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How do New Yorkers say mad?

General NYC Slang New York slang Meaning Mad Very; really Pie One whole pizza Yerrr/Yurrr An exuberant “yes” Wack Lousy 79 more rows •

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There’s no place like New York City. Known as “the city that never sleeps,” it’s packed with people of countless cultures (both foreigners and locals), is lit up and bustling at all times of the day and night, offers some of the best cuisines in the world, and provides experiences and sites that are truly unforgettable. When you’re exploring the Big Apple, it’s easy for all of your senses to be highly stimulated– and that includes your hearing. Conversing with local New Yorkers can sometimes feel like they’re speaking a whole other language while you’re speaking English. Needless to say, it can be mad annoying, no cap, bro. See what we mean? That’s why we’ve written this article – to help you get familiar with NYC slang and understand the local lingo. We gotchu – So keep reading!

Why you need to know New York slang

At the time this blog was written (August, 2022), New York City’s population is a whopping 8.93 million. That’s a whole lot of people to put on just a little over 300 square miles! Considering this and the diverse population of the city, it should come as no surprise that word travels fast– including slang terms. NYC slang is constantly evolving and changing, so when you do visit, you should do your homework ahead of time and be ready when you do chat with the locals, even if you are just ordering a pie or baconeggandcheese. So why know New York City slang and colloquialisms anyway? Because you can:

Have a better understanding of the New York way of life

Feel and even appear less of a tourist, giving you a more authentic and local experience during your stay

Make lifelong friends in “the greatest city on Earth”

Dodge potential misunderstandings

Simply expand your English vocabulary and conversational abilities!

General NYC Slang

No matter which of the five boroughs you find yourself in, you are likely to hear any one of the below New York slang terms there. New York slang Meaning The City When a New Yorker says “The City,” they mean specifically the island of Manhattan Mad Very; really Pie One whole pizza Yerrr/Yurrr An exuberant “yes” Wack Lousy Bet To agree to something Dead ass To be serious about something Dead Also to be serious about something or to find something extremely hilarious (i.e. “I am dead at that joke!”) Bop A great song Brolic A very muscular person Cop To buy or grab something Yeah nah No Nah yeah Yes Good looks Good looking out; good catch Gucci No problem; everything is good Schlep To carry or drag something a certain distance Kid/Son A term to call a close friend Grill To angrily stare at someone for a long time Baconeggandcheese A popular breakfast sandwich beloved by locals, which has bacon, egg, and cheese on usually either a roll or bagel Brick Extremely cold Real talk To not lie or exaggerate; to tell the truth about something Ratchet A negative term for a person who is disliked, dramatic. Frontin’ To lie, fake something, or pretend you are something you are not Cringe When someone does or says something that makes you feel uncomfortable or awkward (i.e. “His joke was so cringe.”) Woke To be fully alert of injustice in society Lit Feeling really drunk or that a situation or place is a lot of fun Shook To be emotionally shaken; extremely surprised or taken off guard Schmear A large helping of a condiment, most often cream cheese on a bagel Popo Police Sus Short for “suspicious” Whip A car, typically a really nice and expensive one Tight Something is really cool or someone is really angry/aggravated No cap Not lying Yas/Yaaas A very excited “yes!” Buggin To behave very dramatically Heard To have successfully heard something someone said or implied Wildin’/Wylin’ To act “wild;” to be unpredictable, absurd, or preposterous Crusty Something or someone is dirty or undesirable Book it To sprint; to run as fast as possible Aggy Short for “aggravated,” so a person who is extremely aggravated/annoyed at someone else Bev A beverage or drink Link Meet up with someone Peep To notice something in your surroundings Beef To have unresolved issues with a person Shorty/shawty A positive term for a short, attractive woman Thirsty Someone who is acting desperate in the dating scene Finna Shortening for “fixing to” (i.e. Finna eat that pizza in a bit). Bodega Small neighborhood shop Ock The man behind the counter of a bodega or deli Trippin’ Someone is acting ridiculous Cake Money or a compliment for a large and attractive butt A minute A very long time (i.e. “I haven’t seen you in a minute!”) Get a slice Buy a piece of pizza Johnny pump Fire hydrant Straphanger Subway rider Downtown Anywhere south of Canal Street in Manhattan Slaps High-quality Take the L Take the loss; willingly sacrifice Snack A person who looks attractive Periodt A variant of “period;” signals end of discussion Bomb Something is really great Regular coffee A hot coffee with milk and sugar High key Very obvious Low key Not obvious Beastin Doing the absolute most in something, usually a physical activity B Affectionate term for a loved one Scrap To fight Jack To claim something to be yours Flip To cancel last minute Grimy Filthy Gotchu I got your back; I will help you On deck What’s next in a situation No doubt Agreement to something An L A hand-rolled marijuana cigarette Word (up) No doubt or an expression of surprise Cheddar/Cheese/Paper/Green Money Schvitz Sweat a lot Drid Annoyed and irritated with a situation Smacked Feeling very high from smoking “mary jane” Bird A person who is loud and rambunctious Mack Flirt with someone Bag To get a number from someone or secure a date with them We out A way to say that you’re leaving

Bronx slang

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While the above section is a more generalized collection of New York lingo, each borough tends to use certain phrases more or less often than others do. The Bronx, home of the Bronx Bombers (better known as The New York Yankees), is just one of five boroughs in NYC and is home to 1.37 million people. Aside from the above section’s terms, you can hear Bronxites using these phrases as well: Bronx slang Meaning Bronx cheer Blowing a raspberry to insult someone OD/odee Short for “overdose,” to “OD” or odee is to do the most in something (i.e. “I have OD work tonight.”) Dumb Very, really, or extremely Bread Anything bread-like from the bakery or money Creatures Fans of the Bronx’s baseball team, The Yankees Bro Short for “brother,” can be used for a relative or close friend Bruh Another version of “bro” Draggin’ it To drag something out; to be overly dramatic Hollywood Someone who is very popular and busy Word to my mom/dad To swear that something is true Word to To swear that something is true to God/ higher power Moving funny Someone is behaving differently than normal, maybe hiding something Dayroom Someone who has done something rude

Queens slang

To the south of the Bronx and east of Brooklyn lies Queens, the second most populous borough with 2.4 million people. Fun fact for you: Queens is the most diverse urban area in the world, as there is no ethnic group that is above 50% of its population! Here are just some of the Queens slang terms you could hear from Queensites while wandering about the eclectic streets of this borough: Queens slang Meaning Shoot the fair To invite only one other person to fistfight without the help of friends or weapons. Wavy Really cool ‘Na mean Do you know what I mean? Do you understand me? Say less Expression of excitement. You already are interested in something someone said, so you don’t really need more information. Guap Money Ma A casual way to greet and/or refer to a woman Pop Off To suddenly outburst in anger or emotionally Flying rat A spiteful word for a pigeon Money To feel really good about something (i.e. “That movie last night was money!”) The beach Rockaway Beach On line Instead of “in line,” people from Queens typically say they are waiting “on line.”

Brooklyn slang

Brooklyn, known far and wide for its eccentric yet enthralling and welcoming culture, is New York’s most populous borough: 2.6 million! Here are a few key Brooklyn slang expressions to add to your repertoire. Brooklyn slang Meaning 718 The area code for Brooklyn A hunnit Being “100%” truthful; telling the truth Bucktown Brooklyn Feening Putting too much effort into something Jatty A large and attractive butt Dub Someone or something you don’t want to have to deal with Thirstbucket A person really striving for a sexual encounter Swerve Avoiding a person or situation; rejecting either The Burg Williamsburg; a trendy neighborhood in Brooklyn You woulda thought Saying no to someone, usually when they try to do something (like eat your food) without asking

Manhattan slang

Manhattanites, too, have their very own commonly used Manhattan slang, especially the following: Manhattan slang Meaning B & T/ BNT “Bridge and Tunnel” - refers to people who commute to the island for work or entertainment Copa Short for “Copacabana,” a popular nightclub in Manhattan Manhatty A nickname for Manhattan New York’s finest The police force in NYC, aka NYPD (New York Police Department) The Park Central Park Willage West Village combined into one word; a popular and luxurious neighborhood in Manhattan Vanhattan The “Vanhattan” is a popular cocktail made with bourbon and other flavors LES Lower East Side UWS Upper West Side FiDi Financial District SoHo South of Houston Street; a popular area in Manhattan

Staten Island slang

And last, but certainly not least: Staten Island. Staten Island, which is often and unfortunately referred to as the “forgotten borough,” does use essentially all of the aforementioned slang terms but especially these: Staten Island slang Meaning Are you gagootz? Are you crazy? Shaolin A nickname for Staten Island, dubbed by the Wu Tang Clan Gavone Someone with no class or who eats way too much Cooba-ghoul Capicola, an aged and dried Italian meat Fit Committed to something Stoonad/Stunad A stupid person Not for nothing… I shouldn’t have to say this, but I will anyway She thinks who she is She’s full of herself That’s dope That’s really cool Mint High-quality Good sh*t That’s great Sick Cool; amazing Fire Incredible Take it there Take a conversation or situation too far Chill Relax; take a step back Banging Awesome Kicks A pair of sneakers Yooz Plural form of “you” You’re my boy You’re my good friend (usually said to a male) Throw hands Get in a fistfight Come scoop Come pick me up in your car You’re shot An event is not happening and the person is absurd for asking

New York slang FAQs

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1. What are some New York text slang abbreviations?

Text slang abbreviation Meaning Definition lmao Laughing my ass off Laughing a lot imo In my opinion In my opinion goat Greatest of all time Someone is the greatest at something (i.e. “Serena Williams is the GOAT!”) def Definitely Definitely; for sure wya Where you at? Where are you right now? BKNY Brooklyn Brooklyn DUMBO Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass An upscale neighborhood in Brooklyn LIE Long Island Expressway Highway to Long Island GWB George Washington Bridge Bridge that connects Manhattan to New Jersey Nbd No big deal It’s no problem

2. What are some slang names for New York City by locals?

The Big Apple

Gotham City

The City that Never Sleeps

The Empire State

The Melting Pot

America’s City

Center of the Universe

The Five Boroughs

A word on “you good”

We all know the common greeting, “How are you?” Granted, you are likely to run into that in NYC, but there is one slang phrase that equates it and is used very often as well: “You good?” While “you good” can mean “how are you?” (and often it does, especially when used in a question), it can also mean different things as well, like:

Are you okay?

Do you need help?

How have you been?

Is there a problem?

What’s up?

What’s up? (in a threatening, provoking way)

Don’t worry about it.

Stop.

Simply be careful with how you use it and the way you inflect your speech! But don’t worry, we believe in you– you good.

Welcome to New York City, real talk

New York City is easily one of the most vibrant and liveliest cities in the world, even in its unique use of the English language! So hit the streets, bruh, don’t forget to have a good time and bring our list of New York slang words with you, ‘na mean?

Remember to keep expanding your language knowledge on our English blog, right here. It’s fun and it’s free.

We out!

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