The United States is such a large region, that each state has developed its own specific slang lexicon. This can make every single state feel like a different country entirely with a language you haven’t experienced the nuances of before.
California is different. It’s such an influential cultural behemoth that slang words in California have often circulated throughout the United States.
Today, we’re going to examine a slew of California slang words. See how many of them you’ve heard previously to understand just what we mean.
California Slang Words (in Alphabetical Order)
A
Aight
Meaning:
- (Interjection): A word that combines “all” and “right” into one syllable. You can say this in agreement with something or to indicate that something is okay.
- Example:
- Person 1: “How are you feeling?”
- Person 2: “I’m aight.”
B
Bomb
Meaning:
- (Adjective): This slang word has roots in 90’s slang. It doesn’t mean an explosive – it means that something is good.
- Example: “That song was bomb!”
Brah/Bro/Bruh
Meaning:
- (Noun): Shortened version of “brother” that originates from skater slang. You can use this to indicate any male figure in your life, whether it’s a friend or guy you’ve just met.
- Example: “What’s up, brah?”
Brew
Meaning:
- (Noun): Slang word that means beer.
- Example: “I’m going to snag a brew after work. Want to come with?”
More Like This: Slang Words for Beer
Bum
Meaning:
- (Verb): To borrow or get something from someone.
- Example: “Mind if a bum a smoke off you?”
Butthurt
Meaning:
- (Adjective): When one is needlessly offended or upset about something.
- Example: “If you let yourself get butthurt so easily, you’re gonna have a bad time.”
C
Chill
Meaning:
- (Verb): Relaxing or hanging out peacefully.
- Example: “Want to chill with me tonight?”
Come in Hot
Meaning:
- (Verb): Arriving somewhere fast or in a hurry.
- Example: “Look, she’s coming in hot!”
Come Up
Meaning:
- (Verb): To receive something or to improve something.
- Example: “She really came up after meeting her weight loss goal.”
Coo
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Abbreviation of the word “cool.” It’s just another way of saying something is good.
- Example: “Don’t worry – it’s coo.”
Cruise
Meaning:
- (Verb): Either coming or going. You can use it to describe leaving or arriving somewhere.
- Example: “I’m pretty tired, so I’m going to cruise. See you tomorrow!”
D
Dank
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Dank is a word that is commonly used to describe quality marijuana, which is legal in California. However, nowadays, you can use it to describe anything that’s really good.
- Example: “Dang, that dirty dog was dank!”
Dirty Dog
Meaning:
- (Noun): A popular street food in Los Angeles. It consists of a hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with onions and peppers.
- Example: “I know this food truck that makes the best dirty dogs.”
Down
Meaning:
- (Adjective): To be willing or excited to do something.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Want to go grab dirty dogs with me for lunch?”
- Person 2: “I’m down for that.”
Drag
Meaning:
- (Noun): An inhale of a cigarette. Taking a breath of cigarette smoke.
- Example: “She took one long drag on her cigarette, then put it out on the sidewalk.”
Read Also: Slang Words for Cigarettes
F
For Real
Meaning:
- (Adjective): When something is serious and true.
- Example:
- Person 1: “I saw Beyonce on the beach last night.”
- Person 2: “For real?”
Fosho
Meaning:
- (Interjection): An accented way of saying, “for sure.” You can say fosho in agreement with something.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Do you want the rest of my herb?”
- Person 2: “Fosho!”
Frisco
Meaning:
- (Noun): A nickname for the city of San Francisco.
- Example: “It’s impossible to buy a house in Frisco unless you’re loaded.”
G
Gnarly
Meaning:
- (Adjective): This is more skater slang that means awesome.
- Example: “That song was gnarly!”
Greens
Meaning:
- (Noun): Whereas you might say greens to describe vegetables somewhere else, greens in California means marijuana.
- Example: “Did you bring any greens with you?”
Grip
Meaning:
- (Adjective): You say this to describe when there’s a large amount of anything.
- Example: “He brought a grip of greens with him.”
Grub
Meaning:
- (Noun): Slang word for food.
- Example: “He stopped to grab some grub on the way to school.”
H
Heavy
Meaning:
- (Adjective): This doesn’t mean heavy in a physical sense. Instead, it means emotionally charged and serious.
- Example: “Stop thinking those heavy thoughts and come chill with me.”
Hella
Meaning:
- (Adjective): An emphasizing word that means “really” or “very.”
- Example: “That song was hella dank, bro.”
Herb
Meaning:
- (Noun): Another word for marijuana.
- Example: “She smokes herbs to unwind after work.”
Hyphy
Meaning:
- (Adjective): To be in a really rambunctious or hyperactive state.
- Example: “The kids were hyphy after eating too much sugar.”
J
June Gloom
Meaning:
- (Noun): A weather pattern resulting in gloomy, gray days at the beginning of June.
- Example: “The June gloom has got Becky feeling heavy.”
K
Killing It
Meaning:
- (Verb): To be doing something really well.
- Example: “He killed it at the show last night.”
L
Legit
Meaning:
- (Adjective): When something is authentic and real.
- Example: “I legit saw Leo DiCaprio in LA today.”
Like
Meaning:
- (Interjection): You’ve heard of the stereotypical Valley Girl speak, where you say, “like” every other word. In this sense, it’s kind of use like a filler, similar to “uh” or “um.”
- Example: “Why don’t we, like, hang out later?”
M
May Gray
Meaning:
- (Noun): This one is like June Gloom, except in May. See June Gloom.
Mental
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Something that’s incredible or impossible to believe.
- Example: “She did, like, twenty shots at the bar last night. It was mental.”
See Also: British Slang for Drunk: 122 Words with Examples
Mob
Meaning:
- (Verb): See Cruise.
N
Norcal
Meaning:
- (Noun): Abbreviation of the phrase “Northern California.” This region extends from the Bay Area all the way up to the Oregon border.
- Example: “John says he’s from Norcal, but never says exactly where.”
P
Pilot Season
Meaning:
- (Noun): A certain time of year when statistically the most TV shows are being created, usually at the beginning of the year. This is when rookie actors and actresses try their hardest to get a role somewhere.
- Example: “Ana has been waiting for pilot season so she can try to make her dream of being an actress a reality.”
Post Up
Meaning:
- (Expression): A command that tells someone to wait or hold on.
- Example: “Post up – did you hear that weird noise?”
Put on Blast
Meaning:
- (Verb): To publicly call out someone or something. It can be done in a teasing manner or done as a form of serious criticism.
- Example: “Ben put his workplace on blast after they fired him for going to his mom’s funeral.”
S
Send It
Meaning:
- (Verb): To finish something. Some also use it to cheer someone on when they’re in the middle of something.
- Example:
- Person 1: “I’m going to try asking Chris out this weekend.”
- Person 2: “Yes, send it!”
SF
Meaning:
- (Noun): Acronym for San Francisco. You can say it out loud or use it in a text.
- Example: “I’m planning on taking a trip to SF this weekend. You in?”
Shred
Meaning:
- (Verb): Skater slang that typically refers to some kind of sport, like surfing or skateboarding. To shred means you’re doing really well at it.
- Example: “You were shredding, bruh!”
Sick
Meaning:
- (Adjective): More skater slang that means awesome.
SigAlert
Meaning:
- (Noun): A traffic accident that results in a lane on the freeway being shut down for the time being. Often used as an excuse to explain why you were late.
- Example: “Sorry I was late – I got held up by a SigAlert.”
Snag
Meaning:
- (Verb): To get something, either legitimately or by theft.
- Example: “She snagged some tickets to the show at a discount.”
Socal
Meaning:
- (Noun): Southern California. This refers to LA and the regions south of it.
Stellar
Meaning:
- (Adjective): See Sick.
Stoked
Meaning:
- (Adjective): To be excited for something.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Are you ready for your vacation?”
- Person 2: “Bruh, I’m stoked!”
Swag
Meaning:
- (Noun): Your clothing and accessories.
- Example: “Look at that awesome swag she’s wearing.”
Swoop
Meaning:
- (Verb): Another way of saying you picked up someone or something.
- Example: “I swooped some ice cream on the way back.”
T
The Bay
Meaning:
- (Noun): Short way of referring to the Bay Area.
The Emerald Triangle
Meaning:
- (Noun): Three counties (Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity) that produce most of the state’s marijuana.
- Example: “This dank herb comes from the Emerald Triangle.”
The Industry
Meaning:
- (Noun): An infamous term that refers to the entertainment industry, which has a huge presence in California.
- Example: “He’s been trying to get into The Industry since he graduated high school, but no luck.”
The Orange Curtain
Meaning:
- (Noun): The divide between LA and Orange County.
Trees
Meaning:
- (Noun): See Herb or Greens.
Tryna
Meaning:
- (Verb): Slang for “trying to.”
- Example: “I’m tryna get tickets to the show, but they’re all sold out.”
Y
Yadadamean
Meaning:
- (Expression): Common slang that means, “You know what I mean.” You can say it at the end of a statement to see if others understand where you’re coming from. This is one you have to say fast, though, and people will look at you strangely if you say it slowly.
- Example: “She’s got an interesting-looking face, yadadamean?”
Yee
Meaning:
- (Interjection): A quick, easy way to say “yes.”
Read More: Slang Words for Yes
Wrap Up
California has a powerful cultural influence in the United States. As the heart of the American entertainment industry, it’s as cutting-edge as you can get when it comes to being trendy. How many of these terms have you heard before?
If you’d like to learn more slang from states in the US, try looking at our list of Florida slang words and sayings.
