Blending into a new city starts with understanding the local slang and shorthand. Long-time residents of Greensboro, like most cities, have certain phrases that newcomers may not understand at first. Here’s a few that stand out, along with explanations. Using these will help you fit in, even on your first day in town.
Gboro/Boro
Not that Greensboro is that challenging to say, but who doesn’t like a nickname? Greensboro residents often shorten up the city’s name to Gboro, The Boro, or even just The Bo to indicate their insider status to those new to the city.
Bennett Belles
https://twitter.com/brelieve_me/status/991411844156968963
Greensboro is a college town, with five campuses in all. One of those schools is Bennett College, a private four-year historically black liberal arts college for women. Somewhere along the way the young women who attend the school started to be referred to as Bennett Belles, and the name has stuck.
Aggies
Another Greensboro-based college, North Carolina A&T State University, uses the nickname Aggies (Ag-ees) for its athletic teams thanks to its original focus—agriculture (A) and technology (T). Even the university’s mascot, a bulldog, is referred to as the Aggie Dawg.
Sternberger & Starmount
One of Greensboro’s popular older neighborhoods is Starmount. An elementary school in the neighborhood is named Sternberger. The reality is the two words are the same. Starmount is the English translation for Sternberger, which is German in origin, and was the last name of the wife of the man who developed the neighborhood.
Bless your heart
Confrontation is done differently in the South. For example, if you have ever heard the phrase “Bless his heart” the person bestowing that benediction is not literally placing a blessing on the individual in question. Far from it. They are actually, in a roundabout way, commenting on how mistaken or misguided the person is.
All the way
The yum yums are flowing at Yum Yum’s Better Ice Cream in Greensboro NC. pic.twitter.com/eye9WCu4UB
— drinkcheerwine (@DrinkCheerwine) April 2, 2018
That’s the order to remember for a hot dog with chili, slaw, onions and mustard at Yum Yum Better Ice Cream and Hot Dogs. Known by most as simply Yum Yum’s, it’s been an institution in Greensboro for more than 100 years, serving generations. The restaurant is beloved, but it can be a bit tricky for newcomers to navigate. Whether you are ordering hot dogs or ice cream or both, there will be multiple lines for a server behind the counter. Choose one and place your entire order with that person. And bring cash.
Taj Ma Teeter
Just beyond the outdoor shopping mall, Friendly Center, a 60,000-plus square foot Harris Teeter was constructed, which locals started referring to as the Taj Ma Teeter because of its size. Apparently, developers decided to up the ante, and that building was replaced in 2006 with a 72,000-square-foot store, which continues to, rightly, be referred to by residents as the Taj Ma Teeter.
Buggy/shopping cart
What will you use in Greensboro when you are strolling down the aisles of the Taj Ma Teeter? Well locals would say a buggy, which is a shopping cart for all you newbies.
LimeBikes
LimeBikes part of transportation trend taking over Greensboro https://t.co/uUngoTcvdT pic.twitter.com/RRSMR0DG9G
— FOX8 WGHP (@myfox8) May 16, 2018
Greensboro is pretty serious about being green. It has loads of parks, and cycling is a beloved mode of transportation. Biking is so popular, in fact, that LimeBike choose Greensboro as one of its first national locations to offer the dock-less bike sharing program. Feel free to turn sightings of the bikes around town into your own updated game of punch-buggy.
The Corner
Greensboro has multiple older neighborhoods, and one near UNC Greensboro, Lindley Park, has become a popular destination thanks to the restaurants and bars at the corner of Walker Avenue and Elam Avenue. The spot has become so popular that most simply refer to it as the Corner. The Corner boasts four restaurants, a coffee shop, a caterer/cooking school, a vintage furniture shop, two bars, a laundromat/bar and a grocery store.
The Beer Wall
Speaking of the Corner’s grocery store … The Bestway is home to the Beer Wall that is well known among brew aficionados for its diverse and expansive collection of craft beers, hundreds in all. It really must be seen to be believed.
Y’all
Yes, Greensboro is in the South, so you should expect to be greeted with y’all and be prepared to find ways to work the phrase into your own everyday speech. Feel free to start small, something along the lines of “Are y’all going to the Corner tonight to stare at the Beer Wall?”
