If you were born and raised in Southern California or you’ve lived here long enough to call SoCal home, there are most likely a variety of slang words you’ve used that instantly identify you as a Californian. Curious what those words might be? Take a look at our list below and see if any of these words have been part of your vocabulary at some point of your life.
- SoCal
tiktak images/flickr Although out-of-towners may call Southern California “Cali,” anyone who has lived here long enough to call this place home knows that it’s SoCal all the way.
- NorCal
kirt edblom/flickr Even though we don’t live in Northern California, anyone who lives in SoCal also has used the term NorCal for most of their life… because Northern California just takes too long to say.
- Sig Alert
malingering/flickr Referring to any “unplanned event that causes the closing of one lane of traffic for 30 minutes or more,” a Sig Alert is a unique word in Southern California and a frequent occurrence that us locals know all too well.
- Gnarly
vaguely artistic/flickr Whether you are a surfer now or you were a surfer long ago, there’s a high probability you’ve said the word gnarly a time or two in your life, especially when taking a big, “gnarly” wave like this one.
- May Grey
wikimedia commons During the spring season in SoCal the skies often look grey, aka May Grey, due to a layer of marine stratus. If you live here in Southern California, this is one slang term that is definitely part of your vocabulary.
- June Gloom
flickr/tracie hall As if May Grey wasn’t enough, we also have a slang term for what is called June Gloom. Just another early summer day when the morning fog seems to linger a bit longer than usual.
- The Industry
flickr/shinya suzuki Living in Southern California means being constantly surrounded by people who work “in the industry.” Slang for working in Hollywood, this well-known term is part of any “Angeleno’s” vocabulary and also for those of us who don’t live in Los Angeles.
- Angeleno
flickr/eric garcetti Which brings us to the slang word Angeleno. Whether you hail from Los Angeles or you just so happen to know someone who does, it’s likely you’ve used the term Angeleno in conversation in reference to living in Los Angeles. Just make sure you spell it Angeleno and not Angelino or you’ll instantly be identified as a tourist.
What do you think of this list of slang words? Are there any words that stand out that you have been known to use before? If you consider SoCal home, you may also want to take a look at these 18 ways that Southern California ruins you for life. In a good way, of course.
tiktak images/flickr
Although out-of-towners may call Southern California “Cali,” anyone who has lived here long enough to call this place home knows that it’s SoCal all the way.
kirt edblom/flickr
Even though we don’t live in Northern California, anyone who lives in SoCal also has used the term NorCal for most of their life… because Northern California just takes too long to say.
malingering/flickr
Referring to any “unplanned event that causes the closing of one lane of traffic for 30 minutes or more,” a Sig Alert is a unique word in Southern California and a frequent occurrence that us locals know all too well.
vaguely artistic/flickr
Whether you are a surfer now or you were a surfer long ago, there’s a high probability you’ve said the word gnarly a time or two in your life, especially when taking a big, “gnarly” wave like this one.
wikimedia commons
During the spring season in SoCal the skies often look grey, aka May Grey, due to a layer of marine stratus. If you live here in Southern California, this is one slang term that is definitely part of your vocabulary.
flickr/tracie hall
As if May Grey wasn’t enough, we also have a slang term for what is called June Gloom. Just another early summer day when the morning fog seems to linger a bit longer than usual.
flickr/shinya suzuki
Living in Southern California means being constantly surrounded by people who work “in the industry.” Slang for working in Hollywood, this well-known term is part of any “Angeleno’s” vocabulary and also for those of us who don’t live in Los Angeles.
flickr/eric garcetti
Which brings us to the slang word Angeleno. Whether you hail from Los Angeles or you just so happen to know someone who does, it’s likely you’ve used the term Angeleno in conversation in reference to living in Los Angeles. Just make sure you spell it Angeleno and not Angelino or you’ll instantly be identified as a tourist.
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