[tlhIngan Hol] Is idiom the same as slang ?

[Steven Boozer]

Lieven is probably thinking of military slang or, more likely, criminal jargon which is intentionally deceptive so as to fool and confuse police and other “squares”.  A quick search brought up a fascinating site http://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/criminal-slang-dictionary/

Although military slang is often opaque to outsiders, it’s not (usually) meant to deceive but to establish esprit de corps or to save time in combat (like Clipped Klingon).

The line between slang and idiom is not a wall.  Often slang words are used in idiomatic expressions.  Over time some of these expressions become so well-known to the general population that they’re no longer considered jargon, but informal colloquial speech or – over even more time – standard idiomatic speech.  (In English many Shakespearean idioms, including the Elizabethan slang he used, has become “part and parcel” of upper-class, educated speech.)

For a discussion of Klingon idioms, see the section “IDIOMS” in KGT (pp. 105ff.).

--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons


From: SuStel
On 4/8/2019 11:42 AM, Lieven L. Litaer wrote:
Slang on the other hand, can be used by a limited group of people who
use incorrect words to refer to a thing, but anyone outside group will
not understand.

An idiom is a word or phrase that is not interpreted literally. Slang is a word or phrase that belongs to a limited group of speakers or context.

Slang does not refer to  "incorrect" words, and it's often widely understood outside its context. Within a slang expression's limited group or context, the slang follows its own rules and is "correct."
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