California Slang: How to Speak Like a Californian (Surfer Accent)

What Does a California Accent Sound Like?

Maybe you're thinking about moving to California or simply want to visit and sound like a local Californian while you travel. Whatever your reason for visiting this beautiful state, you're probably interested in the culture as well.

Beach culture and surf culture are huge in California, but we're also about a lot of other things—particularly outdoor sports (surfing, hiking, climbing, backpacking, skiing, and snowboarding), environmental consciousness, music, culture, good cuisine, art, and being in nature (everything from redwoods and alpine lakes to sandy beaches). But what about the California accent? What does it sound like?

Some describe the California accent as neutral-sounding, and this notion has been widely normalized thanks to Hollywood and the media. But there are also pockets of California accents that are regional—take, for example, Southern California surf culture vs. the more serious tone of those in the San Francisco Bay Area. There's a lot to discuss around the nuances of the California English language, so let's dive in.

The Difference Between Norcal vs. Socal (And Why You Should Care)

Norcal and Socal are two very distinct regions. Technically, Socal is everything from Santa Barbara and goes all the way south to San Diego. Central California is defined as north of Santa Barbara and up into the Bay Area, and Northern California is everything up to Crescent City—geographically speaking. But culturally, Norcal and Socal are defined as two very different things:

• Norcal: Norcal is the Bay Area and all the way up to Humboldt, Mendocino, and the Oregon border; chill vibe (mellow), slow culture, hippy culture, academic/tech culture in the Bay Area (fast-paced culture). This area touts a more "natural" vibe and low-key appearance.
• Socal: Socal is Los Angeles and south. Lots of glam and trendiness—heavy surf culture, sun-kissed skin, tans, healthy bodies, and lots of beach time. This region has the heaviest of the California accents. Life here is all about leisure and fun.

People appreciate the different regions of the state for what they offer, but you will find personality types that prefer one region over the other. Tip: When it comes to getting directions, Socal people say "the" before a freeway or highway:

1. Socal: "Take the five south."
2. Norcal: "Take 101 north."

A Word About "Hella"

"Hella" is a term that gained popularity in the '90s and is used in Northern California, specifically the Bay Area. It is not commonly used down south. "Hella" essentially means "very" "really" or "super." Example: "That's hella cool!"

Surfer/California Slang and Use

Many of these terms or words are predominantly used the further south you go.

Stoked

Stoked: Literally super excited about something or for someone. You can be "stoked" about an activity or "stoked" about receiving news. How it's used:

1. "Hey man, did you hear that The Shack is hosting a free screening?"
2. "Ya man I'm stoked, let's go see it."

Gnarly

Gnarly: Insane, shocking, intense, horrible OR surprisingly risky or crazy.

1. "Dude, did you hear that Carl fell off his skateboard?"
2. "Yeah man, that's gnarly."

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or

1. "Woah, it's really raining!"
2. "Gnarly!"

Snagged

Snagged: Acquired or stole. "I snagged these from my roommate."

Swag

Swag: Gear, usually won or acquired for free.

1. "Woah, I came up on some cool swag from the event."

Come Up/Came Up

Come up/came up: Acquired, obtained, or was given. Can also mean a step up/improvement.

1. "Yo, I came up on some awesome new tracks." (Tracks = music)

Or

1. "Hey, want a free sample?"
2. "Heck ya, come up!"

Or

1. "Woah, check out Carl's new ride."
2. "Come up!"

Grub

Grub: Food/meals/snacks. "I'm starving. Let's go grab some grub!"

Bro/Brah

Bro/brah/bruh: Bro can be used affectionately to refer to a close friend, or it can be used to call someone out. Brah can also be used affectionately, but it is also used aggressively to confront someone:

Dig It

Dig It: To approve of something or like it. May also be used as a question.

1. "Woah, look at you with the new haircut. I dig it!"

Kook

Kook: Refers to someone who doesn't know what they're doing or looks like a fool.

1. "Woah, check out the newbie on longboard."
2. "Yeah, what a kook."

Grom

Grom: Young kid who is often succeeding at something.

1. "Woah, the beach is crowded."
2. "Yeah, all the groms are out today."

Shred

Shred: Shredding refers to an activity like surfing, skating, or skiing, and doing it enthusiastically. It's used as an informal compliment.

1. "Did you see that grom out there shredding?"
2. "Yeah, he was killing it."

Killing It

Killing it: Killing it means doing something fully. It's used positively. It can also be used in the past tense: "killed it."

1. "Did you see those boxes I cleared out?"
2. "Yeah, good job man, you killed it."

or

1. "Yo I saw you dancing on the floor last night, you were killing it!"

Send It

Send it: Send it means to complete a task or approach something. It's also used to cheer people on. You might shout "Send it!" to someone climbing a rock wall.

Beta

Beta: Beta means to gain something—inside knowledge or position. It's typically used in rock climbing. To "Get some beta on that climb" means to get some information about how to tackle it.

Stellar

Stellar: Stellar means "great."

1. "Hey, how was that new restaurant?"
2. "It was stellar!"

Rad

Rad: Rad means "cool" or "awesome."

1. "Ya, that's rad!"

Not Down/I'm Down/Are You Down?

Down: Down means "Are you okay with that?"

1. "Hey, are you down to watch my dog this weekend?"
2. "Yeah, I'm down." OR
3. "No, I'm not down."

Mental

Mental: Mental means unbelievable.

1. "Dude, did you see that black-flip?"
2. "Yeah, that was mental!"

Bomb

Bomb: Bomb means awesome or great. Typically used to refer to food.

1. "How do you like that burger?"
2. "It's bomb."

Legit

Legit: The real thing. Good.

1. "Did you check out that new, authentic sushi spot?"
2. "Yeah, the food was legit."

Chilling

Chilling: Relaxing. Can be used to passively say you don't need anything or want to do anything.

1. "Yo want to come to the taqueria with us?"
2. "Nah, I'm chilling."

Brew

Brew: Beer. You'd say, "Want to go grab a brew?" or "Want to grab a brewski?"

Sick

Sick: Sick means awesome and is a positive.

1. "Check out my new ride."
2. "Woah, that's siiiicckkk."

Coming in Hot

Coming in hot: Showing up quickly/arriving. "Oh, he's coming in hot!"

Dude

Dude: Dude means like "hey," "wait," "woah" "hold on," "no way."

1. "Dude, did you just see that?!"

or

1. "Hey, happy birthday man, here's your present."
2. "Duuuudeee, you shouldn't have!"

Ride

Ride: Ride means car.

1. "Hey checkout my ride—I just got it cleaned."

Epic

Epic: Out of this world. Great/crazy.

1. "Did you hear it's snowing in Mammoth right now?"
2. "No way, epic!"

or

1. "How was your trip to Baja?"
2. "It was epic!"

For Real

For real: For real means "really?" or "are you serious?" or "seriously" (a confirmation).

1. "I just lost my wallet."
2. "Are you for real?"

or

1. "Lame, I just got a parking ticket."
2. "For real?!"

or

1. "Woah, that confrontation was heavy."
2. "For real."

Heavy

Heavy: Heavy means serious/not light or funny in any way.

1. "Did you hear what happened to Carl? He broke his femur."
2. "Dude, that's heavy."

Fosho

Fosho: Means "for sure" and is not serious. It can either be used to deflect something or to confirm something.

1. "Can you turn down the volume?"
2. "Fosho."

or

1. "I was so mad at him yesterday."
2. "Fosho."

Trees/Herb/Greens

Yes, marijuana is legal in California as of 2019. Check local laws by county about recreational and age-appropriate use. You can refer to it as herb or trees if you are dealing with people up in Northern California.

Bay Area Speak

Best not to use these terms—just to be aware of them.

• Yadadamean: You know what I mean?
• Hyphy: Rowdy; "Get hyphy"
• Hella: A lot, really. "That's hella messed up."
• Frisco: San Fransisco
• Aight: Alright
• The Bay: The Bay Area

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© 2019 Laynie H