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.
Michael
·
United States
"Jawn can mean almost anything, but most commonly refers to an object or thing. For example, hey, did you see the basketball game? That was a crazy ending. Yes, I watched that jawn last night. I can't believe the Knicks lost in overtime."
Jawn
A do-it-all placeholder noun for basically anything: a thing, a person, a place, an idea, even a whole situation. If you can point at it or think it, it can be a jawn. It’s famously Philly slang, rooted in local Black English, and it’s popped up in NYC speech too, especially among people with Philly ties. Context does all the heavy lifting.
Janna
·
United States
"Salty is basically being upset or bitter about something. Basically, you're being salty. An example would be, can you stop being so salty over something I did five years ago? Get over it."
Salty
If someone's salty, they're not just annoyed for a second. They're sitting in that sour little mood, feeling bitter, pressed, or low-key offended because things didn't go their way. You use it when someone's dragging out a tiny loss, a joke, or a setback instead of letting it breathe and die.
Lowkey
Lowkey means quietly, subtly, or without making a whole scene out of it. People use it when they're admitting something but keeping the volume turned down. It can also mean kinda, honestly, or not gonna lie, depending on the sentence. You hear it nonstop in texts, memes, group chats, and everyday talk.
Flex
To flex is to show off what you’ve got, or make a point that you’re doing better than everyone else. Can be a noun or a verb, from literally flexing your muscles to flexing money, clothes, links, or status. Sometimes it’s playful, sometimes it’s pure ego, and people will call you out if it’s too much. Also used ironically online: weird flex but ok.
Janna
·
United States
"Bet literally just means okay, deal, or sounds good. An example would be someone approaches you and they're like, hey, you wanna meet up at seven? And you just go like, bet."
Michael
·
United States
"Bet means alright or understood. It is used mostly when confirming plans or coming to a mutual understanding. For example, hey, did you see that I put your name down on the guest list? Bet. Thank you."
Bet
Bet is a quick yes that means alright, say less, I’m with it, or I heard you. People use it to agree to plans, accept a challenge, or stamp that they understood. It comes out of AAVE, and the vibe depends on how you say it. Calm bet means confirmed. Sharper bet can mean alright then, show me.
Haley
·
United States
"That food was bussin. I need another plate. Bussin means extremely good, like really yummy, or like especially with food, especially with food or drinks or something like that. I'm from the United States. I'm American."
Bussin
Used when something is insanely good, especially food. If a meal’s got everybody going quiet, licking sauce off their fingers, or diving in for seconds, it’s bussin. It spread from AAVE into mainstream internet slang, and now people use it for other stuff too, but food is still its home turf. If you say bussin bussin, you mean ridiculously good.
Buggin'
Used when someone’s tripping, overreacting, or moving mad for no reason. If your friend starts wildin over a tiny thing, they’re buggin' and you’re telling them to chill. It’s tied to bugging out, meaning to freak out or act paranoid, and it can be playful or a real call-out depending on your tone.
Plug
A plug is your reliable hookup for getting stuff that's hard to get hold of. Most often it's weed or other drugs, but people also say it for someone who can sort trainers, tickets, clothes, electronics, or even work. If somebody says they've got a plug, they mean they've got a direct line to the person who can make it happen.
Sketch
Used as an adjective for anything that feels off, shady, or not worth trusting. A person can be sketch, a deal can be sketch, even a whole place can be sketch if it gives you that little nope alarm in your gut. It’s super common in casual English when you want to flag bad vibes fast without spelling out every reason.
Jumping someone
It means a person gets swarmed and attacked by a group, usually fast and dirty with no fair warning. People say someone got jumped when they were set on out of nowhere, often for robbery, beef, or just straight-up coward energy. It's harsh street slang and it carries that cheap-shot feeling right in the wording.
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.