Long Island Slang Terms

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This one's for the Long Islanders, especially me since I grew up on Long Island--not in. Here's a list of the slang words that I use, even to this day. When I think about Long Island, I think of the notable celebrities such as; Mariah Carey, Lindsay Lohan, Billy Joel, the Baldwin Brothers, Ashanti, Pat Benatar, Nikki Blonsky, Steve Buscemi, Frank Catalanotto, Billy Crystal, Fran Drescher, Rodney Dangerfield, Flavor Flav, William Floyd, Debbie Gibson, Art Garfunkel, Frank Nappi, Kevin James, Rakim, Melissa Joan Hart, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Idina Menzel, Kate McKinnon, "Stuttering" John Melendez, Harvey Milk, Rosie O'Donnell, Dee Snider, and so many more. There are beaches, like the Smith Point beach. Some movies were filmed there. If you read my story 'The Personal Trainer's Ex-Girlfriend', the setting took place on Long Island and I wanted to pay homage to the city I grew up on.

BEC: An acronym for Bacon, Egg, and Cheese breakfast sandwich.

Brick: Very cold.

Bro: Shortened for brother and you can casually use it to refer to any guy you're talking to.

Buggin': If you're buggin', that means you're overreacting emotionally to something.

Cop: To get something.

Dayroom: If someone calls you dayroom, it's not a compliment; it means you're behaving childishly.

Dead: Very.

Dead ass: Telling the truth or they're serious about what they say.

Dip: To leave.

Dope: Another way to say awesome.

Dumb: Another way to say very.

Dunkin': Nickname for Dunkin' Donuts.

Finna: LI slang for gonna or going to.

Good Looks: To thank someone or whenever someone does something that's generous, kind, and unexpected.

Guap: Money.

Half & Half: I'm sorry to say this to the coffee enthusiasts, it doesn't refer to the creamer. Half & Half is a mix of lemonade and iced tea.

Hero: A Long Island name for a sub sandwich.

Jamaica: A train stop that many locals say you should never transfer late at night.

JAP: An acronym that stands for Jewish American Princess. It comes from a reality TV show called Princesses of Long Island.

LIE: An acronym stands for Long Island Expressway. When I was traveling to and from my Grandma's house in Westchester, the LIE is a busy road that locals recommend avoiding at specific times if you don't want to get stuck in a traffic jam.

LIRR: Stands for Long Island Railroad.

Live On: Long Islanders will never say they live in Long Island. Instead, they live on Long Island because there's no municipality known as Long Island.

Mad: Means very.

On Line: Just like they don't live in Long Island, Long Islanders don't say they're waiting in line. You say you're waiting on line when you're in a queue.

Pool Hopping: Many people have pools in their backyard in Long Island. As a teenager, kids will often run through a row of backyards and take a dip in the pools.

Slice: A single slice of pizza.

Strong Island: A nickname for Long Island.

Sweet 16: A term used all over the country for large birthday parties thrown when someone turns 16. However, Long Island takes these parties to a whole new level.

The City: Some people refer to New York City in general as the city. Others may occasionally use the term specifically to refer to Manhattan.

The Pencil: A nickname for a tall tower located in Long Island. It's actually called the Jones Beach Water Tower, but locals don't call it that.

Tight: You're upset about something. It's another word for angry.

Treesh: A word that means promiscuous woman. Some might also use the words baba and skank to mean the same thing.

Upstate: There's actually some debate over which parts of New York state are considered Upstate. Some Long Islanders will say it's anything north of New York City.

Wildin'/Wylin': A common slang term all over New York City, but you'll hear people saying it in Long Island, too. It means you're freaking out.

Yeet: One of those words that rose to meme status and was used all over the country. It's not specific to New York, but it does have a bit of a different meaning in Long Island. Whereas someone else might use it to indicate they're throwing something away, a Long Islander may use it to indicate they're kidding about something.

Yurr/Yerr: You shout it as a greeting to someone, much like yelling "Hey!"

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