Egg cream means: A drink consisting of milk and soda water with vanilla or chocolate syrup.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
egg cream
(US, especially, New York City) A drink consisting of milk and soda water with vanilla or chocolate syrup.
Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
(US, especially, New York City) A drink consisting of milk and soda water with vanilla or chocolate syrup.
One time soon after I got to town , I walked into a luncheonette on Charles Street, its long soda fountain retreating back from the street, and asked for an egg cream. The young woman behind the counter stood there, looking at me blankly…
Origin: Various theories exist, since the drink contains neither eggs nor cream. See Egg cream in Wikipedia. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Egg cream means: A drink consisting of milk and soda water with vanilla or chocolate syrup.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
egg cream means: A drink consisting of milk and soda water with vanilla or chocolate syrup.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: food_drink
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "egg cream" (E)
EGAegg and spoon raceeggballegg banjoeggbeateregg-boundeggetarianegg flipeggieegg in one's beereggplantegg roll
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