10 slang words that will help to pass for his in New York

New York slang words can be tricky. Sure, it's technically English, but it might sound like another language. Arriving in New York without knowing the slang can be confusing, especially if English is not your first language. Edition Big 7 Travel shared a selection of 10 words that will help you pass as your own here.

New York slang is much more than just an accent. The younger generation, for example, uses fancy words that no one else can understand. But there are also standard words that you will often hear in New York. The phrases below will help you understand what people around you are talking about and pass as your own in the Big Apple.

Here is the list 10 commonly used slang words in New York:

1. whack - horror / madness. Example: "My hair looked whack last night" translates to: "My hair looked terrible last night."
2. Bed - amazing / very cool. Example: "That song is lit man" means "This song is really cool, boy."
3. Grill - stare, rude look. Example: “Why are you grilling my boyfriend?” Means: “Why are you staring at my boyfriend?”.
4. Beef - have a grudge against another person. For example: "How long have you had beef with him?" translated as follows: "How long have you been in a quarrel with him?"
5. Bridge and Tunnels - anyone who is outside of New York (usually in New Jersey). The expression "She is a real bridge and tunnel" can be translated as: "In fact, it is located outside the Big Apple."
6. Cellar - round-the-clock grocery store. Example: “You want a soda from the bodega?” Translates to: “Do you want to buy soda in a convenience store?”
7. Waiting on line - waiting in line. For example: "Waiting on line forever for that club" means: "To get into that club, you have to wait forever."
8. Cop - to buy. For example: “I thinking to cop this shirt” means: “I plan to buy this shirt.”
9. Thirsty - acting desperately. Example: the phrase "Why you acting so thirsty?" translates as: "Why are you acting so desperate?"
10. Mad - highly. For example: the expression “That song is mad good” in New York means: “This song is very good.”

As previously wrote ForumDaily New York:

• In New York, there are different opportunities for studying English, focused on immigrants. How and where immigrants in New York can learn English for free, Read here.
• For those who live in New York and want to communicate with other residents in their language, we published 33 most common slang wordsthat will definitely come in handy in a conversation with New Yorkers.
• You can read about fascinating but little-known facts about New York. in this publication.