New York English: 16 Phrases & Places Every Learner Needs to Discover

People everywhere dream of visiting New York City. Not only is The Big Apple one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world, but it’s also one of the best places to learn English. Today you will learn 8 unique expressions and 8 places every New York dreamer and English learner NEEDS to discover.

Kaplan International, which has several English schools in New York City, recently did a survey on the most popular New York tourist spots (places) for people learning English.

They compiled the fascinating results in the following videographic, which includes 8 world-famous includes famous destinations such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, and Times Square.

Check out the full survey at Kaplan International here.

8 Places in New York Every Visitor Needs to Discover

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8 New York Phrases Every English Learner Needs to Know

1. The Big Apple is New York’s world famous nickname. First popularized by a local sportswriter in the 1920s, a 1970s New York Convention and visitor’s bureau marketing campaign made “The Big Apple” a household name (a name everybody knows).

2. A New Yorker is a person who currently lives in New York City. This does not apply to people living in other parts of the state.

3. Stand on line – People from New York don’t actually say “stand in line,” which is technically the correct way to say it. Tourists stand ‘in’ line, while New Yorkers stand ‘on’ line!

4. Subway (or Train) – Unlike many other places in the world, in New York they don’t say metro. If you want to sound like a New Yorker, you must use “subway” or “train.”

5. Bodega is a term for a local general store where you buy can buy groceries, cigarettes and deli-food. It’s a bit fancier than a “convenience store,” and it’s much more diverse than a grocery store.

6. Ovah here, Ovah there- New Yorkers frequently say “over here” and “over there” to simplify directions. The unique New York flavor doesn’t just come from repeating these phrases over and over, but also from the unique pronunciation of the “over” as “ovah,” as they cut off the “r.” The New York accent is unlike any other accent in the United States.

7. The City means the island of Manhattan, which is in fact only one of New York’s 5 boroughs (neighborhoods).

8. Fuhgeddaboudit! (Colloquial pronunciation of Forget About It!) Brooklyn New York’s slogan, originating from Italian immigrants, is a phrase used to admire or complain about different aspects this neighborhood, which is one of most famous boroughs in the city.”Is there a greater city on planet earth? Fuhgeddaboudit!”

Fuhgeddaboudit in Donnie Darko

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So there you have it! Those are some of the most attractive places and expressions from The Big Apple, one of the best places to visit and learn English in the world! If you enjoyed this post, take a look at past RealLife posts with Kaplan illustrations that can really help you learn English expressions in a colorful and interesting way. Click here to go to the Kaplan International blog.