Shore Lingo: Bennys
By keithApril 28, 2025Guide
Every person you meet at The Shore will be one of two people: a local or a Benny. The provenance of the latter term is under dispute, what it means is not: a tourist that descends upon the Jersey Shore every summer.
We'll go through the potential causes for the term and rate their likelihood.
The mostly likely explanation for the term is for the areas where The Shore's tourists originally came from: Bayonne**, E**lizabeth, Newark, and New York City. Also in consideration: Bergen and Essex County instead of Bayonne and Elizabeth.
Likelihood rating: 8 out of 10
But Wikipedia claims it could also be attributed to the Benjamin Franklins that tourist spent. That doesn't sound quite mocking enough so we rate that a likelihood of 3 out of 10.
Another theory is that ill New Yorkers went to The Shore in the early 20th century for "beneficials" - or treatments for what ailed them. I put that at a 5 out of 10.
In reality, the most obvious answer is usually correct - and it's likely due to where those first visitors came from.
[
Benny (slang) - Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.Contributors to Wikimedia projects
](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_\(slang\))
It is still used as a mocking slang, sometimes as a joke, sometimes not. Much like fuhgeddaboudit, the intent is often determined by the intonation. As NJ.com points out, those who use it seriously do so at the behavior, not the person.
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Of course, it's a tale as old as time: city slickers descend upon a sleepier habitat and bring their louder ways to the consternation of the residents.
In my personal experience, it is highly unlikely to hear this term in 2025. And, if you do, it's highly unlikely that it is used in anything but jest. So don't take it too seriously.
So what makes a Benny a Benny? I've been asking some of the people I've interviewed, the business owners that live in towns year round.
“If we don’t see you on Tuesday” in the offseason, you’re a Benny,” says Augie Carton, owner of Carton Brewing Company, with a laugh.
