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New York

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

This page collects regional vocabulary from New York: 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 York picture.

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All cities Buffalo New York City

13 words

OK / agreed / sounds good.

Georgia · New York · California · Texas

bodega Loanword

A small neighborhood corner store.

New York, New York City · New Jersey

Buckwheat groats (porridge).

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

kielbasa Loanword

Polish-style smoked sausage.

Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh · Michigan, Detroit · Ohio, Cleveland · New York, Buffalo · +1 more

No lie / for real.

Georgia, Atlanta · New York · California · Texas

pierogi Loanword

Stuffed dumpling (potato + cheese is canonical).

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

regular coffee Phrase

Coffee with milk and sugar (in NYC delis).

New York, New York City

schlep Loanword

To carry, drag, or haul (often inconvenient).

New York, New York City

schmutz Loanword

A small smudge or bit of dirt.

New York, New York City

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