Shoobie
Encyclopedia
Shoobie is a term used in South Jersey
to describe a tourist who visits the seashore for a day (a daytripper), primarily to use the beach during the summer months. Shoobie is used in resort towns along the southern Jersey Shore, between the areas of Long Beach Island
and Cape May
. The term "shoobie" originated in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, and it derives from the habit among daytrippers of bringing their lunch in a shoe box, thus depriving local businesses of the revenue the tourists would have spent on food. The term "shoobie" may sometimes now be applied to tourists who are more likely to wear shoes on the beach, although this is not the original meaning. Homeowners (whether year-round or seasonal) often walk to the beach barefoot or remove their shoes immediately upon reaching the sand.
Similar terms are "Benny," which is mostly used in the resort towns of the northern Jersey Shore.
Shoobies are essentially a mixed blessing for local beach residents. They bring in enormous revenue during the summer months, but at the same time they add numerous obstacles and annoyances to day-to-day life. In that sense, shoobies are not unlike the tourists that descend on any resort area.
The term has also been mentioned frequently on the Nickelodeon
show Rocket Power
. The reference in the show is to folks that wear their "shoes" on the "beach", as in SHOE-BEAch. The term is also used to describe "day-trippers" on Nantucket Island. Slightly Stoopid
& Toko Tasi recorded a song "Shoobie" which appears on Slightly Stoopid's Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid
EP
South Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation is a colloquial one, reflecting not only geographical but perceived cultural differences from the northern part of the state, with no official...
to describe a tourist who visits the seashore for a day (a daytripper), primarily to use the beach during the summer months. Shoobie is used in resort towns along the southern Jersey Shore, between the areas of Long Beach Island
Long Beach Island
Long Beach Island is a barrier island and summer colony along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States...
and Cape May
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
. The term "shoobie" originated in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, and it derives from the habit among daytrippers of bringing their lunch in a shoe box, thus depriving local businesses of the revenue the tourists would have spent on food. The term "shoobie" may sometimes now be applied to tourists who are more likely to wear shoes on the beach, although this is not the original meaning. Homeowners (whether year-round or seasonal) often walk to the beach barefoot or remove their shoes immediately upon reaching the sand.
Similar terms are "Benny," which is mostly used in the resort towns of the northern Jersey Shore.
Shoobies are essentially a mixed blessing for local beach residents. They bring in enormous revenue during the summer months, but at the same time they add numerous obstacles and annoyances to day-to-day life. In that sense, shoobies are not unlike the tourists that descend on any resort area.
The term has also been mentioned frequently on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
show Rocket Power
Rocket Power
Rocket Power is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon.-Premise:Rocket Power involves the daily situations of a group of best friends named Oswald "Otto" Rocket, Regina "Reggie" Rocket, Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez, and Sam "Squid" Dullard, as they live in the fictional...
. The reference in the show is to folks that wear their "shoes" on the "beach", as in SHOE-BEAch. The term is also used to describe "day-trippers" on Nantucket Island. Slightly Stoopid
Slightly Stoopid
Slightly Stoopid is an American band based in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, who describe their music as "a fusion of acoustic rock and blues with reggae, hip-hop, and punk". As a band, they have released eight albums with their sixth studio album, entitled Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat...
& Toko Tasi recorded a song "Shoobie" which appears on Slightly Stoopid's Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid
Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid
Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid is an album by California band Slightly Stoopid, which was released July 22, 2008. It contains all 7 tracks from the EP of the same name, "as well as other outtakes, rarities, and brand new studio joints."While many of this album's tracks are...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
External links
- Shoobie.org - Visitor Information Resource
- Matthew in the Morning's Shoobie Guide
- Surfline.com - "What is a Shoobie?"
- "Locals to hard-partying renters: Show some respect", The Press of Atlantic City, May 12, 2006
- American Dialect Society mailing list