Down the shore
Meaning: Going to the beach — specifically the New Jersey Shore beaches.
In New Jersey, you don't go 'to the beach' — you go 'down the shore.' It refers to the string of beach towns along the Jersey coastline: Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant, Long Beach Island, Cape May, and others. Going 'down the shore' implies a whole culture: boardwalks, funnel cake, skee-ball, and summer rentals.
Examples
- We're going down the shore for the Fourth of July weekend. 独立日周末我们去海边。Nos vamos down the shore el fin de semana del Cuatro de Julio.独立記念日の週末はダウン・ザ・ショア(海岸)に行くよ。독립기념일 연휴에 다운 더 쇼어(해변)에 갈 거야.
- Every summer, half of North Jersey goes down the shore. 每年夏天,北泽西一半的人都去海边。Cada verano, la mitad de North Jersey se va down the shore.毎年夏になると、ノースジャージーの半分がダウン・ザ・ショアに行く。매년 여름이면 노스저지 사람들의 절반이 다운 더 쇼어로 간다.
- Are you renting a house down the shore this year? 今年你在海边租房子吗?¿Vas a alquilar una casa down the shore este año?今年はダウン・ザ・ショアに家を借りるの?올해는 다운 더 쇼어에 집을 빌릴 거야?
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: summer plans, beach culture, casual conversation
Tone: casual, excited
✓ Do Say
- We're going down the shore this weekend.这周末我们去海边。Nos vamos down the shore este fin de semana.今週末ダウン・ザ・ショアに行くよ。이번 주말에 다운 더 쇼어에 갈 거야.
- I spent every summer down the shore.我每年夏天都在海边度过。Pasé todos los veranos down the shore.毎年夏はダウン・ザ・ショアで過ごしたんだ。매년 여름을 다운 더 쇼어에서 보냈어.
✗ Don't Say
- Don't say 'to the shore' — the preposition 'down' is essential to the NJ expression不要说'to the shore'——介词'down'是新泽西这个表达的关键组成部分No se dice 'to the shore' — la preposición 'down' es esencial en la expresión de Nueva Jersey.「to the shore」とは言わないこと——前置詞「down」がこのNJ特有の表現には不可欠'to the shore'라고 하지 말 것 — 전치사 'down'이 이 NJ 표현의 핵심이다
Origin & History
A distinctly New Jersey expression reflecting the geography — you travel south ('down') from North Jersey and the NYC metro area to reach the shore. It's been standard NJ vocabulary for generations, reinforced by Bruce Springsteen's shore-themed music and the MTV show Jersey Shore.
Cultural Context
Era: Mid-20th century
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: New Jersey — one of the strongest NJ dialect markers
More From This Topic
More from Regional: Northeast / NYC
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free