Now, here on the Jersey Shore, we don’t speak particularly distinctly. We have, more or less, a standard northern dialect. But two phrases that seem unique and pervasive to this locality are “down the shore” (which I don’t use, but means “down to the beach”) and “bennies.”

“Bennies?”

Bennies are the out-of-towners who come to the Jersey shore only for the summer. They’re usually from New York (but certainly not always. there are a lot of Floridians here right now- but I assume most of them are snowbirds.)

There has always been a certain amount of prejudice against bennies. Yes, they support the economy, but they’re annoying.

The “local” newspaper (by “local,” I mean it’s the 66th-best-selling newspaper in the United States) has been trying to open people’s eyes to this unfounded prejudice by running a weekly “Benny or Local?” feature. Here, try it for yourself. (Click the image to enlarge, then check your answers.)

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Click here for answers!

Really, they’re just like the rest of us.

(Want more info on bennies? Click here for the Wikipedia article on the term.)