we are and even how we speak. And with each tribe comes its own"secret language", as the BBC called it.
If you work in a certain industry—education, for example—you may use slang words(俚语) and acronyms(首字母缩略词) that only other people who work in that industry would understand. Or if you live in a certain city, you might use a slang word to describe a landmark in the city that only locals would understand.
These so-called secret languages each have their own fascinating history. In the US,for example, the underground"ballroom"(舞厅) tribe of 1970s and 80s New York City and its language were showcased in the 2018 FX show Pose.
These secret words don't always stay within their tribes, however. Words from many tribes, especially musical cultures such as rap and hip-hop, often enter people's everyday vocabulary. For example, the phrase"to have beef"——meaning"to be in a conflict"—was made popular by US rappers. Today, it's widely used by na tive English speakers all over the world.
As BBC reporter Susie Dent wrote,"We are all surrounded by amazing secret languages, full of history and stories and in-jokes(内部笑话). And one thing is certain: our tribal conversations will never run out."
