Your glossary of Pennsylvania sayings and slang

Yinz and youse can learn how the commonwealth’s rich history is reflected in local Pennsylvania sayings and slang.

The myriad immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania over the centuries have shaped an expansive and diverse state, with the Appalachian Mountains a dividing line between two strikingly different Pennsylvanias: Western and Eastern. Plus, the largely rural communities that make up Pennsylvania Dutch Country form a cultural region all their own, as do the people in Northeastern Pennsylvania in the anthracite coal region.

Each of these different regions has unique linguistic styles that help shape their cultural identities. Read on to learn about the Pennsylvania sayings and slang from your part of the commonwealth—or about the slang you might want to adopt from another Pennsylvania region.

Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburghese

The dialect of Western Pennsylvania, which includes Pittsburghese, is made up of influences from a melting pot of immigrants, including German, Scots-Irish, Polish, and other groups. Many of the words derived from German are also used by people in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Western Pennsylvania English terms are also sometimes used in Central Pennsylvania, and they may even bleed over states lines into Ohio and West Virginia. There’s also a distinct accent: for example, you go “dahntahn,” not downtown.

Yinz: This is a non-gender-specific term for the plural you. The term “yinzer” comes from this word, and it means someone who is pure Pittsburgh, especially a working-class person with family ties to the area and a Pittsburgh accent. Most people don’t naturally say “yinz” unless they’re yinzers, but you can buy all sorts of souvenirs that say yinz in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

Gob: A delicious dessert sandwich made by spreading frosting in between two cake-like cookies. If it sounds like a whoopie pie, it’s not; it’s a gob.

Jagoff: A real jerk. For example, the guy who always parks his car in the traffic lane in front of Evergreen Cafe on Penn Avenue.

Nebby: A nosy person. There’s a good chance you have a nebby neighbor if they’re always in your business.

Redd up: This phrase means “tidy up” as in “You better redd up your room before your grandparents get here.” It came to Pennsylvania by way of English and Scottish immigrants, as “redden” is a Middle English word that means “to clear.”

Kennywood’s Open: This saying, which refers to Pittsburgh’s century-old amusement park, is used to discreetly tell someone that the fly of their pants is down.

Eastern Pennsylvania and Philly slang

Eastern Pennsylvania sayings and slang are used throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding area and also stretch over state lines into Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland. The Philadelphia English dialect was influenced by English, Irish, Scottish, and Italian immigrants. It’s most similar to the New York City dialect, but is still distinct in itself.

Youse: Also sometimes said as “youse guys.” Just like Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Pa. has its own plural you.

Wooder: This is “water,” said with a Philly accent. In the summer, you might eat “wooder ice” (water ice), which the rest of the country calls Italian ice.

Water ice, or “wooder ice,” is a Philly summertime treat. John’s Water Ice, shown here, is a city favorite. (Daniel Knoll/Visit Philadelphia)

Boul: A boy or a young man. This word is just a way to refer to a guy, though it could also be a person of any gender. It might also be spelled “bul.”

Hoagie: This deli meat sandwich is distinctly Philadelphia, and city residents will assure you that a hoagie is different from a sub. The sandwich is drizzled with olive oil and always served cold.

Kids enjoy Wawa’s “Hoagie Day” in Philadelphia, during which the convenience store chain gives out tons of free hoagies. (C. Smyth/Visit Philadelphia)

Jawn: A super convenient word, “jawn” can mean anything—a person, place, or thing! Why name a specific noun when you can just call it a jawn?

Jeet?: No, did you? This phrase is a time-saving way to ask “Did you eat yet?” Bonus: A similar phrase, “Jeet jet?” is used in Western Pennsylvania English!

Pennsylvania Dutch

Rather than a regional dialect of English, “Pennsylvania Dutch” is actually a dialect of German spoken by the Amish descendants of the Pennsylvania Germans who immigrated to the U.S. largely from southern Germany. Tens of thousands of people in the state still speak the language. But there are also English terms that are derived from Pennsylvania Dutch translations, and these sayings and slang are used throughout Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

Outen the lights: This phrase, which means “turn off the lights,” comes from the Pennsylvania Dutch “Mach’s Licht aus,” which directly translates to “make the light out.”

Eat yourself full: This saying means, as you might guess, to eat so much you get full. It’s the direct translation of the German phrase “Iss dich voll.”

Here nah: This is said at the end of a question to emphasize it, like one might end a sentence with “right?” You could also spell this as “ai not.” It might come from the German question tag “nicht wahr?”, which translates to “not true?”

Using “a while” at the end of a sentence: People speaking Pennsylvania Dutchified English might add “a while” at the end of their sentences when they’re discussing something they’ll do in the meantime. For example, “You walk the dog and I’ll get his dinner ready a while.”

“The hurrier I go, the behinder I get”: This is an old Pennsylvania Dutch saying, also sometimes said as “The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.” It means, of course, that if you push yourself to work too quickly, you’ll make mistakes and fall behind. You might find this saying embroidered on a pillow or tea towel at a souvenir shop in Pennsylvania Dutch Country!

You’re likely to hear smatterings of Pennsylvania Dutch English if you visit a Lancaster County mud sale, an auction organized by the Amish community. (DiscoverLancaster.com)

Northeastern PA

Like other areas with strong immigrant populations, Northeastern Pennsylvania’s linguistic charm is a ragtag mix of different influences. NEPA, especially the anthracite coal region, has its own dialect that shares a lot in common with other dialects in Pennsylvania, including Pennsylvania Dutch English, Philadelphia English, and even Western Pennsylvania English.

Coal miners, who were often immigrants and even sometimes children, helped shape the dialect that is now spoken in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This photo, taken in 1911, shows breaker boys at Ewen Breaker of the Pennsylvania Coal Company in South Pittston. (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, National Child Labor Committee Collection)

Youze: Northeastern Pennsylvania English’s plural you is similar to Philly English’s “youse,” but with more of a “z” sound. You might also hear this as “yuz” or “yiz.”

Heyna: Probably the most well-known regionalism, “heyna” is a dialogue tag used similarly to the Pennsylvania Dutch English term “here nah.” Used at the end of a question, it means, “right?” or “correct?” 

Barbecue: You might think barbecue always means slow-roasted meats in a distinctive sauce, but in the anthracite coal region, barbecue actually refers to something more like a sloppy joe—tangy ground meat on a hamburger bun. You can also find this quirk in some parts of Central Pennsylvania!

Buggy: The shopping cart at your local grocery store. People in Western Pennsylvania also use this term. Those in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, however, are more likely to refer to a buggy when talking about an Amish carriage.

Couple, two, tree: You might hear someone discussing a few items by saying there are a “couple, two, tree” of them. For example, you might be asked, “Want to go out and get a couple, two, tree beers?”

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.