I <BRAT> NJ: Brat Summer begets Brat Fall

Whether you pronounce it “brat” or “brat,” it’s one of life’s tastiest terms.

Inspired by Charli XCX, in 2024 the Collins Dictionary declared “brat” the word of the year, with a definition “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.”

As we end another summer and enter fall, this Charlie would like to remind you that even more importantly brat is a sausage characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic flavor.

Brat & Byrne… name a more iconic duo.

Per Charli, Brat is “that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.”

Of course brats love a party too and can definitely be a little messy, especially when covered in mustard and sauerkraut. Some people boil them in beer before they grill them, some people after, it’s a little bit volatile, but that’s brat.

Brat Summer is seeing a customizable Wisconsin license plate hat on Instagram when your Labor Day weekend is spent stuck in COVID isolation and accepting your wife’s challenge to come up with something esoteric enough to warrant buying it. Then wearing said purchase on a rainy commute to NYC and chuckling at how many confused looks it gets.

Brat Fall is polka music at Oktoberfests, watching as much football as possible, and grilling out even when some boring people claim it’s too cold.

RIP to Brat Summer, Prost to Brat Fall!

If you can’t handle me at my ‘wurst, you don’t deserve me at my Brat.