uptodate2 cred transcript, Languages, English, Learning, bbc, BBC Radio Learning, words in the news, keep ypur ... [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Keep your English up to date
Street cred
Professor David Crystal
Cred, short for ‘credibility’, that is, among your peer
group. It started out in the late 1970s, in the phrase,
‘street cred’, which meant having reputation or status
among your mates or your friends on the street.
And then it became more general, the phrase became
fashionable, trendy, that was the meaning. It had an
adjective use, people said things like, ‘That’s a cred show!’
or ‘You’re wearing cred jewellery!’ – meaning fashionable
jewellery, trendy jewellery.
But it was mainly as a noun that it came into wide-spread
use. It meant sort of belief, or persuasiveness, or
something that goes down well with an audience. A
politician might be said to have ‘zero cred when it comes
to matters of security’. In other words, nobody believes
what he says at all. Or rappers might be said to be
‘battling for cred’, in other words, getting an audience that
likes them. Shows, cinema shows, theatre shows, might
be said to have ‘lots of cred’ if they go down well. And this website has
got a lot of cred!
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]