Welcome to the NJ shore: The difference between Shoobie and Benny

Depending on where you call home in New Jersey, you've probably hear the terms "Shoobie" or "Benny" every summer.

Both are, well, rather derogatory terms referring to vacationers. Vacationers are, of course, a mixed blessing to our coasts. They bring in revenue, but they also bring traffic — and dare we say it — sometimes some rudeness.

Let's start south and work our way up.

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The term "Shoobie" was first used in the late 1800s to describe people who took the train from Philadelphia, with their ticket price including a lunch, packed in a shoebox, according to Wikipedia. It later became synonymous with anyone who came to the South Jersey beaches and packed a lunch.

Wikipedia says that while the term originated in South Jersey, it's also used in Delaware and in coastal towns in Southern California.

"Shoobie" seems to be used in Cape May, Atlantic, and parts of Ocean Counties. From about mid-Ocean County through Monmouth County, the word "Benny" kicks in.

According to Wikipedia, "Benny" "is a pejorative term used by year-round residents of the Jersey Shore to describe stereotypically rude, flashy, loud tourists from North Jersey and New York."

As far as the origin of "Benny":

"One common theory says the term originates from an acronym that was stamped on the beachgoers' train tickets, representing the city in which they boarded the train to the Jersey Shore: Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, and New York City."

Again, whatever you call them, Shoobies and Bennies bring pluses and minuses.