There’s fast food . . . and then there is In-N-Out. Californians will go on and on about how delicious In-N-Out is: the freshness of the burger, the soft bread, the delicious cheese, the “animal style” grilled onions, the special sauce: the ingredients come together to make one very delicious burger!
In-N-Out was founded in California in 1948. For decades, it could only be found in California and was, for many, a symbol of the state. Today there are franchises in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and Utah, and Californians joke how these four other U.S. states are “lucky” to have In-N-Out.
What makes In-N-Out so delicious? Perhaps its simplicity: the In-N-Out menu is just burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes. (Although there is a “secret menu” that includes vegetarian items and special recipes: check out Wikipedia’s section on other menu options!) Unlike other fast food restaurants, which use frozen ingredients shipped from far away locations, In-N-Out uses fresh ingredients. In fact, each restaurant is located within a day’s drive of a distribution center.
Since In-N-Out is such an icon of California culture, it is only fitting that you speak California slang while “chowing down” on a burger. (That’s slang for “eating.”) Check out these California slang words that are tossed around daily during conversations in Cali!
California Slang
The bomb: amazing, awesome, great
In-N-Out burgers are the bomb!
Cruise: to come or to leave
We are going to cruise over to In-N-Out after class. Want to come?
To rock something: to wear something and look good
Have you seen the silly hats that the workers wear?
I think they totally rock them.
Heads: the amount of people in a place
There are so many heads in here! It’s going to take forever to get our order!
Swoop: to take/steal
I swear you swooped some of my fries! No fair!