What's Not Slang?

Slang is not:

•  "Whatever is new or popular in the way of language" (Historical Dictionary of American Slang).

• Dialect: Cohesive, chiefly regional and socio-economic varieties of a language (Historical Dictionary of American Slang)

   Catch Phrases: Cultural phrases which derive their meaning from a cultural reference with which the speaker and listener must both be familiar.                                

• Jargon: (1) the technical language of a special field; (2) the obscure use of specialized language.
• 

• Slogans: "A forceful, catchy, mind-grabbing utterance which will rally people to buy something or behave in a certain way."                                                   

• Graffiti:"...any spontaneous or unauthorized writing or drawing on walls, vehicles, and other public places. It is typically obscene or political in character, but a great deal of humour and wisdom can also be found."                                                                          

• Argot or Cant: "Special vocabulary used by a secretive social group."            

• Register: "In stylistics, a socially defined variety of language, such as scientific or legal English." 

• Colloquialism: "an expression used in ordinary conversation, but not regarded as slang" (Webster's Encyclopedia of Dictionaries 77); "simply informal English" (Historical Dictionary of American Slang)

• Solecism: "a breach of grammar; a breach of etiquette" (Webster's Encyclopedia of Dictionaries 355)