Hip-hop & media

A compact familiar way to address a friend, peer, or another person, often understood as brother or bro.

““What’s good, B? You heading uptown?””

A long-established nickname for New York City whose modern popularity grew through horse racing, jazz culture, and a major 1970s tourism campaign.

““She had dreamed of moving to the Big Apple since high school.””

A proud nickname for the Bronx, especially when emphasizing the borough’s hip-hop, dance, music, and cultural identity.

““She grew up in the Boogie Down and still lives near the old block.””

Extremely muscular, powerfully built, or visibly strong; sometimes extended to anything unusually sturdy or forceful.

““He came back from training looking brolic.””

A compact written or spoken abbreviation for the Bronx, frequently used in addresses, local branding, music, conversation, and social posts.

““I’m heading back to the BX after work.””

To get, obtain, or buy something, as in copping tickets, food, clothing, or another wanted item.

““I’m trying to cop tickets before they sell out.””

As an adjective, excellent, impressive, stylish, or exciting; as a noun, it can carry several unrelated meanings.

““That old concert flyer is dope.””

In New York streetwear and baseball-cap talk, a fitted is a structured cap sold by exact head size rather than adjusted with a strap or snaps.

““She picked up a navy Yankees fitted in her size.””

Stylish, attractive, polished, or impressively put together, especially when evaluating clothing or presentation.

““That jacket still looks fly after all these years.””

Pretending, exaggerating, acting tougher or more successful than reality, or presenting an image the speaker believes is false.

““Stop frontin’—you know you liked the song.””

A stylized spelling of forget about it that can dismiss an idea, close a subject, express disbelief, or intensify praise.

““Get a table there without a reservation? Fuhgeddaboudit.””

A literary nickname for New York City popularized by Washington Irving in the early nineteenth century and later reinforced by noir imagery and Batman.

““The photograph captured Gotham under a heavy winter fog.””

Exceptionally good, skillful, striking, or impressive in a positive slang use; ordinarily, ill can still mean sick or harmful.

““That DJ played an ill closing set.””

Supporting, believing, claiming, or approving something; in the negative, refusing to endorse or accept it.

““I’m not jacking that excuse at all.””

A compressed form of you know what I mean, used to check understanding or maintain conversational rhythm.

““You have to watch the platform signs, na’mean?””

A term for Puerto Rican identity and culture shaped in New York, especially through migration, community life, literature, music, performance, and political expression.

““The course focused on Nuyorican poetry and performance.””

To show up, make an appearance, or come outside for an event, gathering, confrontation, or social moment.

““I might pop out after work if the spot is still busy.””

A familiar term for a girl or woman, sometimes a romantic interest; in other contexts it can address a younger person or close peer.

““Shorty said she’ll meet us by the station.””

A call used by some subway performers to announce an acrobatic dance routine inside a train car, especially routines involving poles, flips, and coordinated movement.

““The performers called ‘Showtime’ before clearing space in the subway car.””

A familiar way to address another person, often a male friend or peer, without literally meaning one’s child.

““Son, you missed the whole thing.””

A famous nickname presenting New York City as active around the clock, with nightlife, transportation, work, food, and entertainment continuing late into the night.

““They wanted one last late-night meal in the City That Never Sleeps.””

A viral request for an unusually elaborate, customized bodega or deli preparation associated with social-video sandwich content.

““Can you make the sandwich the Ocky way for the video?””

New York City or one’s familiar part of the city, used as a local place label whose exact boundary depends on the speaker.

““He’s back in the towns for the weekend.””

A common nickname for Timberland boots, especially the rugged six-inch styles strongly associated with New York hip-hop and winter street fashion.

““He wore fresh Timbs with the fitted.””

Bad, low-quality, unappealing, unfair, or lacking skill, depending on what the speaker is judging.

““Canceling after everybody arrived was wack.””

Behaving excessively, recklessly, dramatically, or far outside what the speaker considers reasonable.

““Charging that much for a slice? They wildin’.””

Really, understood, agreed, or that is true, depending on tone.

““That shop is open all night.” “Word?””

A forceful statement that what follows is true or serious, often completed with a person or relationship important to the speaker.

““Word to my mother, I left before the train stopped running.””