Boston Slang

Living in New England, one may think that there is no communication barrier. However, my time living here has proven otherwise. Due to the necessity, I have compiled a list of the top 10 most commonly used New England/ Boston Slang and how each is used most often in alphabetical order.

1. bang - to make a left turn (often, "bang a left"; also used often as "bang a U-ie" - make a U turn); sometimes used interchangeably with hang

2. Hoodsie - A small cup of vanilla and chocolate ice-cream from the HP Hood Company. Eaten with a thin wooden spoon that comes with the Hoodsie.

3. The Hub - Boston; shortened from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.'s phrase The Hub of the Solar System (often misremembered as Universe) (seldom used in conversation, but seen often in writing and advertisements, e.g. in the Boston Globe; Top of the Hub is a restaurant) 4. Man's Greatest Hospital - (MGH) Massachusetts General Hospital 5. "No suh!" - "No way!". The appropriate response is "Ya huh!" 6. packie (also package store) - liquor store (originally i thought we needed boxes for something!) 7. Pats - the New England Patriots 8. the People's Republic - Cambridge (alternatively, seven square miles surrounded by reality) 9. The T - the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; also used for services run by the MBTA, particularly the Subway. Taken from the MBTA's logo, a block-letter T within a circle. 10. wicked - very; or occasionally cool. Used indiscriminately, can modify anything (e.g.: "Wicked good." "Wicked bad." "Wicked boring.", etc.). Almost always used as an adverb, rather than an adjective; some Bostonians feel it is grammatically improper not to put an adjective or verb after "wicked".