Colloquialism:
* Broader term: Refers to informal language used in everyday speech and writing.
* Includes slang but also:
* Regionalisms: Words or phrases specific to a particular geographic location (e.g., "wicked" meaning "very" in New England).
* Idioms: Phrases with a figurative meaning (e.g., "kick the bucket" meaning "to die").
* Informal expressions: Less formal ways of saying something common (e.g., "gonna" instead of "going to").
Slang:
* Narrower term: Refers specifically to informal, often short-lived words or phrases that are used by a particular group of people.
* Examples: "lit" meaning "amazing," "bae" meaning "baby," "salty" meaning "angry."
* Typically more informal and temporary than colloquialisms.
In short:
* All slang is colloquial, but not all colloquialisms are slang.
* Colloquialisms are a broader category, while slang is a specific type of colloquialism.
Think of it this way:
* Colloquialisms are like a big umbrella, covering different types of informal language.
* Slang is a smaller umbrella within the bigger one, specifically covering informal, often short-lived words and phrases.