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Ask HN: Do you have problems with understanding texts that use some lingo/terms?

3 points by taubek ↗ HN
I'm not a native English speaker and lately when I'm reading blogs, comments in social media I get across the terms that I didn't use when I was learning English. And then I usually have to Google the meaning of those terms. Lately those were ghosting, doxing, gaslighting, etc.

Are you having trouble with keepin6up with this new technology? On the other hand it might not be new, it might me new only to me.

8 comments

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kleer001
> Google the meaning of those terms.

Yup, that's the thing to do.

> trouble with keeping up

Trouble? That's just learning. It's a bit of friction. But it's worth the effort. Language (esp English) evolves at a breakneck speed.

Do you know the slangs: based, slaps, twink ?

taubek
Never heard about based, slaps and twink.
kleer001
there's many more, it's a constant churn and not really worth it
kleer001
except, of course as entertainment, anthropology, keeping up with kiddos, and emergent culture, etc...
dieselgate
I can speak a second language "around the house" but am not "perfectly fluent in real life" type of thing - it helps me to only look up words when I've heard them a few times and have context for them. This seems to help me with word retention.

So in regards to the Post (as a native English speaker) "gaslighting" and other words are Very commonly used in media and beyond so hopefully the above tactic of looking up words is relevant.

Otherwise, in reading academic papers, for example, there is always a Ton of technical jargon used (unless one is active in the specific field) and it's just kind of part of the game.

mdwalters
I haven't heard of some slangs before either