"The language is goin to evolve whether your like it or not. Let people speak as they will, just so long as it isn’t too overtly and gratuitously offensive."

This approach will truly see Australia become the "white trash of Asia".
Professionals of all descriptions will take those more seriously who can articulate themselves well.

It doesn't pay to get too fancy. "Illicit" is an adjective, not a noun

May I commend to you folk of OLO this highly giggleful clip of teen-speak-when-the-teen-doesn't-realy-feel-like-communicating.

"Sort Of Dunno Nothin'"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_veIGGP1Uh4

Here's a good one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnuf9-zgdyw

I'm told Kylie Mole grew up to be a Greens MP.

The youth of every generation get playful and creative with the language. Not all of it is laziness. I'd call it 'colloquial fashion'.

As a child of the seventies, I grew up when everything good was 'unreal' and everything bad was a 'bummer', neither of which you hear anymore. However, some of this youthspeak tends to stick and eventually merges into the vernacular. 'Sucks' keeps on keeping on and 'cool' is still going strong even though it dates back to the fifties beatniks.

(PS Thanks for the Kylie Mole memories, SPQR. Unreal!)

Hi SPQR

Kylie Mole's delivery is so ultra articulate, despite the slang. Quite the opposite of deadpan with a vengeance "Sort Of Dunno Nothin'" (tah Poirot )

Tis a vicious rumour that Kylie Mole became a Green.

Instead she's a balanced human bean.

Real name Mary-Anne Fahey (born 1955) - now an actress, comedian and writer - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary-Anne_Fahey . She wrote a book with about the longest title ever:

"I, Nigel Dorking: An Autobiography about a Boy with an Unusual Vocabulary, a Suit of Armour and an Unshakeable Dream, Written by That Very Boy (Nigel Dorking), Grade Six"

which I reckon might have been inspired by Kylie's delivery and the (recently) late Sue Townsend's "Adrian Mole" series.

I'm feeling long in the tooth already :)

Pete