As the third state admitted to the Union, New Jersey has a long, rich history. Today it’s well known for its contributions to pop culture, including Tony Soprano, Snooki, and Jon Bon Jovi. While these figures (both fictional and real-life) loom large in New Jersey lore, the accent and language of the Garden State are perhaps even more recognizable. Allow us to celebrate this state with some special slang terms unique to New Jersey. Have at it, youse guys.
If a Jersey native invokes Newark, they’re almost always referring to the airport, not the city.
The “shore,” in this case, isn’t just any shore; it’s the Jersey Shore, which includes Sea Isle, Ocean City, Wildwood, and Cape May. The phrase “heading down the shore” is synonymous with “going to the beach” for New Jerseyans (as well as Delaware and Pennsylvania residents, who also frequent the shore). An important fixture of this phrase is the lack of a preposition. New Jerseyans don’t say “down to the shore” — it’s simply “down the shore.” This linguistic habit stems from Canadian English and is also widespread in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.
Today, it’s perhaps reserved for use by older New Jerseyans, but you’ll still commonly hear “MAC” in place of “ATM” — as in, “I gotta hit the MAC.” Much like the trademarked “Band-Aid” became a catchall term for a self-adhesive bandage, MAC — the brand of many North Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia ATMs for a long time — became shorthand for a banking machine. Though it is less commonplace today, the name stuck.
“Mutz” is shorthand for mozzarella cheese, which is practically a food group in certain areas of New Jersey. The state’s large Italian American population adopted their own slang for this quintessential ingredient to make ordering at the deli counter that much faster.
Also called Taylor ham, this meat product is so popular that the New Jersey Pork Roll Festival is held each year in its honor. The meat in question is a mixture of pork, spices, salt, and sugar, which is then smoked and packaged by Taylor Provisions of Trenton, New Jersey. (Other brands produce pork roll meats, too, but Taylor ham is the beloved original.) The product dates back to at least the mid-1800s, when it was called Taylor’s Prepared Ham. Today, it’s commonly served up sliced and fried on egg-and-cheese sandwiches.
Tell us you’re not from Jersey without telling us you’re not from Jersey — if you don’t know that “The Boss” is Bruce Springsteen, that’s enough information. While this nickname has spread across the world with Springsteen’s rise from blue-collar boy to superstar rocker, Jerseyans claim the nickname (and Bruce himself) as their own.
Parts of northeast New Jersey are just a stone’s throw away from New York City, and many New Jersey residents regularly commute to NYC for work or play. As such, they call New York City simply “the City,” as in, “I’m going into the City this weekend to catch a Broadway show.”
Fun fact: It’s against the law to pump your own gas in New Jersey. There’s also a special lingo at New Jersey gas pumps. While the amount of gas you get for your $20 may vary, the shorthand “20 regular cash” has become commonplace to inform the gas-station attendant: “I would like $20 of regular gas pumped into my vehicle, and I’ll pay cash.”
Add this to the list of gender-neutral group greetings — “youse” is the Jersey translation of “y’all,” or more specifically, “all of you.”
“Jug handle” has nothing to do with a container of liquid; rather, it’s a Jersey traffic term for a left turn on a busy highway. While some states allow drivers to turn left at intersections, Jersey drivers must complete a multistep maneuver at certain intersections: They have to make a U-turn through a series of lights or stop signs to enter the opposite side of the highway. The path bears resemblance to the handle on a jug — hence the name.
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