Say it Like a Native – Useful Slang Phrases for the Wild West Challenge
Our adventure road trip trough the Wild West, the Wild West Challenge, will take you across the south west of the United States, crossing in the way the states of Utah, California, Nevada and Arizona. As English can vary from place to place in the States, it is time to rediscover the language with a few slang words from these states that will help you to make yourself understood!
Cover Photo by Neil Kremer
Bombie
To be used in California when you really like something or you find someone very attractive, like in “The Wild West Challenge is such a bombie!”
Ratchet/Beat
Let’s hope you don’t have to use these ones (or worst, that someone uses one of them to refer to you!). In Arizona, it means all together dirty, gross, trashy, or simply anything that is really unpleasant.
To Bail
To bail means for Californians to leave a place. For example, if you are leaving the next day to continue the Wild West Challenge you can tell to your new friends “I’m gonna bail tomorrow!”
Los Angeles. Photo by Ryan Vaarsi
To Surepreciate
A short version of “I sure appreciate it” for showing your gratitude towards locals in Utah. Way more original than a simple mainstream “Thank you”.
Butthurt
This is quite a visual word, isn’t it? In California, it is used when someone is getting constantly and easily upset for small things that don’t really matter that much. For example, “He just got butthurt because they didn’t have fries in the shop”. But we are sure that Wild West participants would not get cranky so easily!
Snowbird
Used in Arizona to refer to those visitors that arrive in Arizona trying to escape from the cold of places located more in the North. So don’t worry if someone refers to you as a snowbird while being there!
Avondale, Arizona. Photo by Kevin Dooley.
Heck and Eff
Utah is a place where even insulting is polite, so you just use Heck for swearing without being rude at the same time. There is no time in which it is not appropriate, from “Heck, I am getting out of gas” to “Heck! They forgot to put cheese in my cheeseburger!” It is also typical here to change “Oh my god!” for “Oh my heck!”. Something similar happens with the word Eff (because it is not really swearing if you only use the first letter). For example, in “It is effing hot out there!“
Eye in the Sky
In Las Vegas, the Eye in Sky is a term to talk about the multitude of double side mirrors, hidden cameras and other monitoring systems located all around cities and casinos. “Whatever you do, the Eye in the Sky will be watching!”.
Las Vegas. Photo by Prayitno Photography.
Dank
Dank is another way to say that something is cool in California. For example “This food is dank, I’d like another ration please!”
To Biff
This word is used by Utahns as a verb to describe all kinds of embarrassing situations, from falling down to tripping in any way.
“Oh no, I just biffed in the bar! Are my pants broken?”
Pogonip
In Nevada, a dense, cold and icy fog. “Whatever you do, do not try to drive in this pogonip! “
Trunky
Used in the state of Utah as homesick, in case that you start missing home for a little while. Not probably though!
Capital Reef National Park in Utah. Photo by Pierce Martin
Bust
Used in California when something is dangerous, a bad idea or just a waste of time. So if you hear someone shouting “Don’t drive so close to the precipice, it’s a bust!” you know you should slow down (in case it wasn’t clear before).
Hyphy
A perfect word to use during the nightly parties of the Wild West Challenge! In California, this word is used in the context of partying, when you are planning to drink a lot, dance a lot, or generally have a memorable time. Let’s get hyphy tonight!
Get to practice your southwest slang during the amazing Wild West Challenge! An adventure through the Wild West of US that will bring you from the City of Angels to the City of Sin!