What is jawn?
Quick answer
Jawn is Philadelphia slang that can replace almost any noun: a thing, a place, an event, or sometimes a person. “Pass me that jawn” means “pass me that thing.” It’s one of the most famous words in Philly’s local vocabulary.
If someone in Philadelphia says, “That new jawn on Broad Street is fire,” they could be talking about a restaurant, a mural, a store or a concert. You figure it out from context.
How people use it
| Example | What “jawn” means |
|---|---|
| “Hand me that jawn.” | An object |
| “Let’s hit up that jawn on South Street.” | A place |
| “That party was a jawn.” | An event, usually a good one |
| “Did you hear that new jawn?” | A song |
| “She’s my jawn.” | A person, often a girlfriend or crush (more casual) |
Using it for people can come across as overly familiar or disrespectful, so it’s best saved for things and places if you’re not from Philly.
Where it comes from
Most language researchers think jawn developed from “joint,” which was used in New York and elsewhere as slang for a place or thing. Philadelphia, especially its Black communities, reshaped it into jawn, and it spread through hip-hop in the 1980s and 1990s.
A symbol of the city
Jawn has become a point of local pride. It shows up on T-shirts, murals, restaurant names and sports fan signs, and it has gained recognition well beyond the city. Using it correctly is a way of sounding like a local; overusing it is a quick way to sound like a tourist.
Other Philly slang
- Wooder: water, in the local accent
- Hoagie: a sub sandwich (see how to make a sandwich)
- Jimmies: chocolate sprinkles
- Drawlin’: acting out of line
For other casual expressions, see what “what up” means.
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