Benny (slang)

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Benny is a derogatory term used by residents of Jersey Shore towns for tourists that visit each summer.

In England, the term is used as a pejorative slang term to describe anyone of apparent mental slowness, especially by children (derived from the character of the same name, played by Paul Henry in the soap opera Crossroads). It is also used to describe a person in a fit of rage or having a tantrum as in "He's having a benny".

1 History
2 Stereotypical behavior
3 Areas that use the term
4 Sources

[edit] History

Some locals say that the term stands for the names of the cities that these seasonal visitors hail from: Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, and New York, although this may be a backronym. It has also been said that it stands for "Bastards Exiting Newark and New York", a more derogatory version referring to the commute to the shore of the two local large cities during the hot months of the summer.

[edit] Stereotypical behavior

Typical "benny" behavior is said to include:

Driving carelessly or recklessly, with little regard for local traffic regulations
Boorish, loud conduct in public areas (such as speaking loudly on cell phones and playing loud music)
Going through the exact change lane at the toll bridges - without possessing exact change
Wearing sneakers or socks with sandals on the beach
Wearing no shirt or shoes in local restaurants and stores
Quickly acquiring a full-body sunburn
Littering on the beach
Crowding the stores and restaurants and generally making life difficult for year-round residents.
Asking for change for a dollar in quarters and dimes for use on the parkway tolls.
Having a "farmer's tan" or "t-shirt tan"
Getting in the way of surfers or body boarders in the ocean
Driving the speed limit or slower in the left lane of the parkway