A shoobie (or shoebie) is a person who visits the seashore for a brief period of time, primarily to use the beach during the summer months. It is not a compliment. A similar term is "Benny," which usually applies to visitors from New York who travel to the Jersey Shore. "Benny" is more frequently used in Monmouth County and Ocean County. Shoobies are typically seen in southern New Jersey, between the areas of Long Beach Island and Cape May. The term "shoobie" originates in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, and it allegedly derives from the habit among tourists of bringing their lunch to the beach in shoe boxes.

Typical "shoobie" behavior is said to include:

• Driving carelessly or recklessly, with little regard for local traffic regulations.

• Having their children stand in parking spaces while they turn their car around.

• Boorish, loud conduct in public areas.

• Standing out in the middle of the street and blocking traffic.

• Going through the exact change lane at the toll bridges -- without actually possessing exact change.

• Wearing no shirt or shoes in the supermarket.

• Quickly acquiring a full-body sunburn.

• At times, public urination or vomiting.

• Littering on the beach.

• Arguing with beach taggers.

• Sitting at the beach and talking on the cell phone, usually about real estate and property values.

• Generally crowding the stores and restaurants, making life difficult for year-round residents.

• Not knowing what the word "shoobie" means.

• Wearing socks with sandals.

• Wearing shoes on the beach.

• Arguing that "they do live here."

• Driving a car with an out-of-state license plate.

• Wearing a t-shirt with the name of the same beach that you are visiting.

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.

Shoobies are not to be confused with "snowbirds," a term commonly applied to senior citizens who migrate to Florida and other points south during the winter months.

External links

• 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