California slang is popular all over the world thanks to television and movies. But which slang makes you sound like a legit Californian, and which slang is best saved for the Hollywood set? Keep reading for the best slang from all over California, including Southern California slang and Bay Area slang (and yes, they're different!).
Popular Southern California Slang
When you think of California slang, you're probably thinking of Southern California. Whether you're a valley girl from San Fernando or a bro from NoHo, there's more to Southern California slang than "like" in every sentence. You'll get the hang of it soon — just don't call California "Cali" unless you want to sound like a tourist!
| Slang Word/Phrase | Meaning | Example |
| down | ready or okay with something | A bunch of us are headed up to Carp this weekend, you down? |
| like | an interjection or sentence filler; also used instead of "said" | And then he was like, "Sure, I'd love to see a movie with you." |
| for real | serious | Are you being for real about this? |
| for sure | definitely | I'll for sure ask my dad if we can borrow his car. |
| grip | a lot | You'll make a grip of money at this new job. |
| legit | real, not fake | This is a legit opportunity to get our name out there. |
| May Gray/June Gloom | the cloud cover over coastal California before summer temperatures hit | I was hoping for a sunny day today, but it looks like it's still June Gloom. |
| NoHo | North Hollywood | Come see my new place in NoHo later on. |
| no yeah | I agree with you | No yeah, we should definitely get together tonight. |
| SigAlert | traffic issue causing a delay | Sorry I'm late, there was a Sigalert on the 405. |
| SoCal | Southern California | SoCal beaches are so busy during the summer. |
| "the" before "freeway" | identifying which freeway you're talking about | Just take the 101 and get off before you hit the 118. |
| WeHo | West Hollywood | Have you been to the new club in WeHo yet? |
| yeah no | no | Yeah no, I'm not coming over tonight. |
| you know | also a sentence filler; used to get agreement from a listener | I think a beach party would be fun, you know? |
Surfer Slang
Southern California includes San Diego County, Orange County and Los Angeles County. The region often includes some of the Central Coast, including Ventura and Santa Barbara, where Southern California gets its surfer influence. Explore surfer slang that's made its way into popular Southern California slang.
| Slang Word | Meaning | Example |
| amped | excited | I'm amped to hit the waves today. |
| bomb (not "the bomb") | really good | That fireworks show was bomb. |
| bro, brah or bruh | buddy | Hey brah, long time no see! |
| dope | very cool or good | That band is dope; I'd love to see them in concert! |
| dude | friend or an exclamation meaning "whoa" or "I can't believe it." | Dude! Why didn't you tell me you were coming? |
| gnarly | good or bad (depending on the context) | Good: My brother is a gnarly surfer on his new board. Bad: Are you okay? That was a gnarly fall. |
| grom | young kid or beginner | Check out the grom; he can't even stand up on his board! |
| rad | great | I know a rad spot for paddleboarding. |
| sick | awesome, very skilled | That dude's truck is sick! |
| stoked | excited | Peter's stoked to try the new sushi restaurant tonight. |
Bay Area Slang
Some of the above words may be familiar to you from social media and television. However, up in the Bay Area, they're more likely to get a chuckle than a high-five. "Hella" is much more at home in San Francisco than "for real." Take a look at these examples of Bay Area slang and you'll sound like a NorCal local in no time.
Slang Word/Phrase | Meaning | Example |
| dip | leave | This party is so lame; I'm gonna dip in a minute. |
| finna | going to ("fixing to") | I'm finna open my own coffee shop someday. |
| good looks (or good look) | thanks ("good looking out") | I'll help you with that. Good looks. |
| hecka | very | That's hecka far to walk. |
| hella | very | I'm hella excited about the festival this weekend. |
| hyphy | overly excited or rowdy | The DJ had everyone hella hyphy with his mix. |
| outta pocket | inappropriate; out of line | You're being really outta pocket tonight. |
| no "the" before "freeway" | using the number of the freeway as its name | Take 101 all the way up to San Francisco. |
| NorCal | Northern California | I've lived in NorCal for seven years. |
| put on blast | to embarrass someone in public | Mark put me on blast by telling everyone I'd cheated on him. |
| slaps | really good (usually about music) | I've never heard this band before, but this song really slaps. |
| The City | San Francisco | Call me the next time you're in The City. |
| The Town | Oakland | How long does it take to get to The Town from here? |
| tryna | trying to, or want to | I'm not tryna hear that right now. |
| yadadamean | You know what I mean? | We need a vacation, yadadamean? |
Silicon Valley Slang
Like the surfer world of SoCal, Silicon Valley is very influential over the culture and communication of the Bay Area. Several industry-specific buzzwords have made their way into slang both inside and outside Silicon (not silicone) Valley. (But don't call it the Valley — that's either San Fernando Valley or the Central Valley, depending on where you're from.)
| Slang Word/Phrase | Meaning | Example |
| beta | having the inside track | I've been betaing a really cool new program. |
| brogrammer | a cool-guy computer programmer | The bar's full of brogammers during happy hour. |
| dogfooding | a company testing out its own product | We'll be dogfooding the new samples next week. |
| joog | a cheap price | You got that for 20 bucks? Hella joog. |
| phubbing | ignoring someone by being on your phone (phone + snubbing) | The date was awful. He was phubbing me the whole time. |
| stealth mode | secret | Sorry, I can't tell you our plans. We're in stealth mode. |
| tech bro | a guy who works in technology or Silicon Valley | I've dated too many tech bros over the years. |
| three commas club | someone who has a net worth of one billion dollars | Jasmine's boss is a member of the three commas club. |
| unicorn | a very successful startup company (valued over $1 billion) | My brother's company may be a unicorn by the end of the year. |
| zombie mood | staring at your phone or device | I want to talk to that pretty girl, but she's in all out zombie mood. |
Don't Hassle Me, I'm Local
Once you know how to talk like a Californian, you'll never want to leave. Of course, there are many more interesting facts about California than the way the locals talk! Compare the Golden State with another warm and beachy state with these Florida slang terms you may not already know. You might also want to explore other words for cool. When you're ready to move to a new state, learn some New York Slang words.