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New Jersey

New Jersey slang: regional words, sayings, and how locals talk.

This page collects regional vocabulary from New Jersey: slang you'll hear in conversation, sayings that travel through families, and pronunciations that mark a person as a local. Pick a city to narrow the list, or keep "All cities" to see the full New Jersey picture.

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8 words

bodega Loanword

A small neighborhood corner store.

New York, New York City · New Jersey

A long sandwich on a roll. Outside Philly: "sub" or "grinder."

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia · New Jersey

Buckwheat groats (porridge).

New York, New York City · New Jersey · Illinois, Chicago

pierogi Loanword

Stuffed dumpling (potato + cheese is canonical).

Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh · Ohio, Cleveland · New York, Buffalo · Illinois, Chicago · +1 more

Generic term for a carbonated soft drink (Northeast/CA).

New York · New Jersey · Connecticut · Massachusetts · +3 more

The front steps of a building, used as a place to sit.

New York, New York City · New Jersey

the city Phrase

Manhattan (when said in the NYC metro).

New York, New York City · New Jersey · Connecticut

You all (Philly / NJ / older NYC).

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia · New Jersey · New York, New York City