American Slang You Won’t Hear Anywhere Else

Americans love regionalisms. Look no further than how people refer to soft drinks around the country — you’re likely to hear “soda,” “pop,” or “coke,” depending on whether you’re in the Northeast, Midwest, or Deep South. There are also terms that are used in much narrower regions and may not be known outside of a specific city or town. Here’s a look at some words and phrases that are understood among locals but are unfamiliar to other Americans.

A sandwich served on a long roll may be called a hoagie in the Mid-Atlantic or a sub in the Midwest. But to Bostonians, these hefty sandwiches are known as spuckies. This regionalism is derived from the Italian slang spucadella, which translates to “long roll.” However, spucadella isn’t a common word in Italy itself. It’s believed to have originated within Italian American communities in Boston, and it was then shortened as the name of a locally popular type of sandwich.

“Junt” — commonly heard in Memphis, Tennessee — is a variation of the word “joint” in the AAVE dialect. It’s used as a catchall word for any person, place, or thing. For a person, you might say, “I know that junt.” For places, you can say, “I’m headed to that junt.” And for things, you could say, “Hand me that junt.” 

Between the sidewalk and the curb, there’s often a thin strip of grass. To people who live in Akron, Ohio, that’s called the devil’s strip. While it’s not wholly clear where this regionalism originated, the Dictionary of American Regional English says that it might have to do with being a “sort of no-man’s-land between public and private property.”

Boonville, California, is a tiny hamlet known for its own secret dialect called Boontling, which was created in the late 19th century. Of the many unusual terms in this language, one that caught our attention is “bahl gorms.” It means “good food,” with “bahl” meaning “good” and “gorms” meaning “food.” You could also say “bahl hornin’” for “good drinking,” and you can describe anything as the “bahlest” if it’s the absolute best.

Woonsocket, Rhode Island, has a historically large population of French Canadians who began migrating there in the 1840s. Their presence spawned a regional vernacular called New England French, which combines English words with French syntax. Of the many unique terms used by locals, one particularly interesting phrasing is “side by each” — an alternative to the more common version in English, “side by side.” For instance, a parking lot may be full of cars parked side by each.

The word “jit” is a regionalism from the city of Tampa, Florida, that’s used in reference to children, rookies, or anyone younger than yourself. There’s a debate over the origins of this term, but many folks believe that it’s an acronym for “junior in training.” “Jit” first became popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, primarily through local hip-hop culture.

A St. Paul sandwich naturally comes from St. Paul, Minnesota — the hometown of Steven Yuen, who created the recipe in the 1940s. Oddly, you probably won’t find a deli selling this sandwich in the Twin Cities, as it’s far more popular in St. Louis, Missouri, the city Yuen moved to. It’s a combination of American and Chinese fare, featuring an egg foo young patty, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and mayo between two slices of white bread.

What most Americans know as soft serve, Vermonters call a creemee. Some think it’s derived from the French word “crème,” while others say it came about because of the high butterfat content that makes each scoop especially creamy. You might also wonder why the term is spelled “creemee” instead of “creamy” or “creamee.” There’s no clear answer, but that’s not of much concern to locals, who’ve embraced the regional spelling.

The term “whoopensocker,” referring to anything that’s extraordinary of its kind, is popular among Wisconsinites. It’s a combination of the terms “whoop,” which is largely used as an expression of jubilation, and “socker,” as in a punch that really knocks you over — in this case, with how awesome the thing is.

Virginia is for lovers, but it’s also for jabbling. The term “jabble” has long existed in British English as a word that means “mental or emotional agitation.” Its meaning is more physical to Virginians, who define “jabble” as “to shake things up.” Just imagine you’re looking for your car keys in your bag, but they’re hard to find because everything has been jabbled around.