64 Philadelphia Slang Terms, Phrases, & Insults

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Use these slang terms to blend in with Philly natives
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Philadelphia (or Philly) slang is distinct and diverse, but it can be hard to pick up on if you’re not used to hearing it! Philly terms like “boul” and “jawn” are getting popular on TikTok, and then there are other mysterious phrases like “Can I get a whiz wit?” that you'll only hear in Philly. To help you out, we’ve done a deep dive into Philly slang. We also go over popular Philly insults, words that Philly people say differently, and even give you tips for how to talk like you’re from Philly.

Section 1 of 3:

Common Philadelphia Slang

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  1. If someone from Philly says they’re amped, it means they’re determined or excited about something. To use this term properly, say it in moments where you are so excited about something that it feels hard to contain.
    • If the Eagles are playing and you’re super excited to watch them take the field, impress your Philly friends by saying you’re amped.
  2. 2
    Ac-a-me Philly natives call the ACME grocery store chain ‘ac-a-me.’
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  3. If a Philly native says you’re being joe, they mean you’re being too friendly with people that you don’t know. For example, if you walked up to a stranger on the street and tried to strike up a deep conversation, your Philly friend would say “Woah, you being all Joe, relax.”
  4. 4
    Boul or young boul ‘Boul’ and ‘young boul’ are both general descriptors that are used in place of boy. They are usually used when talking about people younger than you, but can be used to describe any other person.
  5. Bid is another word for “cracking jokes” or “roasting.” When a group of Philly natives are joking around with each other, they’re bidding. If one of them thinks you’re funny, they’ll say “you bid.”
  6. 6
    Bub or bubbing Bub is another word for fight, and bubbing is another word for fighting. Someone from Philadelphia who is trying to fight you would say “you tryna bub?!”
  7. Philly natives don’t say downtown, they say “center city.”
  8. 8
    CHOP The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
  9. Chumpy is an older term used to describe a person, place, or thing. Although it’s been mostly replaced by “jawn,” you may still hear older Philadelphians using it.
  10. 10
    Cheesesteak A cheesesteak, more commonly known as a Philly cheesesteak, is a hot sandwich with thinly sliced beef and cheese. You get a choice of cheese wiz, American cheese, or Provolone cheese. [1]
    • National Philly Cheesesteak Day is March 25.
  11. Instead of calling their national football team the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphians simply say “Da Eagles.” Philly natives may pronounce “Eagles” as “iggles” or they may just say “Da Birds.” [2]
  12. 12
    Down-a-Shore Philadelphians use “down-a-shore” when they’re going down to the Jersey Shore.
  13. When a Philly native says “you drawn” or “you drawlin’,” it is their way of saying you’re acting crazy or out of character.
    • In their song, “Chips and Dip,” Philadelphia rapper, Lil Uzi Vert, uses the phrase, saying “you be drawn, this my Philly accent.” [3]
  14. 14
    Early Early is a term that emphasizes someone’s point. It is usually used when someone wants to express urgency.
    • If a Philly parent’s child is always late for school and the parent has had enough, they’d say “Get downstairs and get ready for school or you’re grounded. Early!!” to show that they’re not kidding. [4]
  15. The El is what Philadelphians call their inner-city train system. El stands for Elevated Track.
  16. 16
    Frauding When a Philly native says “you frauding,” they are saying that you’re lying. If they are trying to establish the truth, they’d say “No frauding” or “I’m not frauding.”
  17. Gettin’ bizzy means to do something that is beneficial to you or makes you feel good. If you’re planning a vacation or going to an Eagles game, you’re gettin’ bizzy. Use this term when you are excited about the activity you’re about to do.
  18. 18
    Grittin’ When someone in Philly is grittin’ you, they’re staring at you angrily. A Philly native may say “Young boul was grittin’ me on The El, I thought he was tryna bub,” if someone was staring at them like they wanted to fight.
  19. A hoagie is the official sandwich of Philadelphia. It is a sandwich on a long Italian roll with meats, cheeses, lettuce, onion, and tomato. Spices, olive oil, and vinegar are usually put on top. [5]
  20. 20
    Ice box Ice box is another word for refrigerator.
  21. Philly natives use jawn to describe a person, place, or thing. For example, if someone from Philly is looking for something but doesn’t know what it’s called, they may ask you “Yo, you know where that jawn is?” You can also use “jawn” when talking about someone you’re interested in.
    • Say, “You know that one jawn from West Philly? I think I like her,” to tell your friend you like a girl from the west side of the city.
  22. 22
    Jimmies Instead of saying sprinkles, people from Philadelphia say jimmies. If you’re getting ice cream in Philly and want to get sprinkles, ask the server for some jimmies. For example, say “Can I get a double scoop of vanilla with a few jimmies?” if you want two scoops of vanilla ice cream with a few sprinkles on top.
  23. Philadelphians use the word johnny to describe a stolen car.
    • If someone you know was driving around in a car they stole, they’d be driving a johnny.
  24. 24
    Keep it a bean When a Philly native tells you to keep it a bean, they’re telling you to be honest with them.
    • If a friend hears a rumor about you and they want to see if it’s true or not, they may say “Keep it a bean with me bro, is what I heard from so and so true?”
  25. Kenzo is short for Kensington, a neighborhood in southeast Philadelphia.
    • In some cases, kenzo is used in a derogatory way to describe people from Kensington. [6]
  26. 26
    Knock knock, zoom zoom “Knock knock, zoom zoom” is another name for Ding Dong Ditch, which is a prank where someone knocks on a door or rings the doorbell and then runs off before the person answers the door.
  27. The Linc is another name for the Lincoln Financial Field, which is where the Philadelphia Eagles play.
  28. 28
    MAC You might get confused when you hear someone ask if there’s a MAC machine around, but don’t worry, that’s just another word for ATM. MAC stands for Money Access Center, which is an old ATM network. [7]
    • Although Money Access Centers aren’t around anymore, the term MAC is still used around Philly. [8]
  29. In Philadelphia, “machine” is another word for car. If you’re going out with one of your Philly friends, you may be surprised when they tell you to “hop in the machine” instead of “get in the car.”
  30. 30
    Mit Mit is another word for face. If someone stood in the face of a Philly native, they’d say “yo, why you all up in my mit right now?”
  31. If you hear mix in Philly, be careful, as it’s another word for fight. If a fight breaks out in the street, someone from Philly would say “Oh they mixin’!”
  32. 32
    Not for Nothing When Philadelphians say “not for nothing,” they mean there was a very good reason behind something happening. It is usually used as a term of constructive criticism. [9]
    • A Philly native would say “not for nothing, but you just had a hoagie, let’s wait to eat,” if they are trying to convince their friend to wait for their next meal, since they just ate.
  33. This is another way to describe a crazy person or a situation. To describe a crazy scenario, a Philly native would say “It was nutty.”
  34. 34
    Oldhead Oldhead is a casual way to refer to someone older than you. If you were driving behind an old person and they were going slow, your Philadelphian friend may say “Come on oldhead! Speed up!”
  35. Instead of purse, Philadelphians say “pock-a-book.”
  36. 36
    Plug In Philly, plug is another word for fire hydrant. It is usually used when playing streetball to establish a base or boundary.
  37. When a Philly native says “real rap,” that means they are telling the truth. It's usually used before or after a statement to let someone know that you’re being honest. If you hear Philly native say “I’m not rapping,” that means they aren’t lying or kidding around. [10]
    • To let someone from Philly know you’re being serious about something, say “I swear that’s what happened, real rap.”
  38. 38
    Salty When Philadelphians are feeling angry or bitter about something, they say they’re salty.
  39. When something is too far and you don’t feel like making the trip, say “that’s a hike” and someone from Philadelphia will get the idea.
  40. 40
    Thurl If a Philly native says something is thurl, they mean it’s good, valid, and/or thorough.
    • If you’ve got a friend from Philadelphia and ask them their opinion on a movie, they’ll say “It was definitely thurl” if they enjoyed it. [11]
  41. Turkey has a few different meanings. In some cases, when someone says "turkey," they’re talking about someone’s butt. In other cases, they are using “turkey” as an insult to describe someone who is a fool or acting unruly.
    • If you hear someone say “it’s turkey time,” that means the situation is about to escalate, potentially into something dangerous.
  42. 42
    Wifty If you hear a Philadelphian call something wifty, they’re saying that it isn’t concrete and it doesn’t hold a lot of weight.
  43. Whiz is what Philadelphians call the cheese sauce that goes on a cheesesteak.
  44. 44
    Whiz wit If you hear a Philly native say they want a “whiz wit,” it means they want a Philly cheesesteak with cheese and grilled onions. “Wit” specifically refers to a cheesesteak with grilled onions.
  45. Philadelphians call dollars yanks. If someone from Philly needs some money, they’ll say something like “Let me hold a couple yanks.”
  46. 46
    Yams Yams is another word for butt.
  47. 47
    Yuengling Yuengling is the national beer of Philadelphia. It is also the oldest beer in America, first being brewed in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. [12]
  48. This is how friends in Philly greet each other. It is a casual greeting and reserved for people you’re especially close with. If you’ve got a best friend in Philly, they’ll shout “yuuur” when they see you.
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Section 2 of 3:

Philly Slang Insults

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  1. "Mahoff" and "Big mahoff" are insults used to describe someone who is full of themselves and thinks they’re a big shot. [13] You may know the term from the 2009 musical, The 90s , which features a character named The Big Mahoff. [14]
  2. 2
    Bum A bum is someone who is lazy and doesn’t have much going for them.
  3. A crumb bum is a demeaning insult used to describe a person who is rude or lazy. If someone from Philly calls you this, they really don’t like you. [15]
  4. 4
    Chopped/Chips "Chopped" and "chips" are both rude terms used by Philly natives to say that someone is ugly in the face. [16]
  5. Philadelphians say this when they feel like you're overhyping a person or situation. They also say it when a person gets overly excited or defensive about a situation.
    • For example, if you start spouting obscure facts about an indie band out of nowhere, Philly natives would say you’re "d*ckeating."
    • If you want to get the same message across while being less harsh, say glazing instead.
  6. 6
    D*ck up This is how Philly natives say “f*ck you.” [17]
  7. This means exactly what it says. It can be abbreviated to EAD.
  8. 8
    Jabroni A jabroni is someone who acts like they’re all that and talks big, but doesn’t follow through on anything. The term was popularized by WWE wrestler, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who legally owns the rights to it. [18]
  9. This is another way to call someone a douchebag or an a**hole. It can also refer to a used condom. [19]
  10. 10
    Nut sh*t Nut sh*t is used when someone says or does something outlandish or questionable. [20]
    • For example, if a Philly native got into a car accident and the other driver tries to run, the Philly native would say “Oh nah, young boul on some nut sh*t.”
  11. Scatted is an insult for someone who is acting nasty, grimey, or dirty. [21]
    • For example, if someone is sick and chooses to go in public, a Philly native would say “Yo, why you going outside?! You scatted! You know you're sick.”
  12. 12
    Skeeve Being called a skeeve by a Philadelphian is NOT a good thing. They’re saying you’re someone who’s dirty, sleezy, and/or immoral.
  13. Philly natives use slizz or slida to describe a promiscuous woman. More often than not, these terms are used as insults to slut shame women.
  14. 14
    Stunad Philadelphians use the Italian word, stunad, to describe a stupid person. [22]
  15. 15
    Turkey burger A turkey burger is another way to call someone a turkey. It has a stronger meaning, though, as it describes someone who avoids conflict and is quick to shy away from it.
  16. If someone from Philly says ya dirt, they’re saying that you’re immoral, untrustworthy, or despicable. This term is used to demean someone’s character.
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Section 3 of 3:

How To Talk Like You’re From Philly

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  1. Native Philadelphians often condense contractions and longer words, and it’s hard to know which ones to condense when you aren’t from there. A few words and phrases that follow this rule:
    • Alright: Philadelphians drop the "L" and condense it, saying "ard" instead of "all-right."
    • Company: Here the ‘ah’ sound is dropped and the "omp" is changed to an "ump." Philadelphians pronounce this word "cump-knee."
    • Couldn’t and wouldn’t: Contractions like these are condensed into one word, being pronounced "coont" and "woont" respectively.
    • Iron: Instead of being pronounced "eye-urn," Philadelphians say "arn."
    • What do you: Philly natives condense this phrase into "whaddya."
    • Days of the week: Philadelphians drop the "a" at the end of each day. So Monday sounds like "Mondy," Tuesday sounds like "Tuesdy," and so on.
  2. Philadelphians have a few language quirks that are different from other parts of the country. They round their o’s, so for words like “bond” and “pond,” they say “boawnd” and “poawnd.” In some cases, their o’s become ahs. Words that follow that rule include:
    • Coffee: Instead of saying "caw-fee," Philadelphians say "coo-uff-ee."
    • God forbid: Meld them together and say "gafforbid."
    • Orange: Condense the two syllables to say "arnch."
    • Out of pocket: Condense "out of" into "outta" and say "packet" instead of pocket. If you’re doing odd, your Philly friend will say “You acting outta packet right now.”
  3. So “Eagles” sounds like “Iggles.” [23] Other words that follow this rule include:
    • Bagel: Replace the "aye" sound with an "eh" sound by saying "beh-gel."
    • Regular: Change the "you" sound in the middle to an "uh." So, Philly natives say "reg-uh-ler.’"
    • Together: Shorten the "oo" sound in the first syllable to an "uh." Philadelphians say "tuh-geth-er."
  4. So, instead of saying “this, that, them, they, those, these, and though,” say “dis, dat, dem, dey, dose, dese, and dough” to sound like you’re from Philly. There are also cases where the "th" sound is subbed for an "f" sound. Some words that follow that rule include:
    • Birthday: Replace the ‘"th" sound with an "f" sound to say "birf-day."
    • North: Philly natives say "norf," subbing the "th" for an "f" sound.
    • South: Instead of pronouncing the "th" sound, Philadelphians say "sowf."
    • Bathroom: Replace the "th" sound with an "f" sound so that it sounds like "baf-froom."
    • Three: "Th" is shortened to "t" so that “three” is pronounced "tree."
  5. Black people from Philadelphia are more inclined to use words and phrases like “boul/young boul,” “turkey,” real rap,” and “bub.” White people from Philadelphia are more inclined to use words like “jabroni,” “youse,” and “stunad.” This does not mean these words are exclusive to certain races, as there is cross-race language mixing, but it’s important to listen to people to see what slang terms they know. [24]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://blog.goldbelly.com/what-is-a-philly-cheesesteak/
      2. ↑ https://drexel.edu/admissions/undergrad/blog/2019/october/10-philadelphia-jargon-terms-everyone-should-know
      3. ↑ https://genius.com/Lil-uzi-vert-chips-and-dip-lyrics
      4. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=early
      5. ↑ https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/hoagies-3/
      6. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Kenzo
      7. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220623082706/https://old.post-gazette.com/businessnews/20010703mac0703bnp3.asp
      8. ↑ https://philly.citycast.fm/explainers/translating-philly-speak#
      9. ↑ https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/not-for-nothing
      1. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=real%20rap
      2. ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFoXTP72/
      3. ↑ https://www.brewersofpa.org/members/northeast-pa/yuengling/
      4. ↑ https://waywordradio.org/mahoff#citations
      5. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3710794/?ref_=tt_ch
      6. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=crumb-bum
      7. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Chopped
      8. ↑ https://x.com/600_Cheese/status/1745207156637413859
      9. ↑ https://ew.com/dwayne-johnson-owns-the-rights-the-rock-candy-ass-jabroni-more-8602729#
      10. ↑ https://www.philebrity.com/blog/in-praise-of-jitbag
      11. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=nut%20shit
      12. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Scatted
      13. ↑ https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/submission/9746/Stunad#
      14. ↑ https://promova.com/blog/philadelphia-accent#
      15. ↑ https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/philadelphia-slang-terms

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