Many Virginians can agree that Northern Virginia (NoVA) and the rest of the state are two completely different places. With a population of roughly 3 million, NoVA’s proximity to Washington, D.C. makes it is a fast-paced environment. The southern part of Virginia is characterized more by rural towns and a less dense population. Another big difference in the two areas is in the language and how people talk. Amongst NoVA teens especially, several phrases have gained popularity in the last couple years that are not as commonly used in the rest of the state. Speaking from personal experience, I attended a program last summer in Radford, Va. for four weeks and found that a lot of the people, who lived in the southern part of the state, were unaware of a lot of the slang that we used. So here is a guide to some of NoVA’s most popular phrases.

“I’m hip”

The phrase, “I’m hip,” is usually used to agree with a statement or to give something support. It can also be used to signify that one already is aware of something such as “I’m hip to that.” 

“Geek”

The word geek should not be confused with the traditional definition of someone that is brainy or really enjoys school. The NoVA phrase of “that geeks,” or “I’m geeked” is commonly used when something is very funny. It’s been used for many years, and although it is starting to lose some popularity, if you say “that geeks” around a NoVA kid, they will get the message.

“Brick”

The term “brick” began a few years ago. The most common phrase that accompanies it is “in a brick,” to signify that it has been awhile since something has happened. If you have not seen someone for an extended period of time, a way you could express that would be, “I haven’t seen them in a brick.”

“Pressed”

This term is a bit more universal, but it is commonly used in NoVA to explain that someone is upset or annoyed about something. It can be used for countless reasons, an example would be, “People keep going out, even though we are supposed to be in quarantine, and I’m pressed about it.” 

“Bet”

Another well known term, but commonly used in NoVA, usually is used to agree with something or set a plan. A good example of this would be if two people are talking about going to the movies later and one says that they are on the way to pick them up, the other person could respond with “bet.”