CALIFORNIA SLANG
1. HIT UP
Meanings:
-
To contact someone.
-
To visit a place.
-
To ask for something.
Examples:
"Yo, hit me up later if you tryna chill."
"Let’s hit up In-N-Out before the party."
"He hit me up for a ride again—dude owes me gas money."
2. TO BAG
Meanings:
-
To successfully get someone’s number or date.
-
To secure something valuable.
-
To make fun of someone (older usage).
Examples:
"He bagged her number in like two seconds, bro’s smooth."
"I bagged a new pair of Jordans on sale—clean."
"Back in school, we’d just bag on each other all day."
3. TO GO HARD
Meanings:
-
To put in max effort.
-
To party or perform intensely.
-
To be emotionally intense.
Examples:
"She goes hard in the gym every morning."
"That DJ went hard last night—place was lit."
"This song goes hard, I get goosebumps."
4. IT HITS DIFFERENT
Meanings:
-
Something feels unusually good or emotional.
-
Unique impact or vibe.
Examples:
"Cold pizza at 2 a.m.? It hits different."
"That track hits different when you’re drivin’ at night."
5. THE OPS
Meanings:
-
Enemies.
-
Police (rare in Cali use, more East Coast).
Examples:
"We don’t roll with the ops."
"Keep it low, the ops might be around."
6. LITERALLY
Meanings:
-
Actually (sometimes exaggerated).
-
Emphasizer.
Examples:
"I literally died laughing."
"She’s literally the chillest person ever."
7. YAH NO
​
Meaning:
-
Filler phrase meaning "you know" or showing agreement/disagreement.
Examples:
"Yah no, I feel that."
"Yah no, that’s not even cool, bro."
8. BUT UM LIKE
Meaning:
-
Filler used during hesitation or casual speech.
Examples:
"But um like, I wasn’t even tryna do all that."
"But um like, she ghosted him after one date."
9. YA KNOW
Meaning:
-
Filler for shared understanding.
Examples:
"It just be like that sometimes, ya know?"
"We was vibin', ya know?"
10. THROW DOWN
Meanings:
-
To fight.
-
To start something intense (party, food, music).
-
To contribute money.
Examples:
"He was about to throw down at the bar."
"We throwin’ down this weekend—don’t miss it."
"Everyone gotta throw down $10 for pizza."
11. TO SQUARE UP
Meanings:
-
To prepare to fight.
-
To settle a debt.
Examples:
"Dude kept talking—he had to square up."
"Yo, lemme square up with you for lunch yesterday."
12. FACTS
Meanings:
-
“That’s true.”
-
Agreement.
Examples:
"She really the realist—facts."
"You said it—facts, bro."
13. TO BANG ON
Meanings:
-
To aggressively rep a gang.
-
To threaten or challenge.
Examples:
"He got banged on just for the color he wore."
"Why you bangin’ on me over nothing?"
14. TO LOC UP
Meanings:
-
To act hard or gang-affiliated.
-
To give off tough or intimidating vibes.
Examples:
"He started to loc up real quick when they walked by."
"She ain’t scared—she loc’d up like a G."
15. HARD
Meanings:
-
Cool, impressive.
-
Emotionally rough.
-
Aggressive or intense.
Examples:
"That beat is hard!"
"Been goin’ through it hard lately."
"He came at me hard—wasn’t playin’."
16. TO GET ACTIVE
Meanings:
-
To start fighting or confronting.
-
To party or get wild.
-
To hustle or move fast.
Examples:
"Ops pulled up, so we had to get active."
"This weekend we getting active, no cap."
"He got active real quick when they stepped outta line."
17. TO MAKE IT RAIN
Meanings:
-
To throw money in the air (typically at a club).
-
To spend money freely.
Examples:
"He made it rain at the strip club last night."
"She out here making it rain on shoes and nails."
18. THROWING MONEY AROUND
Meanings:
-
Spending excessively or without care.
-
Trying to impress people with money.
Examples:
"Bro was just throwing money around like it’s nothing."
"She ain’t even care, just throwing money around for clout."
19. A GAT
Meaning:
-
A gun (slang for “gatling”).
Examples:
"He always talkin’ like he got a gat."
"Stay strapped—they might pull a gat on you."
20. TO SQUABBLE
Meanings:
-
To fight.
-
To argue.
Examples:
"They squabblin’ out front—crazy."
"We squabbled over some dumb stuff last night."
21. TO FLY
Meanings:
-
Stylish or fresh looking.
-
To travel (usually by plane, but used metaphorically too).
-
To leave quickly.
Examples:
"She came through lookin’ fly as hell."
"We flyin’ to Vegas this weekend."
"He flew out the party when the cops pulled up."
22. TO COME IN HOT
Meanings:
-
Arrive aggressively or quickly.
-
Enter with high energy or anger.
-
Start something forcefully.
Examples:
"Bro came in hot, almost hit the table."
"She came in hot, yellin’ at everybody."
"Cops came in hot, lights blazing."
23. TO BOOK IT
Meanings:
-
To leave quickly.
-
To run away.
Examples:
"When security came, we booked it."
"He booked it down the alley, gone in seconds."
24. RIGHT QUICK / REAL QUICK
Meanings:
-
Immediately or fast.
-
Briefly.
Examples:
"Lemme call my girl right quick."
"I’ll grab a drink real quick, brb."
25. TO GET TAXED
Meanings:
-
Overcharged.
-
Charged unfairly.
-
Robbed.
Examples:
"They taxed me $25 for parking—hell nah."
"You bought that shirt for $80? You got taxed."
26. JYNX
Meanings:
-
Saying something at the same time.
-
Playful superstition.
-
Unspoken energy coincidence.
Examples:
"Jynx! You owe me a soda!"
"We said it together—jynx!"
27. CATCH A BEAT DOWN
Meanings:
-
To get badly beaten.
-
To lose a fight.
Examples:
"He kept talkin’ reckless and caught a beat down."
28. TO BUMP
Meanings:
-
To listen to music loudly.
-
To accidentally hit someone.
-
To run into someone.
Examples:
"We was bumpin’ Kendrick all night."
"You just bumped into me, bruh!"
"I bumped into my ex at the store—awkward."
29. I GOTCHU
Meanings:
-
I understand.
-
I’ll take care of it for you.
-
I’ve got your back.
Examples:
"Need a ride? I gotchu."
"I gotchu, say less."
30. MY BAD
Meaning:
-
My mistake.
-
I’m sorry (casual).
Examples:
"Oops, my bad—I didn’t see the text."
31. DOWN FOR WHATEVER
Meaning:
-
Open to any plan or idea.
Examples:
"We goin’ beach or movies?" "I’m down for whatever."
32. A BITCH
Meanings:
-
Offensive toward someone weak or fake.
-
Complaining person.
-
Sometimes neutral for a friend (rare/casual).
Examples:
"He snitched—straight up a bitch."
"Stop actin’ like a bitch, bruh."
33. TO GET BOOTED
Meanings:
-
To get kicked out.
-
To puke (especially from drinking).
Examples:
"They got booted from the party."
"He drank too much and got booted all over the porch."
34. DIB
Meaning:
-
Claiming rights to something.
Examples:
"Dib the front seat!"
"Dibs on the last slice!"
35. TO RIDE SHOTGUN
Meaning:
-
Sit in the front passenger seat.
Examples:
"I called shotgun, you in the back."
36. THE WHIP
Meaning:
-
A car.
Examples:
"Check out my new whip—it’s clean."
37. FIRE
Meanings:
-
Amazing.
-
Delicious.
-
Stylish.
Examples:
"This track is fire!"
"Those tacos were straight fire."
38. THAT'S CRAZY
Meanings:
-
Expressing surprise or disbelief.
-
Used when you don’t know how to respond.
Examples:
"He cheated again?" "Damn… that’s crazy."
39. PEACE OUT / LATE
Meaning:
-
Goodbye.
Examples:
"Aight, I’m out—peace out!"
"Gotta dip, late!"
40. SLIPPIN’
Meanings:
-
Not paying attention.
-
Being vulnerable.
Examples:
"He left his phone on the hood—dude was slippin’."
41. LOW KEY
Meanings:
-
Secretly.
-
Calmly.
-
Subtle.
Examples:
"I low key miss her."
"Let’s keep it low key tonight."
42. DUCKIN’
Meanings:
-
Avoiding someone.
-
Hiding.
Examples:
"You been duckin’ me all week?"
"Bro duckin’ the rent again."
43. TO GET LOCKED UP / TO DO TIME
Meanings:
-
Arrested.
-
Serve time in jail/prison.
Examples:
"He got locked up for that robbery."
"He doin’ time—got five years."
44. TO FLIP A BITCH
Meaning:
-
Make a U-turn (slang).
Examples:
"Missed the spot—flip a bitch real quick."
45. ON SITE
Meaning:
-
Fight or confront immediately when seen.
Examples:
"Next time I see him, it’s on site."
46. GO HAM (H.A.M.)
Meaning:
-
Go hard as a m— (aggressively or passionately).
Examples:
"He went HAM in the gym today."
47. BLING
Meaning:
-
Flashy jewelry or accessories.
Examples:
"He came through with all that bling—iced out."
48. 5-0, FUZZ, POPO
Meaning:
-
Police.
Examples:
"5-0 rollin’ up—bounce!"
49. HOOD RATS / RATCHET / THOTS
Meanings:
-
Disrespectful slang for wild or promiscuous girls (not to use casually).
-
Ratchet = messy behavior.
-
Thot = "That ho over there."
Examples:
"That party was all hood rats and drama."
"She ratchet, always yellin’ in public."
"Bro stay chasin’ thots, smh."
50. LIT / TURNED UP
Meanings:
-
Fun.
-
Wild.
-
Intoxicated or exciting.
Examples:
"That party was lit!"
"We gettin’ turned up tonight."
51. FADED / CROSS FADED
Meanings:
-
Faded = drunk or high.
-
Cross faded = drunk and high at the same time.
Examples:
"I got so faded last night."
"Cross faded off Henny and a blunt—never again."
52. TO CATCH A FADE / PUT HANDS ON / TO SOCK
Meanings:
-
To fight.
-
To punch.
Examples:
"Talk slick and catch a fade."
"He socked him right in the jaw."
53. THE GHETTO / THE HOOD
Meaning:
-
A lower-income neighborhood.
-
Where you're from, often used with pride or struggle.
Examples:
"I’m from the hood—don’t get it twisted."
54. LAID BACK
Meaning:
-
Chill, relaxed.
Examples:
"He’s cool—real laid back."
55. TO COME UP
Meanings:
-
To improve in life.
-
To get money, gain something.
Examples:
"She really came up—new job, new car."
56. TO ROLL DEEP
Meaning:
-
Arrive with a big group.
Examples:
"We rollin’ deep to the show—like 10 heads."
57. WHACK
Meaning:
-
Lame.
-
Weak.
-
Fake.
Examples:
"That movie was whack."
58. POP OFF
Meanings:
-
Start a fight.
-
Get angry.
-
Hype moment.
Examples:
"He poppin’ off for no reason."
59. TO JACK / TO COME UP / TO GET JACKED
Meanings:
-
To steal.
-
To gain something (come up).
-
To get stolen from (get jacked).
Examples:
"Someone jacked my bike!"
"He came up on a new PS5."
60. TO HIT THE GYM / TO HIT THE SPOT
Meaning:
-
Gym = exercise.
-
Spot = satisfy craving or favorite place.
Examples:
"I’m bout to hit the gym."
"Tacos hit the spot, no cap."
61. AYE / BET
Meaning:
-
Aye = greeting or excitement.
-
Bet = “okay,” “for sure,” or challenge accepted.
Examples:
"Aye what’s good, fool?"
"You down to roll?" "Bet!"
62. SWING ON
Meaning:
-
To punch someone.
Examples:
"He swung on dude outta nowhere."
63. BOUT TO
Meaning:
-
About to.
Examples:
"I’m bout to dip."
64. REAL TALK / REAL SHIT
Meaning:
-
Honestly.
-
Truth.
Examples:
"You need to grow up—real talk."
65. A G
Meaning:
-
A gangster or someone respected.
-
$1,000.
Examples:
-
"He a real G, always solid."
66. BOMB / BOMB ASS
Meaning:
-
Amazing, delicious, or high quality.
Examples:
"This burrito is bomb."
"Bomb ass weather today."
67. CHILL / KICK IT
Meaning:
-
Relax.
-
Hang out.
Examples:
"We just chillin’."
"Let’s kick it at the beach."
68. A MINUTE / A LONG MINUTE / A HOT MINUTE
Meanings:
-
A while.
-
A really long time.
-
A short but intense time.
Examples:
"Haven’t seen you in a minute."
"It’s been a hot minute since we partied."
69. A GANG OF / A GRIP OF
Meaning:
-
A lot of something.
Examples:
"He got a gang of cousins."
"She brought a grip of snacks."
70. LIKE
Meaning:
-
Filler word.
-
Emphasis.
Examples:
"I was like, ‘nah fam, I’m good.’"
71. I PUT THAT ON THE DEAD HOMIES / ON GOD / ON MOMMA / ON THE SET
Meaning:
-
Strong swear of truth or loyalty.
Examples:
"I ain’t lie—I put that on God."
"That’s on mom’s, bro."
72. BRO / HOMIE / DOG / DUDE / MAN / FOOL
Meaning:
-
Friend or familiar person.
Examples:
"What’s up, fool?"
"Chillin’ with my homies."
73. YA DIG / YA FEEL ME
Meaning:
-
Do you understand?
-
Seeking agreement.
Examples:
"We grindin’—ya dig?"
"That was wild, ya feel me?"
74. FA SHOW / FER SURE
Meaning:
-
For sure, definitely.
Examples:
"You comin’ through?" "Fa show!"
75. DON'T TRIP / TO TRIP / TRIPPING OUT ON
Meanings:
-
Don’t worry.
-
Overreact.
-
Acting weird.
Examples:
"Don’t trip, I got you."
"He trippin’ over nothin’."
76. LEGIT
Meaning:
-
Real.
-
Official.
-
Good quality.
Examples:
"This spot’s legit—best tacos ever."
77. WHAT'S CRACKING / WHAT IT DO / IT DO WHAT IT DOES
Meanings:
-
What’s up?
-
How are things?
Examples:
"What’s cracking, fam?"
"It do what it does, ya feel me?"
78. TRYNA / FITTN'A
Meaning:
-
Trying to / Fixin’ to (about to).
Examples:
"I’m tryna chill later."
"I’m fittn’a dip."
79. GET YOUR GRUB ON / THE SMASH DOWN
Meanings:
-
Eat well.
-
Big meal.
Examples:
"Time to get our grub on!"
"We just put the smash down, I’m stuffed."
80. DROP A FEW BILLS
Meaning:
-
Spend money.