This post delves into the unique slang of New York City, showcasing phrases and terms that capture the city's vibrant culture and diverse population, along with their meanings.
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!
Click here if you’re looking for more general American slang expressions from all over the United States.
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
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
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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