www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall You know you're from Pennsylvania if:

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With apologies to ungcertez - I did not know your use of the word "pop" since I'm one of those Latins, you see, but nobody in either of my parents' families ever called it "soda". A "soda" was pop mixed with ice cream, as in "ice cream soda".

The "pop-soda" line runs east of Breezewood.

And, yes, it is true that we in the western part of the state skip the infinitive. Often I heard my dad say, "The yard needs mowed", or, "The car needs worshed".

Not being an expert on the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, I have not noticed a "yunz", or "n 'at" in the Liturgy, so I guess it's safe from "Pittsburghese".

Just want to say that Pittsburgh area folks are some of the friendliest people around. I come from Beaver County, PA and miss it terribly!!!
I find myself listening for the Pittsburgh accent everywhere I go. It's nice to talk about "up home".

When chanting the Epistles I had a difficult time changing from "fer" to "for".
And I never realized that we say TrinAty, not Trinity until I think it was Professor Thompson called it to our attention.

I think the geographical "pop" line runs west of the mountains around Lewistown. Even their climate is different once you go down the mountains.

Ever fish in the "sulfur crick?"

Paul,

Don't let the language police (or Prof. Thompson) keep you down! "Fer" is totally acceptable for "for", as is "Trinaty" fine for "Trinity".

Let language live!

Our cantor often makes mistakes with his English and no one bothers him!

Marc, who has an MA in Linguistics (focus: Pittsburghese), so I'm an AUTHORITY! In fact, my Pghese work has been cited by none less than PBS!

If you mix pigeon Rusyn-English with Pittsburghese
would you get the word:

n'aty

??

Ungcsertezs

Having visited Pittsburgh some 30 times in the last five years, I have heard most of those on the list.
First time I was in Pittsburgh I was asked where I was from. "California", I said. they answered, "Oh, just a couple of hours south of Pittsburgh". I replied "no, the other California". We both had a good laugh at that one.

I would add, you know you're in Pittsburgh when you see "Pierogies Plus".

Steve
The travelling cantor

Yes but please don't discriminate against the "other" spellings and pronounciations other than the Polish "Pierogie"

See also:

Pyrohy,(Ukie "pah-row-hah"), Pirohy (Rusyn "pee-row-hee"), Perozhkie (Muscovite Great Russian "pu-rosh-key")

Ungcsertezs

Originally from Somerset County, Pa... you know, where the "P-A" Turnpike goes thru the Allegheny Mountains/Laurel Highlands and it can still "spritz" snow as late as the beginning of May.

Now the earliest I remember snow was on Oct. 4, 1972. I was heading home on the Greyhound during my freshman year at Pitt. It had "put down" an inch or so the night before just at the top of Laurel Mountain, and all the colored leaves looked like they were sugar-frosted.

A few pronounciation/phrase oddities from my neck of the woods... a combination of P'Burgese and Johnstownian with some Pa. Dutch and a little bit of West Virginy thrown in.

- Steel Meel or Still Mill for steel mill.
- Malk for milk ("al" as in the name Al)
- Keller for color (my father said this all the time... drove me nuts).
- Far Tar for fire tower. Tar also described those four round things on your pick'em-up truck.
- Poke (a brown paper grocery bag).
- Gum Band (rubber band).
- Dint for didn't.
- Arn ("a" as in cat)for iron (noun and verb).
- Radiator ("a" as in cat).
- Of course, "read up" your room.
- Pilla for pillow.

Oh, and by the way...just to let you all know, the best maple syrup comes from Somerset County, PENNSYLVANIA, and not Vermont. Kate Smith even said so! (Anyone old enough to know who she was?) Ever been to the Pa. Maple Festival in Meyersdale? (my home town).

On a more serious side, the crash of Flight 93 on 9/11 was in Somerset Co. The location of the mine where the 9 miners were rescued is also there. if you ever wanted to hear the true accent of the area, just listen to the local interviews that took place during and immediately after the mine incident.

... and for a "whole different" thread, remembering those great locally produced TV shows from P'gh, such as Popeye and Knish, Rikki and Cooper, Adventure Time with Paul Shannon (Nosmo King), and Chiller Theater with Chilly Billy Cardille.

Almost forgot...

These all rhyme in Somerset Co., Pa.: our, are, and hour. They are pronounced "ar".

Likewise: flower and flour, they are both pronounced "flar."

Actually had a teacher tell me that our, are, and hour are homomnys (words spelled differently, but pronounced the same... hmmm.)

And leave us not forget these two:


Coss-sack - an item of ecclesiastical wearing apparel.

Car - NEIGH - ghee - name of a small city near Pittsburgh; the name of the town is of unknown origin. Was it perhaps named for a public library?

Incognitus

I park in ker-NAY-gee a lot, n' at.

Wher others came up with CAR-na-gee is beyond me.

you know - it's weird


That's still said over here

A Saturday Conversation in Pittsburgh...

Hey, youz. I'm gone dawntawn to do my shoppin. But first, I gots to stop by the Dolwar Savings Bank in S'Liberty for cash money, an'a gotta go by Giant Iggle to get some chipped-chopped ham, klondikes, and a six of Iron for tomorraz Stilwers game. Are younz comin along wit or what?

Translation: Hey, honey (husband or wife). I am going downtown (Pittsburgh) to shop. But on the way, I am stopping by the Dollar Savings Bank in East Liberty to withdrawal some money. And I also have to stop at the Giant Eagle (supermarket) for thinly sliced, chopped ham; chocolate ice cream bars; and Iron City Beer as snacks for tomorrow's Steelers game. Are you and the kids coming with me?