Friday, November 2, 2007

a little friday smile

something light to start a friday night.



Once a Pennsylvanian, ALWAYS a Pennsylvanian!





You've never referred to Philadelphia as anything
but "Philly" and New Jersey has always been " Jersey"
You refer to Pennsylvania as "PA" (pronounced
Pee-ay). How many other states do that?

"You guys" is a perfectly acceptable reference to
a group of men and women

You know how to respond to the question
"Djeetyet?" (Didyoueatyet?)

You learned to pronounce Bryn Mawr, Wilkes-Barre ,
Schuylkill , the Pocono's, Tamaqua, Tunkannock, Bala
Cynwyd, Duquesne and Monongahela.

And we know Lancaster is pronounced Lank aster,
not Lan kaster.

You know what a "Mummer" is, and are disappointed
if you can't catch at least highlights of the parade.
You know what " Punxsutawney Phil" is, and what it
means if he sees his shadow.

The first day of buck and the first day of doe season are school holidays.
You know how to get 'rid' of things and how to read up.
You can use the phrase "fire hall wedding reception "
and not even bat an eye.

You can't go to a wedding without hearing the
"Chicken Dance," at least one polka and either an
Italian song (sung in Italian,) or "Hava Nagila."

At least five people on your block have electric
"candles" in all or most their windows all year long.
You know what a "Hex sign" is.

You know what a "State Store" is, and your
out-of-state friends find it incredulous that you
can't purchase liquor at the mini-mart.

You own only 4 condiments:
salt, pepper, mustard and ketchup.

Words like "hoagie," "crick," "chipped ham," "dippy eggs",
"sticky buns," "shoo-fly pie," "lemon sponge pie", "pierogies" and
"pocketbook" actually mean something to you.
That's PA slang for purse!

You can eat cold pizza (even for breakfast) and know others who do the same. (those from NY find this "barbaric.")

You not only have heard of Birch Beer, but you know it comes in several colors:
Red, White, Brown, Gold.

You know several places to purchase or that serve Scrapple, Summer Sausage and
Hot Bacon Dressing. You can eat a cold soft pretzel from a street vendor without fear and enjoy it. It almost always comes with mustard.

You know the difference between a cheese steak and a pizza steak sandwich,
and know that you can't get a really good one out side PA,
except Atlantic City on the boardwalk.

You live for summer, when street and county fairs sign al the beginning
of funnel cake season. Customers ask the waitress for "dippy eggs" for breakfast.

You know that Blue Ball, Intercourse, Paradise , Climax, Bird-in-Hand, Beaver, Moon, Virginville, Mars, and Slippery Rock are PA towns.
(and the first three were consecutive stops on the Reading RR).

You know what a township, borough, and commonwealth is.
You can identify drivers from New York , New Jersey , Maryland or other neighboring states by their unique and irritating driv ing ha bits.

A traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a horse-drawn carriage on the highway
in Lancaster County .
You know several people who have hit deer more than once.
You carry jumper cables in your car and your female passengers
know how to use them.

You still keep kitty litter, starting fluid, de-icer, or a snowbrush in your trunk,
even if you now live in the south.

Driving is always better in winter because the
potholes are filled with snow.

As a kid you built snow forts and leaf piles that were taller than you were.

Your graduating class consisted of mostly Polish, German, and Italian names.

You know beer doesn't grow in a garden but you know where to find a beer garden.
You also know someone who lives "down the lane".

You actually understand all this and send it on to other Pennsylvanians
or former Pennsylvanians!

YEAH ! ! THAT'S "PA" AND WE LOVE IT

6 comments:

  1. That's a cute Pennsylvania portrait.

    You spelled 'red up' wrong.

    Ironically, my mother was born in Virginville. West Virginia. It's very close to PA. I'm going to see her next Sairdy.

    I did not know that there was a Virginville, PA.

    There is also a Virginville, Virginia. That's about as virgin as you can get without going over the top.

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  2. hi, thanks. it is "red" up or "redd" up. just like out is aht and if you are going somewhere special it's "i'm going aht, aht!"

    i'm quite fluent in pittsburghese. it's my native language.

    ; )

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  3. It's my native language also! . : )

    I can actually speak English when I put my mind to it, but in everyday conversation I have a terribly thick yinzer accent, hence my use of the word 'Sairdy.'

    Don't forget to vote for Tessitor in the election for the Allegheny County Council 'At Large' seat.

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  4. yes, i can also, but nowdays, at my age, i am proud of it and smile when i run into people who haven't a clue as to what i'm saying! ; )

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  5. i tell myself that outsiders are just envious of the beauty of the sound. ; )

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  6. "Guys" is generic all over the northeast for boys and girls. So were tall snow forts and leaf piles.

    Otherwise, yeah, mostly Pennsylvanian stuff there!

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