Bodega
Your local neighbourhood convenience store, usually on a corner, part deli, part mini supermarket. You pop in for a chopped cheese, a bacon egg and cheese, a cold drink, rolling papers, cat food, whatever. Loads are open late or 24/7, and half of them have a resident bodega cat like it pays rent. Proper NYC staple.
Brick
Means it’s absolutely freezing, the kind of cold that punches you in the face and turns your fingers into useless little sticks. Usually said as it’s brick or brick out. Proper NYC winter talk, especially when the wind’s doing the most. If someone warns you it’s brick, trust them and layer up, because you will regret it fast.
Janna
·
United States
"Deadass means, you know, like, seriously. It can be used in the form of, like, a question or a statement. Both work. An example can be, bro, holy shit, I just completely failed the final. Deadass."
Hugues
·
United States
"Deadass, meaning serious or honest. Dude, I just won the freaking lottery. What? Are you being deadass right now? Hell yeah, I'm being deadass."
Deadass
Deadass means totally serious, for real, no messing around. You use it to swear something's true, to ask if someone's actually being serious, or to turn up an adjective like deadass tired. It's got strong NYC and AAVE roots, and it hits with that blunt, stamped-on-the-table kind of certainty.
Mad
An NYC intensifier meaning very or a lot. You stick it in front of an adjective or adverb to crank the volume: mad cold, mad far, mad expensive, mad good. It has nothing to do with being angry, it's just emphasis, and it can be hype or a complaint depending on your tone. You'll hear it everywhere from the subway to the stoop.
Janna
·
United States
"No cap is my word for slang. No cap basically means like not lying. An example can be bro, I pretty much just failed the exam, no cap."
No cap
No cap means you're telling the truth flat out, with no hype sauce poured on top. You can tack it onto the end of a sentence or throw it in front when you want people to know you're being dead serious. Since cap means a lie, fake talk, or puffed-up bragging, no cap is the clean opposite. It works for goofy little daily takes and for real admissions too. Use it when you want your words to land as straight truth.
Word
A quick little agreement stamp meaning yeah, I hear you, that's true, or exactly that. You drop word after someone's said something real, sharp, or painfully accurate. It can back a rant, co-sign a good point, or just nod along with maximum chill. Usually lands best short and deadpan.
Hugues
·
United States
"Straight up. Something you say in the middle of a statement to indicate seriousness or genuineness. Hey man, I've been listening to a lot of Terrence Howard and I gotta say, I believe him. One plus one equals three. Oh my God, dude. You are straight up stupid. Stupid. Idiot."
Straight up
Used when you mean honestly, seriously, or no joke. You can drop it before a statement, after one, or throw it back as a quick Are you serious? It also works as an intensifier, like straight up ridiculous or straight up amazing. The vibe is plain truth with no fluff on it.