How do clipping and shortened words create slang?

In linguistics, clipping is a process of word formation where a word is shortened or abbreviated, often resulting in a new, informal term that functions as slang. This process involves taking a longer, standard word or phrase and reducing it to a more concise form, which can then become part of a specific group's vocabulary or an informal lexicon.12

By creating shorter, more direct versions of existing words, speakers can make language feel more pungent, picturesque, or efficient. For example, the term "grass" is a clipped form derived from the phrase "laughing grass," which serves as a slang term for marijuana.31

These shortened words often emerge through unconscious thought patterns as speakers seek to freshen the language or provide a vocabulary for new shades of meaning. While the process of clipping is a standard linguistic mechanism for changing word forms, its application in creating slang helps groups identify with one another or express specific emotional attitudes through a more terse and striking vocabulary.13