Coming to the West from New York is a ginormous change. Yes, it is still America, but the people here on the West Coast are completely different in a lot of ways. From the attitudes to the way they dress, it is an outrageous change. One of the things I have noticed the most is the lingo used by West Coasters is much different from New York or anything I have ever experienced living on the East Coast.
1. Hella
Here's what The Urban Dictionary has to say:
Hella: very, totally; lots of. N.B. Generally used in Northern California.
"That party was hella sketch."
"There was hella weed tho!"
I don't believe I have ever heard anyone in New York or anywhere else on the East Coast for that matter say hella. We say "mad" instead. That's mad far, that's mad weird. It just sounds so Californian, "hella."
2. Gnarly
The Urban Dictionary says:
Gnarly: slang term for something extreme. Used in bad and good cases. Originated from the word gnarled.
"That was a gnarly wreck man, that dudes head flew off."
"Did you see that new Local Motion board? It is gnarly."
On the East Coast, people make fun of the word "gnarly."
"Gnarly surfboard, dude."
Honestly, I did not think West Coasters even said gnarly, I thought it was just a joke of the stereotype of West Coasters type of thing. The first person I heard here that said "gnarly" I literally did LOL. I couldn't believe people actually said it.
3. Rad
According to The Urban Dictionary:
Rad: Slang and/or abbreviation for the word "radical."
"Our trip to the strip club was rad!"
Another surfer term, rad. When I think of this word, I think of Californian boys surfing on the beaches of Beverly Hills on 90210.
4. Hesh
And the Urban Dictionary definition is:
Hesh: A term derived from skateboarding culture. Usually used to describe someone unkempt and sometimes dirty in appearance. Will have facial hair more times than not along with tighter jeans.
"Holy sh*t! Did you see that dude's beard? That is one heshy dude!"
Skateboarding is not a big thing at all on the East Coast. It is very rare you see people just riding around through town or a city on their skateboards. On the West Coast, every other person I see is a skateboarder. With that, these "skateboard slangs" come in like the word "hesh." I originally thought people were saying "hash" like the marijuana. Still not really sure why this is a word.
And there you have it, a New Yorker telling the slang of a 19-year-old Californian.
