Long Island may technically be part of New York City, but in many ways, it feels like its own country. While a lot of NY slang naturally creeps onto Long Island, the area still has a variety of its own slang to contribute, too.
In this post, our mission is to look at a slew of Long Island slang words you might hear people saying regularly if you were to visit. That way, if you’re not from there, you’ll understand the local lingo.
Let’s take a closer look…
Long Island Slang Words (in Alphabetical Order)
BEC
Meaning:
- (Noun): All over NYC, a simple bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich is one of the most famous and delicious breakfasts you can get. Many Long Islanders will abbreviate the name of the sandwich to just BEC.
- Example: “Can you pick me up a BEC for breakfast?”
Brick
Meaning:
- (Adjective): This is a more popular New York slang term that you’ll hear all over the state – not just the city, and certainly not just Long Island. It means very cold.
- Example: “He said it was brick outside, so I wore several layers…but I think he was wylin,’ because now I’m too hot.”
Bro
Meaning:
- (Noun): You’ll probably hear this one all over the country – not just in NY. Bro is a shortened version of the word “brother,” and you can use it to casually refer to any guy you’re talking to. These days, some even treat it as a gender-neutral term, like dude.
- Example: “Bro, it’s dumb brick outside today.”
Buggin’
Meaning:
- (Verb): If you’re buggin,’ you’re having an emotional overreaction to something. This means you’re freaking out.
- Example: “He needs to stop buggin’ and calm down.”
Cop
Meaning:
- (Verb): To get something.
- Example: “She copped a new pair of shoes last night at the store.”
Dayroom
Meaning:
- (Adjective): If someone calls you dayroom, it is not a compliment. Dayroom means you’re behaving childishly.
- Example: “He acted dumb dayroom when he lost the game.”
Dead
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Dead is an emphasizing word for many Long Islanders. You use it like you would use the word “very.”
- Example: “It is dead brick in here. Close the window!”
Deadass
Meaning:
- (Adjective): This is another example of legendary New York slang. It’s kind of spread all over the country at this point. If someone says, “deadass,” it means they’re telling the truth or they’re serious about what they’re saying.
- Example: “Are you deadass trying to steal my phone right now?”
Dip
Meaning:
- (Verb): To leave.
- Example: “Let’s dip. This party is dead.”
Dope
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Dope is another way of saying something is awesome.
- Example: “That song was dope!”
Dumb
Meaning:
- (Adjective): An emphasizing word. It’s like saying “very.”
- Example: “The day was dumb brick, so the hikers wore winter coats.”
Dunkin’
Meaning:
- (Noun): Nickname for Dunkin’ Donuts, a large donut and coffee chain.
Finna
Meaning:
- (Interjection): Long Island slang for “gonna,” or “going to.”
- Example: “It’s finna rain later, so make sure you bring an umbrella.”
Good Looks
Meaning:
- (Expression): You can use good looks to thank someone or whenever someone does something that’s generous, kind, and unexpected.
- Example: “He held the door open for me. Good looks.”
Guap
Meaning:
- (Noun): Slang word that means money.
- Example: “He earns a little extra guap on the side by doing odd jobs for people.”
Half and Half
Meaning:
- (Noun): If you’re a coffee enthusiast, this doesn’t refer to creamer. Half and half is a mixture of lemonade and iced tea.
- Example: “There’s nothing like a tall, ice-cold glass of half and half at the end of the day.”
Hero
Meaning:
- (Noun): Long Island name for a sub sandwich.
- Example: “Do you want to grab a hero for lunch?”
Jamaica
Meaning:
- (Noun): Don’t assume this refers to the country. In Long Island, Jamaica is a train stop that many locals say you should never transfer at late at night.”
- Example: “Don’t change trains at Jamaica later. Just trust me on that one.”
JAP
Meaning:
- (Noun): Acronym that stands for Jewish American Princess. It comes from a reality TV show called Princesses of Long Island.
- Example: “She says she’s not a JAP, but I’ve seen the mansion she lives in.”
LIE
Meaning:
- (Noun): An acronym for Long Island Expressway. This is a busy road that locals recommend avoiding at specific times if you don’t want to get stuck in a traffic jam.
- Example: “Stay of the LIE after work, or you’ll be stuck in traffic for hours.”
LIRR
Meaning:
- (Noun): This stands for Long Island Railroad. You take the railway to get to a variety of places and you can even drink while you’re on it.
- Example: “There were a bunch of drunks on the LIRR last night. Remind me never to take the train that late again.”
Live On
Meaning:
- (Expression): Long Islanders will never say they live in Long Island. Instead, they live on Long Island.
- Example: “Her family lives on Long Island.”
Mad
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Another emphasizing word. See Dumb.
On Line
Meaning:
- (Expression): Just like they don’t live in Long Island, Long Islanders don’t say they’re waiting in line. You say you’re waiting on line when you’re in a queue.
- Example: “Let’s wait on line. It will be worth it.”
Pool Hopping
Meaning:
- (Verb): Many people have pools in their backyard in Long Island. As a teenager, kids will often run through a row of backyards and take a dip in the pools. It’s called pool hopping.
- Example: “That pesky group of kids went pool hopping last night.”
Slice
Meaning:
- (Noun): A single slice of pizza.
- Example: “Can you grab me a slice after work?”
Strong Island
Meaning:
- (Noun): A nickname for Long Island.
- Example: “He grew up on Strong Island.”
Read Also: 75 New York City Nicknames
Sweet 16
Meaning:
- (Noun): Sweet 16 is a term used all over the country for large birthday parties thrown when someone turns 16. However, Long Island takes these parties to a whole new level.
- Example: “There isn’t any other party like a Long Island Sweet 16.”
The City
Meaning:
- (Noun): Some people refer to New York City in general as the City. Others may occasionally use the term specifically to refer to Manhattan.
- Example: “The City is the most important one in the country. No doubt about it.”
The Pencil
Meaning:
- (Noun): The Pencil is a nickname for a tall tower located in Long Island. It’s actually called the Jones Beach Water Tower, but locals don’t call it that.
- Example: “Let’s take pictures in front of the Pencil.”
Tight
Meaning:
- (Adjective): If you’re tight, you’re upset about something. It’s another word for angry.
- Example: “She was mad tight after we pranked her.”
Treesh
Meaning:
- (Noun): You should be upset if someone calls you a treesh, because it’s a word that means promiscuous woman. Some might also use the words baba and skank to mean the same thing.
- Example: “Stay away from her. She’s a treesh.”
Upstate
Meaning:
- (Noun): There’s actually some debate over which parts of New York state are considered Upstate. Some Long Islanders will say it’s anything north of New York City.
- Example: “Want to get out of the City and go upstate this weekend?”
Related Article: 25+ Upstate New York Slang Words
Wildin’/Wylin’
Meaning:
- (Verb): Wildin’ is a common slang term all over New York City, but you’ll hear people saying it in Long Island, too. It means you’re freaking out. See Buggin.’
Yeet
Meaning:
- (Interjection): Yeet is one of those words that rose to meme status and was used all over the country. It’s not specific to New York, but it does have a bit of a different meaning in Long Island. Whereas someone else might use it to indicate they’re throwing something away, a Long Islander may use it to indicate they’re kidding about something.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Did you seriously eat all my pizza?”
- Person 2: “Yeet! Your leftovers are right here.”
Yurr/Yerr
Meaning:
- (Interjection): This is another popular slang term in New York City. You shout it as a greeting to someone, much like yelling “hey!”
- Example: “Yurrrrrrrrrr! How’s it going?”
Wrap Up
New York City may be just a single city, but it’s divided into sections that each have their own unique vocabulary. Long Island is just one section, although it has its own individual identity and culture. If you’d like to learn more slang from different sections in NYC, take a look at our list of Brooklyn slang words.
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