Anyone who was born, or has spent ample time, in Southern California knows there’s a secret language spoken by all natives. Though it may sound like gibberish mixed with a range of strange sounds, SoCal lingo is an integral aspect of what makes us true Californians. Leaving my home state for college in the South freshman year, my natural slang and speech pattern was often met by questioning looks as well as concern for my communicational well-being. People understood what I said, but were perplexed by the way I could string together a sentence with nonsensical words such as "hecka," "stoked" and "wavy" without stuttering.
Later, after transferring colleges to the Pacific Northwest, I was pleasantly greeted by a wave of familiar words and Californian accents that were music to my ears thanks to our school’s large west coast population. Finally, a place where I could call my housemates “bro” without getting a strange look in return. So for all of you Californians trying to navigate the world one catchphrase at a time (and to those who are desperate to better understand us), I dedicate this article to you; a short guide to important California slang.
1. Hella
Definition: A lot, extremely, multitude of.
“Man, that movie was hella scary.”
2. Bruh / Bro (Also heavily used in the South.)
Definition: A word used to greet another person, similar to “brother.”
“Bruh, I haven’t seen you in a minute! How’ve you been?”
3. Whack
Definition: Awful, crazy, terrible.
“Ugh, it’s so whack that your mom won’t let you go to Angie’s party on Saturday.”
4. Dude
Definition: Basically the same thing as “bro” (can be used interchangeably).
“Sup, Dude?”
5. Fam
Definition: Your people, your friends, people you consider close to you that aren’t related to you by blood.
“Hey fam, wanna make dinner together this weekend?”
6. Gnarly
Definition: A step above radical, excitingly dangerous, beyond awesome (can be positive or negative).
“Wow, those waves look hella gnarly today, guys.”
7. Bum
Definition: To borrow.
“Yo, can I bum $5 off you?”
8. Clutch
Definition: “Exactly what you need, when you need it. Essential or performing well under pressure” (Source: Urban Dictionary).
“Thanks for the ride. Way to come in clutch when my car broke down.”
9. Cruise
Definition: To take a leisurely drive with or without a destination.
“Wanna cruise downtown today?”
10. Dank
Definition: Extremely good quality, something that’s beyond amazing.
“Man, that burrito was so dank.”
11. Post Up
Definition: To chill or hang out in a certain location.
“Yeah, come on over, I’m just posted up at my place relaxing.”
12. Marine Layer
Definition: Another word for smog.
“The marine layer is thick as heck at Manhattan today.”
13. Grip
Definition: A lot of (similar to “hella”).
“After working 60-plus hours this week, I’ll have a grip of cash to put in the bank.”
14. Shoobie
Definition: A synonym for a beach tourist who most definitely looks like they don’t belong anywhere near sand and water.
“Man, look at that guy wearing socks with sandals! What a shoobie... ”
15. Cop A U-ey
Definition: To make a U-turn.
“Hold on, let me cop a U-ey real quick.”
16. Stoked
Definition: Extremely excited.
“I’m stoked for beach volleyball tournaments to start up again this year.”
17. Tryna / Finna
Definition: An abbreviated way to say “trying to.”
“Y’all tryna go to the movies tonight?”
18. Good Looks
Definition: Thank you, thanks for looking out.
“Good looks on sending me today’s homework assignment since I missed class.”
19. Cutty
Definition: Sketchy, probably a bad idea to engage with whatever you’re calling cutty.
“That shortcut looks cutty, let’s take the long way home.”
20. Fasho
Definition: Sounds good, OK, for sure.
“Fasho, we can push back our Facetime date to later tonight.”
21. Slaps
Definition: A really good song.
“Yo, this new Drake song slaps!”
22. Dusty / Crusty
Definition: Used as a joking insult when you think someone is dirty or unkempt.
“Haha, man those old shoes are so crusty! Throw them away!”
