1. Burrito
What it means everywhere else: A quick, portable, and cheap meal.
What it means in the Bay Area: A quick, portable, and cheap work of art.
2. Internet Startup
What it means everywhere else: A phrase that was thrown around a lot in the 90s.
What it means in the Bay Area: What half of your friends are making (or trying to make) their living on.
3. Giants
What it means everywhere else: Mythological or fantasy characters that are basically human but well… giant.
What it means in the Bay Area: A hella good baseball team.
4. Earthquake
What it means everywhere else: A natural disaster you’ve only seen on the news.
What it means in the Bay Area: A usually not so serious rumble that you sometimes don’t even notice. But you’re still really nervous about the next big one.
5. The City
What it means everywhere else: A major metropolitan area.
What it means in the Bay Area: Much to the disdain of Oaklanders and maybe to people who live in San Jose (although they’re probably used to it), it just means San Francisco.
6. Public Transportation
What it means everywhere else: City-owned mass transportation systems that get you from point A to point B.
What it means in the Bay Area: Shaking your fist at the sky and crying in anguish, “MUNI!”
7. Hella
What it means everywhere else: Hello with a southern accent, or something you heard a surfer character say in a movie once.
What it means in the Bay Area: Used very frequently to place emphasis on a noun in a sentence.
8. Hills
What it means everywhere else: An area that gradually rises to a peak and then descends.
What it means in the Bay Area: Those things that make you want to stop and cry for a minute when you have to ride your bike up one.
9. Closet
What it means everywhere else: A small space in your room where you store your clothes.
What it means in the Bay Area: Your entire apartment.
10. Los Angeles
What it means everywhere else: The city you think of when you think of California. It’s where all the Hollywood films and TV shows are made.
What it means in the Bay Area: Polluted gross desert city with terrible traffic.
11. Umbrella
What it means everywhere else: The thing you pull out when it starts raining.
What it means in the Bay Area: Those things that are rendered totally useless by the wind.
12. Southern California
What it means everywhere else: The land of sunshine, beaches, and opportunity.
What it means in the Bay Area: That place you went once…as a child…to visit a family member.
13. Cab
What it means everywhere else: A yellow car you hail to take you somewhere.
What it means in the Bay Area: What, you mean like Uber or Lyft?
14. San Fran
What it means everywhere else: A nickname for San Francisco.
What it means in the Bay Area: Something only tourists say.
15. Coffee
What it means everywhere else: A caffeinated beverage you drink for a jolt in the morning.
What it means in the Bay Area: Peet’s Coffee & Tea forever and always.
16. Star
What it means everywhere else: Something that lights up the night sky, or a celebrity.
What it means in the Bay Area: A deep dish pizza joint in Oakland that may not light up the night sky but will totally light up your life.
17. Fog
What it means everywhere else: A light mist, usually in the morning, after it rains.
What it means in the Bay Area: Stuff that literally makes the air as thick as pea soup.
18. Fernet
What it means everywhere else: A digestif that you’ve only seen people over seventy order.
What it means in the Bay Area: The nectar of the gods.
19. Breeze
What it means everywhere else: A mild wind that feels wonderful on a hot day.
What it means in the Bay Area: Forty mile per hour gusts that almost knock you over.
20. Brunch
What it means everywhere else: The meal you have sometimes in the late morning on weekends instead of breakfast or lunch.
What it means in the Bay Area: What you would do every day for the rest of your life, and would do better than anyone else, if you didn’t have to be at that pesky job.
21. The Rich
What it means everywhere else: People who have a whole lot of money.
What it means in the Bay Area: The city of Richmond.
22. Chill
What it means everywhere else: A drop in temperature, or a cooler climate.
What it means in the Bay Area: A constant state of being for most Bay Area folks. It can also be used to indicate something is cool, good, or okay.
23. Parking Spot
What it means everywhere else: A place where you park your car, on the street or in a lot.
What it means in the Bay Area: Probably just a myth, because you’ve never seen any.
Did we miss anything? Share words that mean something different in the Bay Area in the comments below! 
