The article provides a comprehensive linguistic and cultural analysis of American slang as a reflection of key aspects of national identity. Based on lexicographic sources, corpus data, and contemporary media texts, it examines the mechanisms of the process of establishing slang expressions as socially marked units in language. The methodology includes a component and contextual analysis of slang terms, grouped into several subject categories based on their origin and sphere of use: cultural phenomena («Frankenfood», «gaslighting»), political realia («beauty contest», «mangy dog»), ethnic stereotypes («Tex-Mex», «cugine»), sports vocabulary («alibi-itis», «white man’s disease»), key features of contemporary life («FOMO», «digital nomad»), and the phenomena of everyday life that are not directly related to the present time («flex», «couch potato»).

The results show that slang functions as a reflection of important phenomena in society and, at the same time, as a tool for critical reflection, combining emotional expressiveness, irony, and self-irony. A contradiction has been identified between the rhetoric of multiculturalism and the persistence of ethnocentric stereotypes in language. Particular attention is paid to the role of culture, including mass culture, as a source of metaphors that convey collective values and representations.

The results of the study can be used in teaching English as a foreign language, intercultural communication, translation, analysis of modern American culture and social processes.

American slang serves not only as a marker of group identity, but also as a dynamic resource for constructing national self-awareness, reflecting profound socio-cultural transformations.