# What's a Jersey girl? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2006, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031 "2006-03-12T10:57:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/1 "2006-03-12T10:57:22Z")
From Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Debi Mazar (born 15 August 1964) is an actress of Italian-American and Latvian-Jewish extraction, best known for her trademark Jersey girl-type appearances, and as edgy, sharp-tongued women in independent films. What’s a Jersey girl? I mean, apart from the purely denotative meaning of a girl from New Jersey. Is there some sort of stereotype? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/2 "2006-03-12T11:07:08Z")
Think Fran Drescher from The Nanny. Think Joan Cusack from Working Girl. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/3 "2006-03-12T11:10:35Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Think Fran Drescher from The Nanny. Think Joan Cusack from Working Girl. So, um, puffy hair? ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/4 "2006-03-12T11:15:58Z")
Not that relevant, maybe - but there’s also an [airplane](http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1004461/M/) by that name. With Virgin Atlantic being a British company, this might refer to that _other_ Jersey, though. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/5 "2006-03-12T11:23:11Z")
> [@Stark Raven Mad](#): > > So, um, puffy hair? Big hair, “intricate” makeup (lots of eye shadow, often in multiple colors), high school education, loud wardrobe, probably lots of animal prints, thick Jersey accent, etc. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/6 "2006-03-12T11:52:35Z")
Fran was supposed to be from Queens. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/7 "2006-03-12T12:17:43Z")
And Melanie Griffith’s character in _Working Girl_ hailed from Staten Island, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/8 "2006-03-12T13:01:33Z")
They still fit the Jersey girl stereotype. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/9 "2006-03-12T13:02:49Z")
But “Jersey Girl” flows better than “Queens Girl” or “Staten Island Girl.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/10 "2006-03-12T16:40:00Z")
The stereotype is pretty much the same, whether from Queens, Staten Island, or the New Jersey suburbs of NYC. It’s working class New York - brash and savvy but unsophicated in terms of fashion and manners. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/11 "2006-03-12T17:32:47Z")
I don’t accept Fran Drescher as a Jersey Girl, she is way too much a Long Islander. There is a big difference in accent and a small difference in attitude. The Stereotypical Jersey girl would be Big Hair, Loud and not willing to take any shit from anyone. Especially in the 80’s when the term really came into general usage. Watch Clerks and you will see prototypical Jersey Girls. Especially Veronica Loughran character played by Marilyn Ghigliotti. Fran is more of a Yenta if I have my semi-derogatory terminology correct. Jim BTW: for better thought out [definitions of a Jersey Girl look here at the UrbanDictionary.](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Jersey+Girl) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/12 "2006-03-12T17:42:13Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > for better thought out [definitions of a Jersey Girl look here at the UrbanDictionary.](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Jersey+Girl) “makeup and shoes are optional”??? I can’t picture Debi Mazar without makeup or shoes. I’m not sure Debi Mazar could. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/13 "2006-03-12T18:11:52Z")
All I know is when you’re in love with them, you sing “Sha la la la la la.” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/14 "2006-03-12T18:19:11Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > “makeup and shoes are optional”??? > > I can’t picture Debi Mazar without makeup or shoes. I’m not sure Debi Mazar could. Read all 5 combine with my definition and you should have a good working idea of what a Jersey Girl is and what Bruce was singing about. Strangely enough Kevin Smith captured the Jersey girl perfectly in Clerks and then got further and further from it by the time he made [Jersey Girl](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0300051/). Boo Hiss Crap movie. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/15 "2006-03-12T18:22:47Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > Read all 5 combine with my definition and you should have a good working idea of what a Jersey Girl is and what Bruce was singing about. Yeah, I got it. The first entry was the odd one out. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-jersey-girl/348031/16 "2006-03-12T18:33:35Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Yeah, I got it. The first entry was the odd one out. I used to know a lot of Jersey Girls. Though I only dated one. My wife was born and raised in Jersey but she isn’t a “Jersey Girl” There was definitely a few in my High School and a lot at the Long Branch Amusement Pier where I use to hang out. At the Stone Pony, I think at least 80% of the Girls were Jersey Girls. 😉 Jim {I got to be security for Bruce once at the Pony during a Jazz & Blues Festival, they asked be to stand in front of the stage to prevent people from jumping up, ah the sacrifices I have made for a good cause}