Crow’s Feet Prompt #65-Slang
“Where I Come From…”
The language of locale in America
Growing up in New York City, I was unaware that some of the language I commonly used was local slang.
Everyone knew a “hero” was a submarine sandwich, a “slice” was a piece of pizza, a “schmear” was cream cheese on a bagel, and a “regular coffee” meant a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. “You good?” was how we asked if everything was okay.
In my particular New York neighborhood, Yiddish slang words were especially popular. You never wanted to be a “schnook,” a “shlump” or a “shlemiel” — you’d much rather be a “mensch.” You didn’t just carry something heavy, you “schlepped” it.
If you were hungry, you had a “nosh.” If it was hot you “shvitzed.” You didn’t just go to a party, you found somebody to “schmooze,” and you had a lot of “chutzpah” if you tried to impress them with your “spiel.” Maybe your “shtick” was to dress in a “schmaltzy” way.
It was only when I traveled outside of New York around this great big land that I learned about the language of locale. That’s when I realized what I knew as a “hero” in New York was a “sub,” a “hoagie” or a “grinder,” while a “soda” was a “pop” or a “tonic.” Same food, same drinks — different labels in different locales.
