How Ya Talk in Jersey and New York
What if you were standing between a person from New York and a person from New Jersey who were talking at exactly the same time. You hear a "How awe ya" (Ellis "New York Slanguage") and a "How ya doan" (Ellis "New Jersey Slanguage"), even though these two greeting mean exactly the same thing they are said in different ways. Where did their slang come from? Why is it different in other places? And how can locations as close as New York and New Jersey have any differences at all? This scenario makes you wonder about the differences in New York and New Jersey slang and how they have changed over the years. Slang has developed immensely over the years and at most times originated in New York City. Most of the slang that has developed is a result of cultural history. "These words about the city, individually and taken together, retell in a new voice the story of metropolitan life down to the 1950's" (Allen 3). When people speak these words of slang they tell us something about the history and culture of cities which teaches us what was popular during that time and what most people enjoyed participating in. The popular culture of big American cities historically has come from New York City, and other large Ameri
Many people in New York speak the same kind of slang. Since people are living in the Incorporated in the slang of New York and New Jersey are some insults. These insults are meant to show that either New York is superior to New Jersey or vice versa. Some insults like Go to Jersey are commonly heard among New Yorkers when they are displeased with the person they are speaking with ( Ellis 2). Another common way of insulting New Jersey is Woke Up Smellin' like New Jersey, this means when someone from New York woke up with a bad hang over (Ellis 3). Many people who live in New Jersey have insults of their own. Some of these inhabitants call people bums which is implying that a person from New York is a bum because that is the term they use for a person that is in poverty (Ellis 4). Even though much slang in New York and New Jersey is different, some similarities exist. It is obvious that New York and New Jersey must have some similarities since the two states are directly adjacent to each other. Both states pronounce a Spanish saying the same way, a saying that means "with pleasure" both states pronounce it cone goose toe when it is supposed to be pronounced con gusto. Both New York and New Jersey are very proud of their slang. Neither of them care to change the way they speak or the words they incorporate into their speech. In the internet site Slanguage, the first phrase that is typed is "DO NOT CONFUSE US W/ NYC OR SOUTH JERSEY!!! This phrase came fro the slang dealing with North Jersey( Ellis 1). This statement provides a great deal of pride in one's area. The area where everyone speaks the same slang and has the same ways of life. Even though everyone in America speaks basically the same language, English, each individual section has their own type of slang and their own way how to pronounce certain words. Some places even have certain words for objects or places that are popular in their city or state (Ellis 1). Most states and most cities usually get along very well because if not we wouldn't be a very united country, however, we have so much pride in our areas that we would never want to be mistaken with another area. For this reason we would never want to change our speech because another area did. Our country will most likely never soeak the same language through out all the land because of how popular the slang is in each state. New York would never dream of using the same slang as New Jersey and New Jersey would never want to have the same speech as New York.. Most of the slang in New York and New Jersey has to do with our surroundings and the words we decide
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Approximate Word count = 1798
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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