- Half of Americans believe they have misunderstood someone from another state due to specific slang they used
- Over 40% believe their state has unique phrases that others would not understand, according to new survey by PlayNJ.com
- New quiz allows users to test their knowledge of slang from across the states
- A Ripper Time: When asked what people thought the New Jersey term ‘Ripper’ meant, 44% thought it was used to describe a good time, with only 14% knowing it’s real meaning - a hotdog! A further 9% thought it might be a type of urban music and Californians had never heard of it, not even hazarding a guess.
- Listening to the Hyphy: ‘Hyphy’ actually refers to form of urban music, which was coined in California. When they asked the US public if they had heard of the word, only 21% identified it correctly. 34% thought it was a type of sound system, with some people thought it was slang for a hotdog, or even money
- Battle for the Bubbler: There are many words and phrases that multiple states claim they came up with, which are often hotly disputed between neighbour states, and sometimes even those across the country. For example, Rhode Islanders claim to be the first to have called a water fountain a ‘bubbler’, but this word was also claimed in their survey by Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin! While their research showed that Rhode Island can most likely lay claim to the term, the true battle for ownership will likely continue to rage on for generations.