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The Big Apple

Life In The Jungle

By Kelli Sheckler-AmsdenPublished 11 months ago 1 min read

***

In the shadow of the island

On the isle of Manhattan

The people shine like diamonds

Amid a masquerade of fashion

Mastering the many rules

That this jungle must abide by

It’s a game that win or lose

Everybody playing, complies

To be in the crowd who knows

You must first converse correctly

The lingo will keep you on your toes

You cannot spew incidentally

When in search for a bodega

Leave your baggage in your flat

You can't be seen schlepping the gouda

Around the city, like a twat

If you want to do things right

You'd better mind your p's and q's

You can't be looking nice and tight

Until you know what, when and who

You've gotta get yourself mad hungry

To avoid appearing thirsty

Or you'll be left out on the street

Being schooled on, "where's the beef"

**

AI Overview

New York slang includes words and phrases like "bodega", "deadass", "brick", and "mad".

Examples of New York slang

Bodega: A small convenience store or corner shop that's usually family-owned

Mad: An intensifier to mean "a lot" or "very"

Schlep: To carry or haul something, usually with effort or inconvenience

Tight: To describe something that is well put together, cool, or in style

Thirsty: To describe someone who is acting desperate

Beef. When two New Yorkers have unresolved business or tension between them, these two people have beef with each other.

New York has a rich cultural legacy of slang words and phrases. These words often interplayed with vaudeville, radio, movies, comics, and popular songs.

fact or fictionFor Funhumorperformance poetry

About the Creator

Kelli Sheckler-Amsden

Telling stories my heart needs to tell <3 life is a journey, not a competition

If you like what you read, feel free to leave a tip, I would love some feedback

Find me on twitter @kelli7958958

or facebook

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Comments (4)

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  • Mark Graham10 months ago

    What a culture and language lesson on New York. Good job.

  • KA Stefana 11 months ago

    Don’t forget your bagels at Zuckers! With or without schmear!

  • Marvelous way of sweeping us through the jungle's slang, Kelli.

  • Mother Combs11 months ago

    Great poem Last line, I heard in a little ol' lady's voice lol "Where's the Beef!" But I'm old, and I recall those ancient commercials🤣

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