Like in every state, regional dialects form. And boy, do they get interesting. Here, I've compiled a list to teach youse guys the language of (mostly) the coal-region in Pennsylvania.
1. Youse
Just one of many derivatives of talking to a group of people. Others include: yinz, youze, yooz. Basically they are all Pennsylvania versions of the Southern “y’all.”
2. Crick
A small bit of running water. It’s a stream. Some people say crick while others say creek.
3. PA
To you, this is the state abbreviation of Pennsylvania. But, here, no one says Pennsylvania straight out. We just say PA (pronounced pee-ay). Probably to save our breath.
4. The Shore
The beach. We mean the beaches of Jersey or Maryland.
5. Jersey
Another shortening of a name. It’s New Jersey. They’re also notorious for Pennsylvanians to be terrible drivers.
6. Jimmies
Another name for sprinkles! If you are at an ice cream parlor and jimmies are on the menu, they’re sprinkles. Rainbow or chocolate, usually.
7. Buggy
It’s a shopping cart. You know, that thing that you push around a grocery store or a clothes store? Yeah, we call it a buggy.
8. Djeetyet?
“Did you eat yet?”
9. Slippy
Wet things are slippery. Again, we just really like to shorten everything so slippery is now just “slippy”.
10. Dippy Eggs
Eggs made over-easy. Made such so that you can dip your toast, sausage, bacon, whatever you want in the runny yolk. Some people make them and put them between two pieces of bread for a runny egg sandwich. It’s still gross to me.
11. The sweeper
The vacuum cleaner!
12. Didja
“Did you…” “Did ya…” Again, Pennsylvanians love to shorten everything!
13. Hoagie
A sub sandwich. Hoagie is used in the coal region and in Philly.
14. “Outen the lights”
This phrase originated from the Dutch. It essentially means “Turn out the lights.”
15. Spritzing
It isn’t really raining, but it also isn’t drizzling. Just little random droplets of moisture from the sky.
16. The hopper
The toilet. Also called some other names that probably aren’t really appropriate here. Ask me later.
17. Shoo Fly pie
My mom’s favorite pie. It’s a molasses pie! Be sure to get the wet-bottom variety. Thank me later.
18. Whoopie pie
So, take an Oreo cookie. Make the cookies into cake (chocolate) and pretty much double the icing inside. That’s a whoopie pie. Can also come in multiple flavors and needs a special kind of pan to bake the cake in.
19. Filling
That bread cube mixture you put in the turkey at thanksgiving? Stuffing? Yeah, we just call it filling. Because it is what is filling the turkey. We are a bit simple here.
20. Ice Dams
These were man-made ponds that froze in the winter for people to come take a chunk of ice home to place into their ice boxes. This was all before the modern convenience of the refrigerator and freezer were invented.
21. Macadam
The black stuff the road is made of! Asphalt! We also call it blacktop. Also known to kids as the most painful injury if fallen upon. Skinned knees are the absolute worst. Trust me. Been there, done that. Way too many times.
22. Muskeetas
Mosquitos. Blood-sucking demons.
23. “My story”
Someone’s favorite soap opera is on TV. Don’t even try to change the channel.
24. Slidin’ board
One of the best things of a child’s playground. Commonly also just called a “slide”.
25. Pop
The state of PA is divided. One side says “pop” and the other says “soda”. Pop speakers are on the Pittsburgh side. I’m on the soda side.
