Standard usage includes those words and expressions understood, used, and accepted by a majority of the speakers of a language in any situation regardless of the level of formality. As such, these words and expressions are well defined and listed in standard dictionaries. 

    Colloquialisms, on the other hand, are familiar words and idioms that are understood by almost all speakers of a language and used in informal speech or writing, but not considered appropriate for more formal situations. Almost all idiomatic expressions are colloquial language. Slang, however, refers to words and expressions understood by a large number of speakers but not accepted as good, formal usage by the majority. Colloquial expressions and even slang may be found in standard dictionaries but will be soidentified.

    Both colloquial usage and slang are more common in speech than in writing.

    Colloquial speech often passes into standard speech. Some slang also passes into standard speech, but other slang expressions enjoy momentary popularity followed by obscurity. In some cases, the majority never accepts certain slang phrases but nevertheless retains them in their collective memories. Every generation seems to require its own set of words to describe familiar objects and events.It has been pointed out by a number of linguists that three cultural conditions are necessary for the creation of a large body of slang expressions. First, the introduction and acceptance of new objects and situations in the society; second, a diverse population with a large number of subgroups; third, association among the subgroups and the majority population.Finally, it is worth noting that the terms "standard" "colloquial" and "slang" exist only as abstract labels for scholars who study language. 

    Only a tiny number of the speakers of any language will be aware that they are using colloquial or slang expressions. Most speakers of English will, during appropriate situations, select and use all three types of expressions.

    標(biāo)準(zhǔn)用法包括那些為使用這種語(yǔ)言的大多數(shù)人在任何場(chǎng)合下理解、使用和 接受的詞和短語(yǔ)，而不論該場(chǎng)合是否正式。 這些詞和短語(yǔ)的意義已很確定并被列入了標(biāo)準(zhǔn) 詞典中。相反，俗語(yǔ)是指那些幾乎所有講這種語(yǔ)言的人都理解并在非正式的口頭或書面中 

    使用，卻不適用于更正規(guī)的一些場(chǎng)合的詞和短語(yǔ)。 幾乎所有的習(xí)慣用語(yǔ)都屬于俗語(yǔ)，而俚 語(yǔ)指的是為很多講這種語(yǔ)言的人理解但大多數(shù)人不把它們列入好的、正式用法之內(nèi)的詞和短 語(yǔ)；俗語(yǔ)甚至俚語(yǔ)都可能在標(biāo)準(zhǔn)字典中查到，但是字典中會(huì)標(biāo)明它們的性質(zhì)。 

    俗語(yǔ)和俚語(yǔ) 詞匯的應(yīng)用都是口頭較多、筆頭較少。俗語(yǔ)用法經(jīng)常地被接受為標(biāo)準(zhǔn)法。 一些俚語(yǔ)也變 成了標(biāo)準(zhǔn)用法，但另外一些俚語(yǔ)只經(jīng)歷了短暫的流行，而后就被棄之不用了。有時(shí)候，多 數(shù)人從來(lái)不接受某些俚語(yǔ)，但是他們把這些俚語(yǔ)保存到集中記憶中。每一代人似乎都需要 獨(dú)有的一套詞匯來(lái)描述熟知的物體和事件。 很多語(yǔ)言學(xué)家指出，大量俚語(yǔ)的形成需要三個(gè) 文化條件：第一，對(duì)社會(huì)中新事物的引入和接受；第二，一個(gè)由大量子群構(gòu)成的多樣化人口； 第三，各子群與多數(shù)人口之間的聯(lián)系。最后需要提到的是，"標(biāo)準(zhǔn)語(yǔ)"、"俗語(yǔ)"和"俚語(yǔ)"這些 術(shù)語(yǔ)只是對(duì)研究語(yǔ)言的專家才有用的抽象標(biāo)簽。

    不論何種語(yǔ)言，只會(huì)有很小一部分使用者能夠意識(shí)到他們是在使用俗語(yǔ)或俚語(yǔ)。 講英語(yǔ)的多數(shù)人能夠在適當(dāng)?shù)膱?chǎng)合中選擇使用所有 這三種語(yǔ)言類型。