The #2 Most-Loved Slang Word in America is Boston Awesome
The #2 Most-Loved Slang Word in America is Boston Awesome
The website WordTips just put out a comprehensive report on regional slang throughout the U.S., covering 14 areas with pretty fascinating dialects: Hawaii, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, New Orleans, Texas, Chicago, Denver, California, New Jersey, Mississippi, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and “Midwestern.”
America’s “most-loved” slang WORD overall comes from Texas. It’s “conniption,” which is, “a fit of rage or a tantrum.” By the way, I love that word.
The #2 Most-Loved Slang Word in America?
Wicked.
We did it!
We’re proud of our heritage and our slang. But where the heck did the word wicked come from? No one really seems to know, but a little Google research led us to to Puritan times. It comes from the Old English word “wicca,” meaning “wizard” or “sorcerer.” Then, like a lot of languages, it evolved to describe something excellent, impressive, or cool. Wicked also is probably from a blend of English, Irish, and other influences. (Harry Potter uses the word a lot.)
Over time, “wicked” became ingrained in the local vernacular and spread beyond New England, particularly in American pop culture.
But it was ours FIRST.
So how would you use wicked in a sentence?
- “Did ya see that dog? It had a wicked smaht look, like it was planning world domination.”
- “Last night’s game was wicked intense! “
- “Hey, pass me that lobster roll, will ya? It looks wicked delicious.”
- “Guy, did you see him try to parallel park? It was wicked hilarious!”
- “I have a wicked craving for Dunks right now,”
America’s “most-hated” slang term is from Chicago. It’s “slashie,” which is a hybrid bar / liquor store establishment. Who has even heard of that?
Coming in at #2 for most hated? Boston’s got it again! The party word “ripper“. Urban Dictionary uses it in a sentence like this: “There’s a party a the docks tonight- it’s gonna be a ripper!”