The following words and phrases are ten slang terms that are often used by English speakers living in California!
- Trip out – When someone is making a big deal out of a small problem, overreacting, or worrying. For example, you can tell someone to stop tripping out about their hair.
- Sketchy – Sketchy is something that is dangerous, stupid, or doesn’t feel right. It can be used to describe a person or place that is untrustworthy or creepy. You could say, “I don’t like to go to that part of town at night because it is sketchy.”
- Psyched – When you’re really excited about something. You could say, “I’m so psyched to go to Las Vegas this weekend!”
- Gnarley – (the “g” is silent, pronounced nar-lee). When something is intense, wild, or scary. It was originally used as a surfing term but can be used to describe other things as well. For example: “That car accident looks really gnarley.”
- Boss – Something really cool. A boss is someone that’s in charge like a manager. If someone is driving a car you like you could say, “that Mercedes Benz is really boss.”
- To rock (something) – You rock something when you wear clothes or accessories with style. For example: “that girl really rocks her new haircut with that pink shirt.”
- Bail – When you leave a place or activity early. You could say, “this party is really lame. I’m going to bail.” Bail also means to be let out of jail early when someone pays for you to be released.
- Stoked – Similar meaning to ‘psyched’. When you’re really excited or exhilarated about something. “I’m really stoked about going surfing this weekend.”
- Bomb –Describing something that you think is really good, the best, or amazing. “This In-N-Out burger is bomb.”
- Chill – Chill can be used as a descriptive word meaning easygoing or cool, or as a verb meaning to relax and hang out. You could say, “that girl from my grammar 500B class is really chill, she is always in a good mood.” You could also say, “hey do you want to come over and watch a movie and chill?”
