NYC Street Talk phrases and words in English

Phrases shouted across a bodega counter, mumbled on the train, or yelled from a fire escape. Italian-American classics, Yiddish leftovers, and modern Bronx-Harlem-Brooklyn slang — sound like you actually live here, not like you're visiting.

43 phrases · meanings & example sentences

“Fuhgeddaboudit”

A blurred way of saying 'forget about it.' Tone decides the meaning: flat refusal ('no chance'), strong agreement ('obviously'), or something so good or bad it's beyond words. Same syllables, opposite messages.

He asked if I'd lend him money again. Fuhgeddaboudit
You think she's apologizing first this time? Fuhgeddaboudit
That little Italian place downtown — fuhgeddaboudit, best meal of the year

“Deadass”

Means 'seriously' or 'I'm not joking.' Drop it before a wild claim to swear it's true, tack it onto the end to confirm, or say it alone as a question meaning 'for real?'

I saw the lead actor just buying snacks at the corner store. Deadass
She told me she's never seen a single episode. Deadass?
Deadass, my landlord raised the rent again, second time this year

“No cap”

Means 'no lie' or 'I'm completely serious' — used to swear you're not exaggerating. Can open a statement or close it to confirm you mean every word.

No cap, I've been to that restaurant five times this month
She ran the whole race with zero training, no cap
That album is a masterpiece, no cap

“It's brick out”

Slang for bitterly cold — the kind that makes your face go numb. 'Brick' is the adjective for harsh, freezing weather, far stronger than 'chilly' or 'nippy'.

I'm not walking, it's brick out, let's get a cab
Forecast says 18°F with windchill tomorrow. It's gonna be brick
Why are you in shorts? It's brick out, man

“Mad”

'Mad' used as an intensifier in place of 'very' or 'a lot of' — mad good, mad people, mad tired. Drops in front of almost any adjective or noun to crank it up.

There's mad people here tonight, we're gonna be mad late
That movie was mad underrated, you have to watch it
She's been mad stressed since the deadline got moved up

“Yerr”

An all-purpose shout that works as hello, 'what's up,' yes, and 'I see you,' depending on tone. Often stretched out — 'yeeerrr.' The fastest way to greet someone from across a room.

Walked in and saw my whole crew already there. YERR
Phone rings, it's my friend. 'Yerrr, what's good?'
Spotted him across the platform, threw a hand up — YERR

“Stop playing”

Means 'you've got to be joking.' Used when something sounds too good, too dumb, or too suspicious to believe. Not a literal request — more like 'say that again, I can't tell if I'm impressed or offended.'

He charged you nine bucks for a coffee? Stop playing
You got playoff tickets for free? Stop playing
She said she's never had a bagel? Stop playing

“Type shit”

A tag added to the end of a statement to confirm the vibe, like saying 'and that's how it should be.' Originally from rap, now standard punctuation on a life update.

Got home at 2am with a slice in each hand. Type shit
Closed the deal, hit the gym, called my mom. Type shit
Sunday dinner with three generations at one table. Type shit

“Schmuck”

A Yiddish-origin word for a fool or idiot, especially someone clueless or inconsiderate. Affectionate and dismissive at once — milder than most insults, which is why it's stuck around for a century.

Some schmuck double-parked right in front of the hydrant again
He replied-all with the gossip to the whole company. What a schmuck
Guy at security forgot his laptop, then his belt, then his shoes. Schmuck

“Schlep”

A tedious, annoyingly long journey or haul. Works as a noun ('it's a schlep') or a verb ('I schlepped across town'). Yiddish-origin, best delivered with a sigh.

I'd come but you live an hour and three trains away. It's a schlep
Moving her whole apartment in one rental car. Total schlep
Three connections to get to that wedding. Big schlep ahead

“How you doin'?”

A flirty, sing-songy greeting — half hello, half come-on, delivered with a head tilt. Delivery matters more than the words; said crisply, it loses all its charm.

Held eye contact across the bar. 'How. You. Doin'.'
He slid into her DMs with three words. 'How you doin'.'
She walked back into the office after a year. 'How you doin', strangers?'

“They wildin'”

Means acting crazy, out of line, or unbelievable. Covers a person losing it, an outrageous situation, or someone going too far — the subject can be a person, a company, or a price.

They charged me $22 for two beers plus a tip. They wildin'
Three hours of meetings on a Friday afternoon? They wildin'
She showed up to brunch in a full wedding dress. She wildin'

“Heard?”

A one-word check meaning 'you understand?' or 'we agree?', tacked onto the end of a statement. The correct reply is simply 'heard' — confirming you got it. A quick way to lock in a plan.

We meet at 9, no flaking this time. Heard?
I get the aux for the whole drive. Heard?
No work talk at dinner tonight. Heard?

“What's poppin'?”

A casual greeting that replaces 'what's up.' Good replies are 'nothin',' 'you?,' or just firing it right back. Works walking into a room, on a call, or in a group chat.

Walking into the party. 'Yerr! What's poppin'?'
Picks up the FaceTime. 'What's poppin', where you at?'
Texted the group at 11am: 'What's poppin'.'

“We outside”

An announcement that you're out in public somewhere worth being — and an open invite to come join. Hearing 'we outside' in the group chat means pull up now.

Rooftop bar, drinks flowing, DJ on — we outside
Just landed in Miami, pool by 4. We outside
Block party down the street, whole neighborhood out. We outside

“You tweakin'”

Means you're saying or doing something irrational. Stronger than 'acting wild' — tweakin' implies you're flat-out wrong. Used when a friend floats a bad idea or makes a ridiculous claim.

You wanted to bring luggage on the train at rush hour? You tweakin'
$400 for those headphones? You tweakin'
You said the sequel is better than the original? You tweakin'

“Good lookin'”

Short for 'good looking out' — a casual 'thanks' for a small favor or a heads-up. Nothing to do with appearance. Means 'I appreciate you, no need to make it a thing.'

You saved me the last seat? Good lookin'
Bartender slid me a free one. Nodded — good lookin'
She covered me when I was short at the register. Good lookin'

“Slidin' through”

Casually showing up somewhere, usually briefly and unannounced. Stronger than 'maybe stopping by,' lighter than 'coming over.' The default way to say you might appear.

Pregame's at my place at 8, slidin' through after work?
She slid through for twenty minutes, brought wine, left
If you're around later, slide through, we'll be in the back

“You got me twisted”

A firm correction meaning 'you've got completely the wrong idea about me.' Said slowly and calmly, with eye contact. The line you use right before a situation either cools down or escalates.

He thought I'd apologize first? Nah. You got me twisted
She thought I'd take the back seat at my own party? You got me twisted
If you think I'm coming in on a Saturday, you got me twisted

“Word”

An affirmation meaning 'agreed,' 'true,' or 'I hear you.' Short for 'word up.' A one-syllable thumbs-up that fits anywhere 'facts' or 'for real' would.

Pizza instead of cooking tonight? Word
He said he'd quit if they don't promote him. Word
We're skipping the gym, too tired. Word, I'm out anyway

“On God”

An oath used to swear something is true — short for 'I swear on God.' Tag it to the start or end of a statement to insist you're not exaggerating.

On God, I just saw a rat carry a whole chicken wing
She showed up two hours late, on God, no apology
Best slice in the city, on God, I'll argue with anyone

“The spot”

The place everyone in the group already knows without naming it — the usual bar, diner, or corner. 'Meet me at the spot' is a complete plan when everyone shares the same reference.

Meet me at the spot, 9 sharp, bring cash
He's at the spot already, the usual table in the back
Pulled up to the spot and the line was around the block

“Crash out”

To lose your temper publicly after holding it in too long — to snap. Can be funny or alarming, but always dramatic. The opposite of keeping your cool.

Boss canceled his vacation last-minute. He crashed out in the meeting
She crashed out at the store when they wouldn't replace her phone
Don't crash out at dinner tonight, dad's already in a mood

“You buggin'”

Means you're overreacting, freaking out, or not making sense. Used to talk someone down ('relax, you buggin'') or to call out a wild take. 'Bug out' is the verb for losing it.

It's not that deep, you buggin'
You think I forgot on purpose? You buggin'
She started buggin' when she couldn't find her keys

“That's grimy”

Describes a dirty, shady, low move — behavior that's unfair or disloyal. 'Grimy' calls out the action; it's a step beyond rude into genuinely wrong.

He took credit for her whole project. That's grimy
Cancelling on me to hang with the people I'm mad at? Grimy
They raised the price after we shook on it. Grimy move

“Pull up”

To show up somewhere, often unannounced or on short notice. An invitation ('pull up to the party') or a report ('he pulled up out of nowhere'). Can also be a challenge — 'pull up' meaning come face me.

We're at the bar till late, pull up whenever
He pulled up to the party with ten people
You got a problem? Pull up then

“Cop”

To buy or get something, usually something you wanted. 'I copped the new sneakers.' A casual replacement for 'bought,' often used for a deal or a hard-to-get item.

I finally copped those concert tickets
Copped this jacket for half price
Cop me a coffee while you're out?

“That's OD”

'OD' (from 'overdose') means excessive or over the top. Flags something as too much — too pricey, too dramatic, too far. Can also work as an adverb: 'it's OD hot in here.'

Forty bucks for parking? That's OD
He texted her twenty times in an hour. That's OD
Turn the heat down, it's OD hot in here

“Outta pocket”

Means behaving out of line, inappropriately, or beyond what's acceptable. Stronger than 'rude' — outta pocket implies the person crossed a real line or embarrassed themselves.

He made that joke about her in front of everyone. Outta pocket
Your boss emailed at midnight asking for a full report by 8am? Outta pocket
She replied to the whole group thread with that? Outta pocket

“Run it back”

To do something again, especially something that went well. From sports and gaming, now general — another round, another game, a repeat of a good night.

That trip was unreal, we have to run it back next year
Lost that round — run it back, best of three
Same crew, same bar next Friday? Run it back

“Bet”

A one-word 'okay, deal' or 'sounds good.' Confirms a plan, accepts a challenge, or just agrees. Said alone it locks something in; said as a question ('bet?') it dares someone to follow through.

Meet at 8 and you're buying? Bet
He said he'd run a marathon with no training. Bet?
We're skipping the meeting and getting lunch. Bet, I'm in

“Real talk”

A signal that what follows is honest, blunt, and unsoftened. Cuts through small talk and social niceties — said before something sincere or something hard to hear.

Real talk, I think you deserve better than this job
Real talk, that presentation wasn't your best work
Real talk, I hadn't eaten all day, that's why I was so moody

“Link up”

To meet up or hang out, especially casually. Looser than 'make plans' — link up implies flexibility and low-key intentions. Common in texts: 'we should link up this week.'

You're in town this weekend? We have to link up
The whole crew linked up after the game
Slide through after, we'll link up at the spot

“Klutz”

A Yiddish-origin word for a clumsy person — the type who trips on flat ground or knocks over the drink. Fond rather than cruel, and useful far beyond New York.

She dropped her phone in the toilet again, total klutz
I spilled coffee on the one white shirt I own. Klutz
Don't let him carry the cake, he's a klutz

“Schmooze”

A Yiddish-origin verb for chatting someone up to win them over — networking, flattering, working the room. Not quite sucking up, but warm talk with a purpose behind it.

He spent the whole party schmoozing the investors
I hate having to schmooze clients over dinner
She schmoozed her way into a backstage pass

“Spiel”

A long, rehearsed speech or sales pitch — the routine someone launches into to convince you. Yiddish-origin, often a little tired or over-practiced.

The salesman gave me the whole spiel about the warranty
Don't get her started, she has a spiel about her diet
I gave my usual spiel and they signed on the spot

“It's not that deep”

A reminder to stop overthinking something minor — it doesn't matter as much as you're making it. Used to calm a friend down or wave off a small problem.

You're stressing over one typo in the text? It's not that deep
He won't reply for an hour, relax, it's not that deep
So we took the wrong train, it's not that deep, we'll loop back

“I'm dead”

Means something is so funny you can't handle it — you're 'dead' from laughing. Often shortened to just 'dead' or stretched to 'deceased.' Never literal; the bigger the laugh, the more you mean it.

He sent a video of his cat falling off the couch. I'm dead
She read his old texts out to the whole table. Dead
The waiter tripped and somehow saved every plate. I'm deceased

“Tight”

Used to mean annoyed, upset, or quietly fuming — 'I'm tight about it.' Different from the usual sense of 'tight,' and a low-key way to admit something got under your skin.

They gave away my reservation. I'm tight
He's still tight that we left without him
Missed the train by ten seconds. So tight right now

“Schmutz”

A Yiddish-origin word for a smudge, smear, or bit of dirt. The perfect word for a small mess or stain too minor to have a real name.

You've got a little schmutz on your collar
Wiped the schmutz off the screen before the video call
The toddler left schmutz on every window in reach

“Kvetch”

A Yiddish-origin word for complaining or whining, especially the constant low-grade kind. Works as a verb ('stop kvetching') or a noun for the complaint itself ('a good kvetch').

He kvetched about the weather the whole hike
I just need to kvetch for a minute, then I'm fine
She's a sweetheart but she loves a good kvetch

“Oy vey”

A Yiddish exclamation of dismay, exhaustion, or 'why me.' Sighed out when something goes wrong or someone is being too much. 'Oy' on its own does the job in a pinch.

He's telling that same story again? Oy vey
Three trains delayed on one commute. Oy vey
Opened the bill and just went, oy vey

“B”

A casual term of address tacked onto a sentence, like 'man' or 'dude' — 'chill, B.' Short, neutral, and a quick way to punctuate a sentence with the person you're talking to.

Relax, B, the train's not even late yet
Yo B, you see where I put my keys?
That's wild, B, I can't believe she said that

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