Pittsburghese - It's a bit jaggy.

Moving to a different part of the same country shouldn't come with a different vocabulary. Last I learned, we are an English-speaking country. However, all one has to do is walk through the city of Pittsburgh and look at signs, t-shirts, etc and you learn that a whole list of vocabulary has been missed by Webster.


Worry #6: Ive never had to worry about appearing as an outsider where I have lived. Especially when it comes to speaking the language. Yinz understand?


On my very first visit to Pittsburgh, I was taken to the strip. I thought it was nifty checking out all of the street vendors and such. But I was extremely confused when I was looking at t-shirts that read "Yinz..." or "...Jagoff." I had no idea what they were supposed to mean and still wasnt too sure even after I asked. This lead me to do a little research of my own.


What I discovered was the language of those living in this city has actually been dubbed "Pittsburghese." They even have their own translator that I found here on google. How crazy is that?!  But,  I tried it out by typing "You are an idiot." Translation? "Yinz are a lunch head." Oh, boy, I have a lot to learn. Lunch head?! That is a new one. I will practice it today on the first idiot I encounter and will be sure to post a pic later of the reaction I get after referring to him or her as a lunch head.


So here are a few more words that I have discovered:

• Yella - Yellow
• Cattywompus - things that are diagonal from each other.
• Arn - Iron
• Bitzle - A piece of dirt on the floor.
• Church Key - a bottle opener
• Clod Hoppers - work boots
• Grass cutter - a lawnmower
• Jagoff - one who jags around; jerk
• Jimmies - sprinkles
• Jumbo - Bologna
• Pop - soda
• Yinz - yous
• Yinzer - a Pittsburgh native who talks right. Used in a sentence: I am not a yinzer. Yet.

Two that I actually already say, which is a bit re-assuring for an outsider, is Hunky-Doory and Greazy. I also call a shopping cart a 'buggy.' That would be 3 points for meeee! Maybe they are more well known phrases that Pittsburgh folks think are their own, but really arent. Who really knows, but at least I feel like I have one 'hill' (heel) in the door, so to speak. ;-)


The problem really isnt me speaking these terms... which I think I will feel a bit odd doing so... but if I am walking in the cold and my nose is runny and someone looks at me and says I have a  "sheeps leg" hanging from my nose, Id sure like to know they are telling me to wipe it!


While I am off to play and study with the translator, I will leave you with a translated quote from Ben Franklin: "A sputzee in da han is worth two in da bush."  Amen.

"Im one of dose reg-a-ler weird people" ~ Janis Joplin

(as translated by http://www.pittsburghese.com/translator.shtml) :-)