The Avenues: The Richmond and Sunset districts. While numbered “streets” span eastern neighborhoods in San Francisco, all of the numbered “avenues” are found in these western enclaves.
In a sentence — “The fog is good for your skin. That’s why I love The Avenues.”
Bitch: Local rapper Too $hort’s favorite word. Pronounced “biatch.”
In a sentence – "What's my favorite word? BIATCH!"
Bridge & Tunnel: Though not exclusive to the Bay Area, San Franciscans of a certain age may use this term — often derisively — to refer to those who live outside The City proper when talking about people who commute into San Francisco for work and leave at the end of the day.
In a sentence — “I don’t eat lunch downtown on weekdays. I prefer to avoid the bridge and tunnel crowd.”
Candlestick: Former home of Candlestick Park, which was home to 49ers football team and Giants baseball team for generations, until both teams moved out and the stadium was razed. Also known as “The Stick.”
In a sentence — “The new ballpark is nice and all, but sometimes I miss The Stick.”
The City: San Francisco. New Yorkers might disagree, but we don't care.
In a sentence – “I dropped $17 on a burrito in The City the other day.”
The Cuts: Adj. “cutty.” A place off the beaten path. A secret location. Somewhere underage nerdowells might go to drink booze, smoke pot and be unsupervised.
In a sentence — “That place is cutty.” “We up in the cuts.”
Dubs: In some parts of the country this might refer to 20-inch rims or a gram of cannabis. It can mean that here, as well. But more often than not, it means The Warriors, the Bay Area’s beloved NBA team.
In a sentence — “Go Dubs!”
Five On It: Contributing $5 to a cannabis-smoking section. Immortalized by Bay Area hip-hop group, Luniz, in their 1995 hit “I Got 5 On It” from Operation Stackola.
In a sentence — “Y’all burnin’? I got five on it!”
Frisco: San Francisco. Also: legendary San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen’s least favorite word. “Frisco” is a divisive term, which many older (and white) Bay Area denizens will never say. However, within the local hip-hop community the word is largely embraced.
In a sentence — “We from Frisco!”
Function: A party.
In a sentence — “We going to a function in The Town tonight.”
Giggin': Dancing
In a sentence – The juice got me giggin' tonight.
The Haight: Sure, it’s a neighborhood, but it’s also very much a vibe. The intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets was the epicenter of the “Summer of Love” in 1968 — and the region is associated with hippie culture, The Grateful Dead, tie die, and recreational drug use.
In a sentence — “I love the Haight, but my conservative parents hate that I live here. They think I’m going to turn into a hippie.”
Hella: A lot. Like a lot, a lot.
In a sentence – There's hella traffic on the bridge.
Hyphy: Energetic. Crazy. Also: a genre of Bay Area hip-hop, characterized by gritty, minimalist beats made with 808 drum-machines and lyrics that often revel in the use of Bay Area slang.
In a sentence — “That party was hyphy.” “I come from East Oakland where the gangstas get hyphy.”
Joog: The low-low, a good deal.
In a sentence – I got this hat for the joog.
Juiced: Hella excited (Not to be confused with "the juice".)
In a sentence – I'm juiced for this weekend.
Karl: The fog.
In a sentence – Karl's crashing the party.
Lombard Street: While it’s true that Lombard Street spans a fair chunk of San Francisco — from The Presidio to The Embarcadero — in the minds of many locals (and the world) Lombard Street exists as the steep, squiggly street displayed on countless postcards. Fun fact: a section of Vermont Street is arguably more crooked than the famous stretch of Lombard.
In a sentence — “Lombard is really swarming with tourists today.”
Outta Pocket: While your boss might use this term of phrase to let the team know she won't be available this afternoon, it has another meaning in the Bay Area: Not chill or crossing a line.
In a sentence – That Tesla just cut me off. Hella outta pocket.
Micro Climate: The weather in San Francisco can change dramatically from one neighborhood to the next. It might be rather foggy in The Sunset while The Bayview is warm and clear.
In a sentence — “What’s the micro climate like in your neighborhood?”
Mt. Tam: Mount Tamalpais, the peak looming over Marin County. A great place to get lost in the redwoods. See pronunciation guide below. It's also a brand of excellent locally produced cheese.
In a sentence — “I rode my bike over Mt. Tam last weekend and my legs are still jelly.”
The Nimitz: Interstate 880. Most folks these days just say 880, but the East Bay highway, which runs from San Jose to Oakland has another official name: the Nimitz Freeway. The term is mostly used by older Bay Area residents and traffic broadcasters looking to avoid repetition in their reports.
In a sentence — “There’s a bad wreck on the Nimitz right now.”
San Fran: Unlike “Frisco” — a term some locals embrace and others loathe — you won’t find many Bay Area-born defenders of “San Fran.”
In a sentence — “Did you just say ‘San Fran’!? Are you from L.A. or something?”
Slaps: Is very, very good. Except when you’re talking about food.
In a sentence – “This beat slaps.”
Smackin’: Very, very good food. Variations include Shhhhmackin’ or Smacks.
In a sentence — “This burrito smacks.”
Taqueria vs. ‘La Taqueria’: A taqueria is an improper noun that could describe any of the region's myriad fast-casual Mexican restaurants serving burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and the like. La Taqueria is a proper noun, referring to the San Francisco taqueria that was turned into a national destination after a 2018 listicle proclaimed that the restaurant serves the “Best Burrito in America.”
In a sentence — "The line at La Taqueria is hella long today."
Thizz: Of and relating to MDMA or Ecstasy, the stimulant party drug popular among club goers and hyphy-era rappers and fans. In addition to the drug itself, “Thizz” can also refer to the effects of the substance. Vallejo rapper Mac Dre used the word to describe a particular expression — the “Thizz Face” and a dance move, the “Thizzle Dance.”
In a sentence — “Can you do the Thizzle Dance?”
The Town: Oakland
In a sentence – There's a function in The Town tonight.
To the Neck: Keeping something to oneself. Often in reference to drinking.
In a sentence — “I’m so hungover. I took two forties to the neck last night.”
Tryna: Trying to. Intending to. Similar to “finna.”
In a sentence — “You tryna throw five?”
The Wiggle: The best way to get from downtown to Golden Gate Park on a bike without climbing any imposing hills. Inclines on this zig-zagging route average about 3% and never exceed 6%.
In a sentence — “Let’s take The Wiggle to the park.”
Yadadamean: "Do you know what I mean?"
In a sentence – The Bay gets hyphy, yadadamean?
Yay Area: Also known as “The Yay.” It’s a fun way to say “Bay Area.”
In a sentence — “Yay Areeeaaaaa!”
Yee: Yes
In a sentence – "Wanna hit The City tomorrow?" "Yeee!"
Street Smarts: A Quick Lesson on Pronunciation
Don't get caught pronouncing the names of San Francisco streets incorrectly. It's embarrassing and will immediately signal that you're an outsider.
Arguello: "Ar-Gwell-O"
Bernal Heights: "Burr-Null Heights"
Clement: "Cle-MENT"
Duboce: "Dew-Bows"
Gough: "Goff"
Kearny: "Kerr-Knee"
Mt. Tamalpais: "Mount Tam-Al-Pie-Us" (Mt. Tam for short)
Noe Valley: "Know-ee Valley"
Rodeo Beach: "Ro-Day-O Beach"
San Rafael: "San Ra-Fell" (Not like the angry Ninja Turtle or Renaissance artist)
Suisun: "Soo-Soon"
Learn More From the Best
Looking to brush up even further. This video from Bay Area hip-hop icon and vernacular innovator E-40 is a great primer on how to speak like you are truly from the soil.
