Writing Tips

Florida Slang Terms

Acere: Another word for friend.

America's Wang: This is a humorous nickname for the whole state of Florida. It refers to Florida's distinctly phallic shape.

Bap: An object that's broken, useless, or outdated.

Bih: You can use it to describe objects, people, or places.

Bobo: Anything that's poor in quality.

Bro: Word that's short for brother.

Buss: A way to describe food that's extremely tasty.

Florida Bath: When someone gets clean by taking a dip in their pool rather than showering or bathing.

Florida Happy Meal: A joking term that refers to getting a pack of cigarettes, beer, and lottery tickets.

Florida Man: This is a term that has achieved meme status. It makes a joke about how so many crazy headlines begin with or reference men in Florida doing bizarre things. For examples, all you need to do is search "Florida man headlines," and you'll get tons of actual newspaper headlines that will likely make you laugh.

Floridabulous: A phrase that many Floridians look on with disdain. It's seen as trashy and unoriginal. It also means trashy and weird.

Floridiot: Derogatory slang word that refers to an unintelligent person who just so happens to be from Florida.

Florijority: A term that references how Florida tends to be influential in elections.

Gator: As you might have guessed, this is just an abbreviation of the word "alligator." It's not slang for anything other than the animal.

God's Waiting Room: Another nickname for the whole state of Florida. This is a little bit of darker humor that refers to how many senior citizens like to move to Florida when they retire.

Gunshine State: Yet another nickname for Florida. This time, it's just a reference to how the state is shaped kind of like a gun.

Have a Good One: A common and nice way to bid someone farewell in Florida.

Howzabout: Slang that's specific to South Florida. It just means "how's about..."

Jax: Short and affectionate nickname for the city of Jacksonville, Florida.

Jit: Anyone who's younger than you. Generally used as something you can call kids.

Jorts: Jean shorts, a staple in the outfits of many Floridians.

Love Bugs: This term sounds much more romantic than it actually is. Unfortunately, love bugs aren't cute couples – they're actual insects that attach to each other during mating season.

No See 'Ums: A generalized phrase that can be applied to small insects you don't really see that bite you.

O-Town: Nickname for the city of Orlando.

Oye: Cuban slang that can be used as a greeting.

Parked in Goofy: You say this to indicate that you had to park far away from your goal.

Pub Sub: In other regions of the United States, you might call the pub sub a grocery store sandwich. These are subs you can purchase at Publix stores.

Rawvera: A nickname for Riviera Beach, a city in Florida.

Sleep: Missing out on something or letting an opportunity pass you by.

Slide: To go somewhere.

Snowbirds: People who go down to Florida for the winter to escape the cold and go back up to northern regions during the summer.

Soflo/Sofla: Another way to say, "South Florida."

The Sixth Borough: A nickname for Florida that pokes fun at how so many people from New York retire there.

Vibe: To be feeling positive about anything.

Wicked Up: The state of being deeply intoxicated.