East Coast & Northeast US English: English Vocabulary List

(Pennsylvania) any person, place, thing, or event

"Pass me that jawn over there."

"Can you pass me that jawn on the table he asked pointing vaguely at the stapler."

(New York) a casual greeting

"Yerrr! What is up, my friend?"

"Yerrr! What is up, my friend? How have you been? It has been such a long time since we last spoke."

used to apologize, get someone's attention, or acknowledge a minor accident

"Ope! Excuse me. I did not see you."

"Ope! Excuse me. I did not see you standing there. I almost bumped into you. Sorry about that."

(New York) a spread of cream cheese, typically on a bagel

"He ordered a bagel with schmear."

"She ordered a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese and a sprinkle of everything seasoning."

(New York) the steps in front of a city apartment or brownstone, often used for sitting or socializing

"He sat on the front stoop."

"The residents sat on their stoop drinking lemonade and watching children play in the street."

(New York) to sweat

"He schvitzes in the sauna."

"The old man began to schvitz heavily in the heat of the crowded subway car during the summer."

(New York) to carry, drag, or haul something, especially when it's heavy or inconvenient

"Do not schlep that heavy bag."

"Do not make me schlep this heavy suitcase all the way up the stairs by myself."

(New England) coffee made with cream and sugar

"He ordered a regular coffee with cream and sugar."

"The diner served regular coffee that was nothing special but reliably hot and strong."

(New Jersey) to the beach, especially the Jersey Shore

"They went down the shore for the weekend."

"The family drove down the shore for the weekend to enjoy the beach and the ocean."

(New Jersey) french fries topped with cheese and brown gravy

"The diner served disco fries covered in gravy."

"The diner served disco fries smothered in brown gravy and melted mozzarella cheese."

(New Jersey) a large sandwich stuffed with a mix of items, often including fried foods, meats, cheese, and sauces

"The fat sandwich had chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks."

"The fat sandwich was stuffed with chicken fingers mozzarella sticks fries and sauce between two slices of bread."

(Pennsylvania) to go to an ATM to withdraw cash

"I need to hit the MAC."

"He realized he was low on cash and needed to hit the MAC before going shopping at the mall."

(Pennsylvania) a sandwich made with a long piece of bread filled with meat, salad and cheese

"Hoagie is submarine sandwich."

"The hoagie was a Philadelphia term for a submarine sandwich with Italian meats and oil dressing."

(New Jersey) a tourist at the beach, often seen as clueless or annoying

"The shoobie wore a bright shirt."

"The locals called the day trippers shoobies because they carried their lunch in shoe boxes."

(New Jersey, Pennsylvania) use to ask if someone has eaten

"An informal regional greeting meaning did you eat yet — Jeet yet."

"He greeted his neighbour with a casual Jeet yet as they passed in the hallway."

(New Jersey) a maneuver in which a driver quickly moves from the leftmost lane to a right-hand exit

"The car attempted a Jersey slide."

"The Jersey slide was the aggressive lane changing maneuver that drivers used to beat traffic."

(New Jersey) the night before Halloween, often marked by mischievous pranks by children

"It's cabbage night tonight."

"The neighborhood kids were out causing mischief on cabbage night, throwing toilet paper into trees."

(New Jersey) a person who lives in the Pine Barrens, a rural region in southern New Jersey

"The Piney lived deep in the forest."

"The Piney lived deep in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and avoided contact with outsiders."

(New Jersey) request for $20 worth of regular gasoline, paid in cash, typically said to a gas station attendant

"Give me twenty regular cash."

"The driver pulled up to the pump and said, "I'll take twenty regular cash, please.""

(Massachusetts) very; used to intensify an adjective or adverb

"That is a wicked cool car."

"That is a wicked cool car and I would love to drive it someday."

(New England) a long sandwich, typically filled with meats, cheese, and vegetables

"I want a grinder."

"For lunch, he ordered a large grinder piled high with roast beef and provolone."

(Pennsylvania) cool, impressive, or stylish

"That car is crispy."

"Her new outfit was incredibly crispy, turning heads wherever she went."

(New York) to stare at someone angrily or intensely, often as a form of confrontation

"Don't grill me."

"The irate customer began to grill the cashier about the incorrect charge."

(New York) extremely cold or freezing, usually describing the weather

"The weather is brick."

"We had to cancel our outdoor plans because the weather outside was absolutely brick today."

(New York) pizza, typically a whole pie or large pizza

"Let's get pie."

"We ordered a large pepperoni pie to share during the game."

(New York) used for emphasis to mean really or very

"He is dumb rich."

"He is dumb rich and spends money on things that nobody needs or wants."

(New York) a small convenience or corner store, often open late and selling groceries, snacks, and household items

"I need to go to the bodega."

"She popped into the local bodega for a carton of milk and some aspirin."

(New Jersey) a person from Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, or New York City, often seen as an unwelcome visitor at the Jersey Shore

"He is a benny."

"The locals were annoyed by the influx of bennies disrupting their peaceful beach town."