8 phrases Californians use without realizing the rest of the country finds them annoying

Living in California for over two decades has taught me something uncomfortable: we sound pretty annoying to the rest of the country.

I didn't realize this until a college friend from Ohio visited last summer. Every other sentence out of my mouth made him wince or laugh. "Dude, you really do talk like that," he said, shaking his head.

Here's the thing. When you're surrounded by people who speak the same way, you forget that your normal isn't everyone's normal. Those phrases that roll off our tongues without a second thought? They're like nails on a chalkboard to people from other states.

So let's dive into the linguistic quirks that make Californians sound, well, insufferable to the rest of America.

1. "I'm so stoked"

Nothing screams California quite like being "stoked" about literally everything. Your coffee order came out right? Stoked. Found a good parking spot? Super stoked.

The rest of the country uses words like "excited" or "happy" like normal humans. But here we are, borrowing surfer slang from the 1960s to describe our enthusiasm about finding ripe avocados at Whole Foods.

I've mentioned this before but regional dialects shape how others perceive us. And when you're "stoked" about mundane things, people from Kansas think you're either high or trying too hard. Usually both.

2. "The 405" or "The 101"

Want to instantly identify yourself as a Californian? Put "the" before any freeway number.

Everywhere else in America, it's just "I-95" or "Route 66." But we insist on "the 405" like it's a close personal friend who betrayed us during rush hour.

A friend from Portland once asked me why we do this. I had no answer. It's just how we've always done it. Though if you've spent three hours on "the 10" trying to get from Santa Monica to downtown, maybe it does become personal enough to deserve an article.

3. "No worries"

Have you ever noticed how Californians can't just say "you're welcome" anymore?

Someone thanks us, and we respond with "no worries" like we're all Australian exchange students who never went home. The phrase has infected our vocabulary so thoroughly that I catch myself using it in emails to editors in New York who probably roll their eyes every single time.

The psychology behind this is actually interesting. We're so committed to appearing laid-back that we can't even accept gratitude without deflecting it. Heaven forbid we acknowledge that we actually did something worthy of thanks.

4. "I feel like..."

Starting every opinion with "I feel like" has become our linguistic security blanket.

"I feel like that restaurant is overpriced."
"I feel like we should leave earlier."
"I feel like the weather's been weird lately."

These aren't feelings. They're thoughts. But somewhere along the way, Californians decided that prefacing everything with "I feel like" makes us sound more emotionally intelligent or less confrontational.

Spoiler alert: It just makes us sound indecisive to everyone east of Nevada.

5. "Hella"

Northern Californians, this one's specifically for you.

"Hella" might be the most divisive word in the California lexicon. Even Southern Californians cringe when they hear it, so imagine how the rest of the country feels.

"That's hella cool" or "I'm hella tired" sounds perfectly normal in San Francisco. But say it in Boston and watch people physically recoil. It's like we collectively decided that "very" wasn't good enough and needed to invent our own intensifier that makes everyone else's ears bleed.

6. "Yeah, no" and "No, yeah"

Can someone explain to me why we can't give straight answers anymore?

"Yeah, no, I can't make it tonight."
"No, yeah, that totally makes sense."

We've created this contradictory verbal tic that drives people from other states absolutely insane. They're waiting for a simple yes or no, and we're out here playing linguistic ping-pong with ourselves.

I was on a conference call with someone from Texas recently, and after I said "yeah, no, for sure," there was this long pause. Finally, he asked, "So is that a yes or a no?" Fair question, honestly.

7. "Super" everything

Why use regular adjectives when you can make everything super?

"I'm super tired."
"That's super interesting."
"She's super nice."

We've turned into linguistic cartoon characters, unable to express ourselves without this amplifier that's lost all meaning through overuse.

The book "Made to Stick" talks about how language loses impact through repetition. When everything is super, nothing actually is. But try explaining that to a Californian who's super excited about their super good acai bowl from their super cute local cafe.

8. "Let's circle back on that"

Tech culture has infected California speech patterns worse than any surf slang ever could.

"Let's circle back on that" is corporate speak for "I don't want to deal with this right now," but we use it for everything. Deciding where to eat dinner? Let's circle back. Relationship discussions? Let's circle back.

Friends from the Midwest tell me this phrase makes them want to scream. Just make a decision or say you'll think about it. But no, we have to make it sound like we're in a perpetual board meeting, even when we're just trying to pick a movie to watch.

Wrapping up

Here's what I've learned from writing this: we all have linguistic blind spots.

These phrases are so embedded in how I communicate that I had to consciously catch myself using half of them while writing this article. That's the power of regional dialect. It becomes part of who you are without you even noticing.

Does this mean I'm going to stop saying these things? Probably not entirely. Twenty years in Venice Beach has done its damage. But maybe I'll be more aware when I'm talking to my friend from Ohio.

Or maybe not. I'm feeling super stoked about this article, and no worries if you disagree. We can always circle back on it later.

After all, that's hella California of me.