Jelena V my fav classes 6, 5 I think

Round 2

How to Talk Like a New Yorker

6
Intermediate

Language & Education

Exercise 1
Vocabulary
convenience store
Noun
kənˈviːnjəns stɔː
a small store that sells household items and food
Let's pick up a few drinks at the convenience store.
slang
Noun
slæŋ
casual and informal language that is only used by a particular group of people or in a
particular context
Irish slang can be confusing to foreigners.
race
Noun
reɪs
a competition between people, vehicles, etc. to see which one is the fastest
He was the fastest runner in the race.
stare
Verb
stɛr
to look for a long time at someone or something
She stared at the floor for a whole minute without saying a word.
violent
Adjective
ˈvaɪələnt
using or involving behavior that is meant to hurt, damage or kill
Some parents blame video games for making their kids  violent.
rude
Adjective
ruːd
not polite or having bad manners
There are so many rude drivers on the highway.

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Exercise 2
Article
How to Talk Like a New Yorker
In New York City, a convenience store is called a "bodega," and to "cop"
something is to buy it. So a New Yorker might say, "Can you cop me a drink at
the bodega?"

Here's some other slang you might hear in the Big Apple.

The Big Apple

"The Big Apple" is another name for New York City that was first used in the
1920s. The term comes from the big prizes, or "big apples," that were given
away at horse races in the city.

Other slang terms for New York City include "the City That Never Sleeps" and
"the Empire City," because it's the largest city in the state of New York, which
is called "the Empire State."

Mad
The word "mad" means "angry," but to New Yorkers, "mad" can also mean
"very." For example, "Traffic is mad busy!"

Brick
"Brick" is New York slang for "very cold." For example, "I'm not going out
tonight. It's mad brick out there!"

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Winters in New York City can be quite cold, so it's no surprise that New
Yorkers have a word just for cold weather.

Grill
To "grill" someone is to stare at them, usually in a bad way.  So if someone is
"grilling" you, you might ask them, "What's your beef?", meaning "What's your
problem?"

Spaz
To "spaz" or "spaz out" is to become angry or violent with someone.  For
example, "That guy was grilling my girlfriend, so I spazzed out."  But be careful
about saying "spaz" outside of New York, because in some parts of the
English-speaking world it can be seen as a rude word.

Exercise 3
Discussion
1. Have you ever come across any of the expressions mentioned in the
article? Please explain your answer.
2. Have you been to New York? If so, could you see yourself living
there? If not, would you like to?
3. Is your town or city known by any other names? Please explain your
answer.
4. Are winters mad brick where you live? Please explain your answer.
5. Is there any slang that's only used where you live? If so, please
share a few.

Exercise 4
Further Discussion
1. Do people from different parts of your country speak differently?
Please explain your answer.
2. Which English-speaking country do you think has the best accent?
Why do you think so?
3. Which English-speaking countries have you visited? Which ones
would you like to visit?
4. Are there any English-speaking countries you could see yourself
living in? Why? Why not?
5. To understand English is one thing; to understand an Englishman
who talks is another. – Aleister Crowley. What do you make of this
statement?
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