Benny (slang)

This article is about Jersey Shore tourists. For other uses, see Benny.

Anti-benny message scrawled on a rock at Manasquan Inlet. Labor Day, 2007.

Benny is a derogatory term used by year-round residents of the Jersey Shore to describe rude, flashy, loud, tourists from northern New Jersey and New York. While local residents appreciate the tourists' economic contribution, the term "Benny" specifically refers to only those unpleasant tourists that cut lines, drive recklessly, start fights, harass women, or deliver other disrespect. Some say "Benny" originated as an acronym for the tourists' residency--in Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, or New York (B,E,N,NY). The term has expanded to encompass all obnoxious non-resident tourists (i.e. tourists from northern New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) who collectively frequent the Jersey Shore from Memorial Day to Labor Day, crowding local roads, stores, beaches, and restaurants. The term "Benny" is predominantly used by local residents of beachfront towns in Ocean County and Monmouth County.

The term 'Shoobie' is used by residents of resort communities in the southern New Jersey Shore, from Long Beach Island to Cape May. The term shoobie was originally used to describe day-trippers who took the train to the shore. The train offered pre-packed lunches that came in shoe boxes; hence the term "shoobie." However, over time the meaning has changed to include tourists that wear sneakers or shoes on the beach, as opposed to most locals who go barefoot on the sand.

History

The origin of the term remains the source of some debate. It has been described as an acronym for the names of the cities and counties where the bennies came from: Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, and New York, the communities the trains go through to get to the Jersey Shore.

A less likely theory is that it arose from a health spa fad, which began in the second half of the 19th century and continued up until World War I. This movement was popularized by Sylvester Graham, best remembered for the Graham Cracker, and Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, of cereal fame. People traveled to the shore to enjoy the "beneficial airs" of the salt water, "bene-" becoming "benny" in the process.

Sources

• http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/BENNY
• http://www.bennygohome.com
• http://www.nj.com/shore/blogs/updates/index.ssf/2008/05/the_origins_of_the_benny.html
• http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/benny_bayonne_elizabeth_newark_new_york_acronym/
• NJ documentary - Benny segment
• A Inner look at a Benny