321 colorful, odd and unique American slang words and phrases

Have you been watching YouTube in your free time to learn English and improve your English comprehension? Understand most of the vocabulary and grammar? But what about all of those slang terms coming from American TV shows, movies, songs and podcasts?

If you’re a little puzzled, you’re not alone. With 50 states in America, each with its own demographics, personality and culture, casual speech in American dialect is an intriguing linguistic study in itself.

From New York, to California, Louisiana to Hawaii (and so much more!), read on for an exploration of fascinating, common, odd, rare and unique American slang.

Why you need to know American slang

In the United States, people from all walks of life use slang. Grandparents might use it to better communicate with their grandchildren. Different groups of people might feel comfortable using slang within their social circles, or even use it to deliberately confuse outsiders for fun. Influencers and aspiring influencers may try to connect with audiences by sending Tweets, or making Instagram reels.

Indeed, new phrases and words continue to get added to the American lexicon – that is, the vocabulary – due to poignant events over the course of the country’s history, and changing demographics. It can be difficult even for people from the United States to keep up, especially for those who wisely avoid using social media.

However, knowing a few American colloquialisms will help you:

• Better understand American culture
• Communicate more freely, expressively and openly - especially in the United States
• Prevent language misunderstandings
• Increase your fluency and ability to comprehend and speak American English conversationally

General American slang

Developed over time and greatly influenced by immigration patterns, media, and current events, here are some American slang words that will entertain you - or maybe even make you blush.

American slang words

Word	Meaning
Hobnob	Socialize with people of an artificially higher status
Chill	Relax
Popo	Police
Fuzz	Police
Airhead	Silly/foolish person
Cringe	Really embarrassing
Copium	Fake drug to help twitch users deal with loss/failure
Simp	Person who does too much for who he/she likes
Cram	Study like crazy
Crash	Sleep/pass out
Dms’	Direct messages
Dead	(Such as in a restaurant or bar) no one’s there
Steez	Effortless style
Spox	Spokesperson
Sawbuck	Us$10
A-Game	One’s best
Oops!	When someone messes up
Dude	A guy
Nuts	Crazy
Dope!	Cool
Yuppie	Young urban professional, white-collar worker
White-Collar	High-salary job that doesn’t involve manual labor, such as accountants and lawyers
Blue-Collar	Jobs focused on manual labor, such as farmers and miners
Cray	Crazy
Woke	Aware of potential injustices
Poppin’	Excellent
Lit	Drunk, or superb
Swole	Very muscular
Drip	Fashionable
Drownin’	Unfashionable
Salty	Jealous (of someone)
Cool	Great
Snatched	Nice and cool
Yeet!	Expression of excitement
Yikes!	No way! It can’t be!
Finsta	Fake/Private Instagram account
Periodt.	End of discussion (for example, what a parent would say to the child)
Flex	Show off
Low-key	Modest, something you don’t want emphasized
Slay	Excel at, win at
Gucci	Trendy
Shook	Emotionally bothered/shaken
Curve	Rejecting someone’s advances (e.g. from a classmate)
Stan	Obsessive fan
Sus	Suspect/suspicious
Turnt	Intoxicated, energized
Bae	A best friend/loved one
Fleek	Really good, stylish
Cheugy	Out of style
Emo	Overly angsty/emotional
E-Girl/E-Boy	An emo girl/boy
Fam	Family
Smol	Small/cute
Snack	Someone who’s attractive
Wig	That’s so cool!
Lewk	Someone’s personal style
Hot	Attractive
Sick	Cool, great
Shady	Suspicious
Bomb	Really good, tasty
Boujee	Fancy and extravagant
Dank	Excellent
Flakey	Indecisive
Finna	I am going to
Ghost	Suddenly start ignoring
Hypebeast	Someone who only wants to be popular
W	A win
L	A loss
Whip	Car
Hip	Popular, trendy
Lemon	Bad person
Babe	Attractive woman, your significant other
Grub	Food
Jacked	Muscular
Chicken	Coward
Ex	Former girlfriend or boyfriend
Whiz	A smart person
Dump	End a relationship
Jonesing (For)	Really want something
Wack	Bad, not cool
Score	Get what you want
Corny	(Things like movies and jokes) silly
Cheesy	(Things like movies and jokes) silly
Flick	Movie
Bummer	Disappointment
Wasted	Intoxicated
Booze	Alcohol
Yas!	(Celebratory) yes!

Popular American slang phrases

Every country -- and even multiple places within many countries – have their own versions of slang. In the U.S, not only do we have words and phrases that are popular nationwide, but we also have terms that are local to states or regions.

Before we can learn how to talk like we’re from Brooklyn or Chicago, let’s see what works with people from around the country.

Slang phrase	English meaning
In the bag	A certainty (usually for something that you want, like in sports or a contest)
Once in a blue moon	Rarely
You bet	You’re welcome
I don’t buy that	I don’t believe you
That’s rad	That’s cool
Never mind	Let’s change the subject
Keep in touch	(When leaving someone) Let’s stay in contact
I can’t even!	I can’t tolerate that anymore!
No biggie	Not a problem
No big deal	Not a problem
No sweat	Not a problem
Show up	Go to, do better than someone
Have a crush (on someone)	Like someone, want to ask someone out on a date
Get hitched	Get married
Tie the knot	Get married
I’m beat	I’m tired
Get under one’s skin	Annoy
A turn off	Something you don’t like about someone/somewhere
Couch potato	Someone who’s always watching tv
Party animal	Someone who is always partying
Hang out	Spend time with people
It sucked	It was bad
I’m game	I can join you/I will do it
I’m down	I can join you/I will do it
I’m in	I can join you/I will do it
Have a blast	Having a great time
Get fired	Lose one’s job
Hit the books	Study
Rip (someone) off	Overcharge
Ride shotgun	Sit in the front passenger seat
The bomb	Excellent
Have dibs on	Make a claim on/to
Suck up	Win someone’s approval by being servile
Kiss ass	Win someone’s approval by being servile
Fresh meat	New target for humiliation
Loose cannon	Someone dangerously uncontrollable
Pass the buck	Make someone else responsible
My bad	My mistake
Take for granted	Assume
Hit the road	Leave (to go somewhere)
Go dutch	Every person pays for their own food/drinks
Hit the spot	(Said after food/drink) Really satisfying
Wrap up	Finish doing something
Are you kidding me?	Phrase to represent excitement/frustration
Around the clock	All the time, 24 hours a day, 7 seven days a week
Take a rain check	Do at a later time
What’s up?	How are you? How’s it going?
You’re telling me!	I know!
All-ears	Has your undivided attention
All-nighter	Staying up all night to do homework/chat with friends
I’m baby	I’m innocent/cute
Glow up	A makeover (transformed from ugly to less ugly)
Open up pandora’s box	Cause/start trouble/problems
In the zone	Performing as well as or better than one can
Tune out	Stop paying attention
Armchair CEO	Offering expertise on something in which the speaker lacks
Off the hook	Freed from blame
Off the chain	Really good
Bye, Felicia	Said when you’re done with a conversation. Meaning “that’s it. I’m done.”
(To) ace	Excel at (a test)
(To) nail	Excel at (a test, a race)
(To) screw over	Cheat or exploit someone
Amped up	Filled with enthusiasm/energy
On point	Relevant and appropriate, really good
No cap	Not lying
Straight fire	Trendy
Spill the tea/spill the beans	Share the gossip/secret
Netflix and chill	Watch Netflix and have sex
Big mad	Really angry
Diamond hands	Taking a major financial risk
Fauci ouchie	COVID-19 vaccine
Cancel culture	Online shaming/embarrassment of someone due to their views

Region-specific American slang

New York slang words and phrases

New York and New York City have a bounty of their own subcultures and language. And New York slang is an enthralling part of that rich cultural tapestry.

Keep an ear out for some of these expressions and phrases from “The Big Apple” in popular music, television and cinema.

New York slang	Meaning
Grill	Angrily stare at someone
Real talk	Used to get someone’s attention to talk about something serious
Cake/Cheese	Money
Mad	Very
Frontin’	Pretending to be skilled to impress others
Dead-Ass	Serious about something
Tight	Stylish, cool
Ratchet	A woman who has made some bad lifestyle choices
Brick	Freezing
Schmear	Lots of cream cheese
Pie	Pizza (pie)
Schvitz	Sweating
Stoop	Steps in front of a building
Dumb	Really, very
Gotham	Nickname for New York City (from Batman)
Bodega	Small neighborhood shop
Cop	Buy, feel (inappropriately)
Buggin’	Acting crazy
Ice	Jewelry
Wylin’/Wildin’	Acting crazy
Crusty	Unclean
Snuff	Hit/punch, drugs
Schlep	Impatiently going between places
Regular coffee	Coffee made with cream and sugar
Have beef	Have a problem with/want to fight with someone

Californian slang words and phrases

Californian slang is a diverse assortment of more colorful vocabulary, complete with its own personality.

Californian slang	Meaning
Are you down?	Want to do it/join us?
NoHo	North Hollywood
SigAlert	Traffic alert/warning
Yeah no	No
SoCal	Southern California
NorCal	Northern California
Gnarly	Good or bad (depends on the context)
Rad	Cool
Stoked	Excited
Hyphy	Overly excited
Outta pocket	Inappropriate
Slaps	Really good (music)
Yadadamean	Do you know what I mean?
Phubbing	Ignoring someone by using their phone
Stealth mode	Secret
Three commas club	Billionaires
Unicorn	A start-up valued at over $1 billion
Zombie mood	Staring at one’s phone

Texas slang words and phrases

You’ll notice a lot of abbreviations here, which is all part of the fun of learning how to speak Texas slang.

Texas slang	Meaning
Fixin’ to	About to do
Bless your heart	Used either to show sympathy, or to soften an insult
Might could	Maybe
All hat, no cattle	Someone who is arrogant Without anything to show for it
Corn-fed	Big/fat (describing people)
Dag gum it!	Darn it!/damn it!
All git-out	The (for example, best/worst) most extreme of something
Pitch a hissy fit	Throw a tantrum/act up
Come hell or high water	(Do something) at any cost, no matter if you get injured/make enemies
Whole 'nuther	Entirely different situation
Worsh	Wash
(Wp/down) Yonder	(Over) there, (down) there (describing a location)

Florida slang words and phrases

If Ponce de León had discovered the Fountain of Youth in 1513, Florida would have had something worthwhile to discuss. For now, it’s really just a place that’s 90 miles to Cuba.

Florida slang	Meaning
Acere	Pal, friend, buddy
Bih	A person or a thing
Bussin	Tasty
Dale	Hurry up
Florida bath	Swimming in the pool (as opposed to taking a shower)
Florida Happy Meal	Something for the adults, like liquor or cigarettes
Florida Man	Someone who shows bizarre or stupid behavior
Hundid	Hundred
Jit	Referring to someone younger than the speaker
Oye	Hello
Pub sub	Sandwich from Publix supermarket chain
Vibin’	Relaxing
Parked in Goofy	When you park your car in the further away parking lot

Hawaiian slang words and phrases

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the backgrounds of Don Ho or Duke Kahanamoku, check some of this interesting Hawaiian slang out.

Hawaiian slang	Meaning
Manapua	Pork bun
Aloha	Hello, goodbye
Da Kine	“The kind,” representing a person, place, or something abstract
Grindz	Food
Hapa	Someone whose ancestry is partially Pacific Islander or East Asian
Haole	A non-native Hawaiian, generally a caucasian person
Kapu	Prohibited
Lolo	Crazy
Mahalo	Thank you
Shoots!	O.K.!, Understood!

Louisiana slang words and phrases

French Creole and Catholicism greatly influenced the creation of Louisiana slang. Plus, they’ve got some of the best eats in the country.

Louisiana slang	Meaning
Pinch the tail and suck the head	How you eat crawfish
Po’boy	Baguette sandwich
Dressed	The way you want your po’boy made
Laissez les bon temps rouler (lay-ZEH leh BAWN taw ROO-leh)	“Let the good times roll”, something said before you’re about to celebrate
Throw me somethin’	What many Mardi Gras attendees say to people on parade floats, when they want souvenirs like beads or necklaces
Holy Trinity	(In Cajun cooking) onions, bell peppers, celery
Cher	(My) love, (my) dear
Snoball	Finely shaved ice with sugar syrup
How’s ya mama an’ them?	How are your mother and your family?
Envie	A desire to eat something
Parish	Louisiana equivalent of county
Gris gris	A voodoo term used in jest (for example, “do as your parents tell you, or they might put the gris gris on you”)
Lagniappe	Little gift, little extra something

New Jersey slang words and phrases

The “Garden State” has a unique flair to its informal and colloquial words and expressions. We’ve listed a few New Jersey slang favorites.

New Jersey slang	Meaning
Down the shore	To the beach (Jersey shore)
Disco fries	French fries covered in cheese and gravy
Fat sandwich	A sandwich that includes almost everything on the menu
Hit the MAC	Go to an ATM to take money out
Hoagie	Sandwich on a baguette
Exit	Giving directions based on a highway/turnpike exit
Benny	Someone from Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, or New York City, invariably causing trouble in the rest of the state
Shoobie	Someone from South Jersey, invariably causing trouble in the rest of the state
J’eet yet?	Did you eat yet?
SPK	Salt, pepper, ketchup
Jersey slide	Quickly going from the leftmost lane to the exit (which is on the right)
Cabbage night	The night before Halloween when some kid are very mischievous
Piney	Someone who lives in the Pine Barrens, a rustic part of the southern coast of the state
Tats	Tattoos
Twentyregularcash	In New Jersey they don’t pump their own gas, so to get $20 of gas, this phrase is said
The Boss	New Jersey-born musician Bruce Springsteen
Pork roll	A sandwich made with New Jersey’s own Taylor ham
Ripper	Deep-fried hot dog with a slit down the middle
The City	Depending on which part of New Jersey you’re in, it’s either New York City or Philadelphia

Chicago slang words and phrases

Brush up on your Chicago slang and you’ll soon be able to understand what your new Chicago friends are saying, without any awkward silences or misinterpretations.

Chicago slang	Meaning
Frunchroom	Entertainment space
Pop	Soft drink, soda
Goes	Past/present-tense of “say”
Da	“The” (for example, “da bears”)
The lake	Lake Michigan, with which Chicago shares a coastline
The bean	The Anish Kapoor sculpture, formally known as Cloud Gate, in Millennium Park
The “l”	Elevated train in downtown Chicago
Prairie	Vacant lot
Grabowski	Blue-collar hard-working type of person
LSD	Lakeshore Drive (along Lake Michigan)
A couple	A few
Yous	Indicates that the speaker is talking to everyone (not just one person)
Sammich	Sandwich
Grachki	Garage key

Other American slang from more regions

Slang	Place where it’s used	English meaning
Water ice	Philadelphia, southern New Jersey	Shaved ice, sugar, and flavored syrup (a summer treat)
You guys	Various	You all
Snowbirds	Various	Describing people from colder states who live in warmer states during the winter
Wawa	Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey	A convenience store chain
Y’all	Various Southern states	You all
Cattywampus	Various Southern states	Something that is crooked or not right
Bail	Various	Leave in a hurry
No Account	Various southern states	Something broken/worthless
Wicked	New England	Really, very
Throwing shade	Various	Showing disapproval for someone without necessarily saying it
Shut up!	Various	Be quiet!
Down-to-earth	Various	Someone authentic and humble
Salt-of-the-earth	Various	Someone upright and modest

American slang FAQs

I. What are some American text slang abbreviations?

Text slang	Meaning
Tbh	To be honest
Hmu	Hit me up
Lmk	Let me know
Smh	Shake my head
Psa	Public service announcement
Wbu	What about you?
CD9	Can’t talk; parents are here!
OOMF	One of my friends/one of my followers (e.g. on social media)
wth	What the hell?
a/s/l	Age/sex/location
LMIRL	Let’s meet in real life
SOB	Son of a bitch
GOAT	Greatest of all time
BAE	Before anyone else
FOMO	Fear of missing out
CEO	Chief executive officer
TFW	That feeling when
OMG	Oh my god
ASAP	As soon as possible
FYI	For your information
LOL	Laugh out loud
RSVP	“repondez, s’il vous plait”-- please respond
SO	Significant other
j/k	Just kidding

II. What is some American slang for money?

• Greenbacks
• Scratch
• Skrilla
• Dough
• Coin
• Greens
• Dead Presidents
• Plata
• Bucks
• Bread
• Cheese
• Wampum
• Pesos

III. What is some other need-to-know New York lingo?

• Subway (referring to the metro train)
• Van Wyck (the highway that goes to JFK airport)
• AirTrain (light rail connecting the subway and JFK airport)
• Hot 97 (97.1FM a rap radio station)
• Flushing (Chinatown)
• Upstate (possibly the most controversial, since it can define anyone from north of the New York City border, although upstate has also meant north of Westchester)
• BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway)

Bonus tips for learning American English slang

Watch a lot of diverse programs catering to many different demographics

Try combining NPR (National Public Radio), sitcoms, Vimeo, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, and other social media for greater breadth.

Practice with friends, family, and coworkers, basically whenever you have the chance

There’s never any shame in trying to learn. Making mistakes is part of maturing.

Make it so

From the North to the South, East to West, now that you’ve been exposed to a breadth of slang terms and phrases from around the United States of America, aren’t you amped up to share your newfound knowledge with friends and family?

To really round up some essential vocab, you might want to explore all the interesting ways to say hello in English (including some need-to-know informal and casual ways).