Intermediate · 30 min · 20 words

SoCal and the coast

Surf talk, LA shorthand, and the food you will be offered

Southern California gave English “dude”, “stoked”, and “gnarly”, then layered Los Angeles freeway culture and a Mexican-American food vocabulary on top. You do not have to surf to need these words — they leaked into everyday speech decades ago.

Visitors to LA, San Diego, or the coast, and anyone watching surf or skate culture.

Lessons

1. 1

   Surf talk that escaped the beach

   These words travelled further than any other California set. You have already heard them.

   7 words

2. 2

   LA life

   Almost every LA anecdote is unintelligible without the roads and the nicknames.

   6 words

3. 3

   What you will be offered

   You will be invited to eat. These are the invitations.

   7 words