How do you say hello in Philadelphia?

Yo. Yes, “yo” is said just about everywhere in the country, but it's almost exclusively how we say “hello” in Philly. The greeting of “yo” can vary in meaning, though, depending on intonation.


What are some Philly slang words?

12 Philadelphia Slang Terms You Should Know
  • Wooder.
  • Jawn.
  • The Linc.
  • Youse guys.
  • Drawlin'
  • Hoagie.
  • Wit/witout.
  • Chumpy.


How do people from Philly talk?

The Philadelphia accent today is “rhotic” or r-pronouncing. There are some instances of non-rhoticity possibly found in South Philadelphia. But generally, all r's are pronounced.


What does Bub mean in Philly?

A young brother; a little boy; a familiar term of address for a small boy.

How do people in Philly say water?

The word water is commonly pronounced /ˈwʊtər/ (with the first syllable rhyming with the word put, so that it sounds like "wooter" or "wooder"), rather than the more standard English /ˈwɔtər/. This is considered by many to be the defining characteristic of a Philadelphia dialect, even among young Philadelphians.


Philly accent one of the world's most studied dialects



What is jawn slang for?

What does jawn mean? Jawn is Philadelphia slang for anything … literally anything. Jawn is used as an all encompassing substitute for any person, place, or thing. Like this definition, an informative jawn.

What do Philly people say different?

Pronunciation Guide

Water is pronounced "wooder". If someone says "Do you want ice in your wooder?" they're asking if you want ice in your H2O. Bala Cynwyd is pronounced "BA-la KIN-wid". It's a town in Montco.

Is there a Philly accent?

The Philadelphia accent has got quite the reputation. The New York Times called it “arguably the most distinctive, and least imitable, accent in North America.” A 2013 University of Pennsylvania study analyzed the shifts of the accent; the eldest of the voices were born more than 100 years ago.


What does a Philly accent sound like?

The biggest tell for a Philadelphia accent is how they say the word “water.” When people with a “Philadelphia” accent say water it sounds like “wooder.” This is particularly prevalent when people talk about what we grew up calling water ice. It's sounds like wooder ice here.

What does OCKY mean in Philly?

A jawn can literally be any person, place or thing. Ex: "Can you pass me that jawn?" And ocky: fake or not authentic. Ex: "Ayo, ya Tims ocky!"

What is said Philly?

Said! Literal meaning: We are discussing the Philadelphia Phillies, who are doing great. This particular turn of phrase started with superfan Jack Varnis, who went viral for his spot on Fox 29 a decade ago, the last time the Phillies were in the playoffs. His full statement: “I am stoked, Steve!


Why do Philly people say jawn?

Simply answered, jawn is a stand-in for, but not limited to, objects, places, people, and events. Jawn can mean nothing and everything. It's similar to the word 'thing' in use but carries more local flair.

What is a person from Philly called?

Philadelphian is most commonly used to describe someone who is from (or a resident of) the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Philadelphian" may also refer to: Old Philadelphians, members of the First Families of Philadelphia considered part of the historic core of the East Coast establishment.

Is Philly mostly Italian?

By 2010, the U.S. Census identified the Philadelphia metropolitan region as home to the second-largest Italian-American population in the United States with about 3,100 Italian immigrants living in the city and more than 142,000 residents identifying as having Italian ancestry.


Do people in Philly say yous?

“Youse” is associated with working-class white folks in South Philly, but “y'all” is the grammatical alternative to “you guys” in the dialect of Philly's African American communities.

Is Yo a Philly word?

Yo /ˈjoʊ/ is a slang interjection, commonly associated with North American English. It was popularized by the Italian-American community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the 1940s.

How do Philadelphians say bagel?

With apologies to comedian Jeff Foxworthy, you might be a Philadelphian if: you say beggle (bagel), wooder (water), tal (towel), beyoodeeful (beautiful), dennis (dentist) or Fit Shtreet (Fifth Street).


Are people from Philly rude?

Philadelphia ranked in the number one spot, followed by Memphis and New York City. While the average city score for rudeness is 5.10, Philadelphia received a score of 6.43.

Do Philly people say JAWN?

Philadelphians also tend to drop hard consonants like t and g off the ends of their words, and so jawn was born. Philly's usage of jawn has become even broader and more all-encompassing than New York's joint, which has established connotations referring to either a place (like a club) or marijuana.

Do they say JAWN in Philly?

Jawn is a slang term that may refer to a thing, place, person, or event, substituting for a specific name. It is local to Philadelphia and the broader Delaware Valley metropolitan area. Jawn is a context-dependent substitute noun; a noun that substitutes for other nouns. Jawn can be singular or plural.


What does Jeet mean in Philly?

Jeet? Perhaps the nicest thing your mother or grandma can ask you, “Jeet?” means “Did you eat yet?” The answer to that question is simple as you can always eat more here.

What does it mean to YEET?

What to Know. Yeet is a slang word that functions broadly with the meaning “to throw,” but is especially used to emphasize forcefulness and a lack of concern for the thing being thrown. (You don't yeet something if you're worried that it might break.)

Is jawn a black word?

I hate to break it to you, Philly, but linguists agree that jawn actually comes from New York City and is derived from the word “joint,” which is deeply rooted in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), but its history goes back to around the time of emancipation.


What do locals call Philadelphia?

Philadelphia's nicknames include Philly, The City of Brotherly Love, The Birthplace of America, The City that Loves You Back, The City of Neighborhoods, The Quaker City and The Cradle of Liberty. There are more than 3,800 murals in Philadelphia.

Does Philly say hoagie or sub?

“Hoagie.” The red parts “Sub.” More precisely, according to Katz, 73.2% of Philadelphians use the term when describing a “long sandwich.” The rest? Clearly not from here.