27 Words You Will Only Hear in NEW YORK CITY

Every city has a unique stash of secret code language reserved only for its people. These are the words that you’re unlikely to hear anywhere else. And New Yorkers aren’t shy when it comes to creating their very own lingo with unique slang words for the English language.

On this video, I will take you across the multitude of cultures that exist throughout this loud, boisterous, and diverse city so you can get a healthy dose of the different types of slang you will encounter when you hit the streets. With a little preparation and a little bit of practice, you will become a pro at New York lingo in no time!

So without further delay, here are 27 words you will only hear in New York City.

*********

IMAGE ATTRIBUTIONS
BODEGA
1. Untitled by Bryan Pocius - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
2. “Bodega Window” by S Smith - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
3. “bodega style bacon egg and cheese” by Will - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
4. “store clerk” by Brian Fountain - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
5. “Brooklyn Street Scenes - Bodega on Smith Street and Union Street” by Steven Pisano- CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
6. “BODEGA CAT” by Seth Werkheiser - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
SCHMEAR
1. “Kossar's bagel” by stu_spivack - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
2. “Bagel ala Arnold” by Cliff Hutson - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
3. “Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese” by Mattie Hagedorn - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
4. “Poppyseed bagel, scallion cream cheese and...” by Stephanie - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
5. “mmm... bagels...” by Kim Mc. - CC BY-ND 2.0 - Flick
FUHGEDDABOUDIT
1. “Magnolia Bakery New York Cup cakes” by Gary Bembridge - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
2. “Magnolia Bakery banana pudding” by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
3. “Trader Joe's” by kennejima - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
UPTOWN/DOWNTOWN
1. “15.Chelsea.NYC.24June2012” by Elvert Barnes - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
2. “NYCT_3180” by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
HOUSTON
1. “Houston St IRT td (2018-04-03) 09” by Tdorante10 - CC BY-SA 4.0 - Wikimedia Commons
THE VILLAGE
1. “The Village” by Paul Sableman - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
2. “Cafe Wha? - Greenwich Village” by Jeff Rosen - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
3. “Washington Square Park” by Shinya Suzuki - CC BY-ND 2.0 - Flickr
4. “NYC - Greenwich Village - Gay Street” by Jean-Christophe BENOIST - CC BY 3.0 - Wikimedia Commons
5. “west-village-corner” by Dan DeLuca - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
SCHLEP
1. “MTA NYC Subway A train arriving at Broad Channel” by Mtattrain - CC BY-SA 4.0 - Wikimedia Commons
A SLICE
1. “Scott's Pizza Tours” by Dale Cruise - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr - changed
2. “pie 021” by Beth punches - CC BY-ND 2.0 - Flickr
3. “The Biggest Pizza” by Dru Bloomfield - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
5. “Joe's Pizza” by Mike Licht - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
YUUUGE
1. “Bernie Sanders” by Gage Skidmore - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
2. “President Trump Speaks with the Bahamian Prime Minister” by The White House - no copyright - Flickr
STOOP
1. “Brownstones and Stoops” by Jay Woodworth - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
2. “On Perry Street, Greenwich Village, New York” by Spencer Means - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
3. “f (at the filming of the Hulk)” by Lee - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flick
MAD
1. “Michael Bloomberg” by Gage Skidmore - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
DUMB
1. “Holiday in New York” by Harry Wood - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
UPSTATE
1. “Ithaca, NY” by James Willamor - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
2. “Ithaca NY 2337” by bobistraveling - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
3. “New York State Route 17” by Doug Kerr - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Flickr
THE GARDEN
1. “Box Life - Madison Square Garden” by Marco - CC BY-ND 2.0 - Flickr
2. “Madison Square Garden (MSG) - Empire State Building” by Ajay Suresh - CC BY 2.0 - Flickr
DEAD ASS
1. “Timberland 6 inch boots” by Dough4872 - public domain - Wikimedia Commons

LINKS TO CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSES

[newlife]

You good = are you okay?
You good = you are okay.
You good = how have you been?
You good = did you get enough?
You good = you're welcome
You good = stop talking to me
You good = no need to say sorry (apologize)
You good = you need some money?

[r_b]

Absolutely Nobody: New Yorkers:

[MartyGlenn]

"Schlep" doesn't just mean lugging something. It also means traveling to an inconvenient area and/or a relatively long distance. For example: "You schlepped all the way to Staten Island just to have lunch with Joe?"

[NoFeeRE]

Born and raised in " the city", and turning "fitty" years old soon, I never realized how unique these words are to New York. I couldn't stop laughing!

[magoska]

She forgot ..."YOU GOOD??" ❤

[tiffanynottage]

Don’t forget the “THE” in The Bronx! It’s like leaving out the S in Queens

[promisejimenez]

Half of these words are mad outdated and others feel so normal to me like “uptown” and “train” I didn’t think they were New York slang.

[gildaolsen]

Everybody calls The Metropolitan Museum: The Met.

[rcelestefelix]

I am a native Manhattanite, and proud of it, too. I was born and raised in the city. I love the diversity of New York people, and the cultural richness as a consequence. You know what else I think is great about growing up in NYC? The great accent it gave me. When I moved to California in 1975, so many people got a kick out of it. I thought nothing of it until then, because everyone I knew all my life spoke the same way I did, and it came so naturally, too! (LOL) So keep "tawking, " New Yorkers, because you have a very special accent and way of expressing yourself.

[biggahblack]

"Upstate" also means jail or prison

[singlah]

In New York, to get on-line is to get IN-line. It has nothing to do with the internet.

[bksfinest]

Baconeggandcheese is one word at the corner store. Word up, means it's true. And a chop cheese is ground meat with cheese sandwich.

[HeronCoyote]

When I lived in Portland, OR, there was a guy (NYC transplant) who owned an Italian sub store. He made the best subs! He would boss the customers around, yelling “Come on, come on, make up your mind already!” and the like. Everyone in line was mortified; I was just grinning like an idiot! Ahh, true New Yawkah!

[junemercado]

Bodega is a Spanish word used for small shops and is used in many countries around the world.

[Orli-g]

Not bad, however as born and raised NY’er and a Jew, your pronunciation of “putz” is wrong. It is not “put” (as in “put” that down) .... rhyme it with “nuts” or “nutz” for “putz”.

[ovh]

A schmear is not "a generous portion of cream cheese". It actually means a lot less than the regular portion. (A smear of cream cheese, not the regular inch thick portion.)

[Angie-lphk]

My favorite thing about bodegas are the random house cats just hanging and chillin on the aisle lol

[ladyhamilton]

I ain’t never heard... someone say... fuhgettaboutit.... 🤦🏾‍♀️

[jancypineda]

I'm a simple person I see "New York" and I click

[daniellecruz]

They forgot Odee words... like “Odee” “Wildin” “baconeggncheese” “brick” “broski” “word to” “say less” and “Oh naah” 😂😂😂 who tf made this list? It’s either “you buggin” or “you buggin out” not “you be buggin” 😂😂😂 who says “yooz” we all say “ya”. Ya who made this list really buggin tf out- DEADASS 😂