Wp/pgh/Pittsburghese Wiki:Dictionary

Dis article's written in Standard Inglish.

This is a list of Pittsburghese words with Standard English equivalents. Please do not hesitate to use this list to brush up on your vocabulary. Not all words with dialectal pronunciations are listed here because it's just too much to list, and you can easily figure them out based on sounds of other words. Here are some general rules of thumb for phonetic spelling: Please note that these rules do not apply to every possible word, so please follow them cautiously. If you are unsure about how a word should be spelled, do not be afraid to ask someone.
 * the ou sound in words like "hour" and "out" becomes ah, except in words where the sound is at the end of the word, such as how and now
 * the ee sound in words like "steel" and "really" usually becomes ih, so they become "still" and "rilly"
 * the i sound in words like "pile" and "tile" usually becomes ah, so they become "pahl" and "tahl"
 * the th sound in words like "the" and "that" can become d or it can be removed entirely, so they become "da" and "dat" or "'e" and "'at"
 * the oo sound in words like "fool" and "pool" becomes the u sound in full and pull before l, so they become homonyms with full and pull respectively
 * the al sound in words like "Allegheny" and "alligator" becomes el, so they become "Ellegheny" and "elligator"

Dictionary
A
 * abaht - (prep./adv.) about
 * ablow - (prep./adv.) below (of Scots origin)
 * agin - (prep.) against (of Scots origin)
 * aht - (many uses) out
 * ahr - (n.) hour
 * Ahia - (n.) Ohio
 * aks (also spelled ax) - (v.) ask (of Scots origin)
 * arahn(d) - (prep./adv.) around
 * afeared, ascared - (adj.) afraid, scared (of Scots origin)
 * alunamin - (n.) aluminum
 * arn - (n.) iron (of Scots origin)
 * artheritis - (n.) arthritis
 *  'at  - contraction of that (of Scots origin)

B
 * babushka - (n.) headscarf (of Slavic origin)
 * bawchie - (adj.; archaic) filthy (possibly from Scots bach meaning cow dung)
 * beal - (v.; archaic) fester, suppurate
 * behint - (prep./adv.) behind (of Scots origin)
 * bellin(g) - (n.) noisy wedding celebration
 * berm - (n.) edge of the road, curb: an accepted alternative to "shoulder of the road"
 * betwinkst - (prep./adv.) between (of Scots origin)
 * blackie - (n.; archaic) small pot for cooking
 * brahn - (n./adj.) brown
 * brickle - (adj.; archaic) brittle ; of changeable, uncertain (of weather) (of Scots origin)
 * brudder - (n.) brother (possibly of Irish English origin)
 * buggy - (n.) shopping cart
 * baby buggy - (n.) baby carriage
 * da 'Burgh - (n.) Pittsburgh
 * butterbread - (n.) bread with butter ( Pennsylvania German origin)

C
 * cahch - (n.) couch
 * cahnny - (n.) county
 * camra - (n.) camera
 * carbon oil - (n.; archaic) kerosene
 * carbarn - (n.; archaic) streetcar depot
 * carline - (n.; archaic) streetcar line
 * caw - (v.) call (of Scots origin)
 * cawidge - (n.) college
 * chipped ham - (n.) very thinly sliced chopped ham loaf for sandwiches (from a local brand name)
 * city chicken - (n.) cubes of pork loin and/or veal on a short wooden skewer, breaded, then fried or baked
 * clahd - (n.) cloud
 * clahdy - (adj'') cloudy
 * clicker - (n.) remote control
 * conniption - (n.; archaic) fit of anger
 * crick - (n.) creek
 * cripe - (exclamation; archaic) expressing anger, surprise, or frustration; similar to damn
 * croppie - (n.; archaic) girl with bobbed hair
 * crud - (n.) curd
 * crudd(l)ed melk - (n.) cottage cheese (of Middle English origin via Scots)
 * cupboard - (n.; archaic) closet

D
 * da - (determiner) the (of Scots origin)
 * dahn - (many uses) down (of Scots origin)
 * dahnstreet - (adv.) downstreet (of Scots origin)
 * dahntahn - (n./adj.) downtown (of Scots origin)
 * dawll baby - (n.) complimentary term for an attractively childlike girl or woman (reversal of "baby doll")
 * deil - (n.; archaic) devil (of Scots origin)
 * dem - (pronoun/determiner) them (possibly of Irish English origin)
 * dennis(t) - (n.) dentist
 * devil('s) strip - (n.) strip of grass between the street and sidewalk (Youngstown)
 * diamon(d) - (n.; archaic) town square (of Scots origin)
 * dippy - (adj.) appropriate for dipping into, such as gravy, coffee, egg yolks, etc.
 * dose - (pronoun/determiner) those
 * drooth - (n.) drought (of Scots origin)
 * dupa - (n.) parental term for a child's backside (of Polish origin)
 * drug - past tense and participle of drag

E
 * Eltoona - (n.) Altoona
 * et - (v.) simple past tense and past participle of eat (ate and eaten respectively; of Scots origin)

F
 * fahr - (n.) fire
 * famly - (n.) family
 * fell - (v.) fail
 * fetch - (n.) a spirit that fortells early death (of Irish English origin)
 * filled - (n.) field
 * filum - (n.) film (of Scots origin)
 * flahr - (n.) flour, flower (of Scots origin)

G
 * gallavant - (v.; archaic) to wander idly; to move about in search of a good time
 * gawb - (n.) whoopie pie
 * git - (n.) get (Appalachia, Southern US, AAVE; of Scots origin)
 * gillie - (n.) an easily led person, a fool (from the Scots gillygawkie)
 * gom - (v.) to smear, make sticky, muddy, dirty, or greasy; to disarrange, make untidy (Appalachia)
 * gommed up - (adj.) sticky, muddy, dirty, or greasy (Appalachia)
 * grawj - (n.) garage
 * grinnie - (n.) chipmunk
 * gumban(d) - (n.) rubber band;  elastic fastener (of Scots origin)
 * gutchies; or undergutchies (n.) term used to describe undergarments of any variety

H
 * hahse - (n.) house
 * han(d) - (n.) hand (of Scots origin)
 * hap - (n.) comfort; or, comforter or quilt (of Scots origin)
 * hisself - (pron.) himself
 * hunk, hunky - (n./adj.) an ethnic slur used to refer to labourers from Central Europe (not considered derogatory when used by the people themselves)
 * hunnert - (num.) hundred (of Scots origin)
 * hutch - (n.) chest of drawers

I
 * icebawx - (n.) refrigerator, freezer
 * iggle - (n.) eagle
 * ignernt - (adj.) ignorant
 * ill - (n.) eel
 * innernet - (n.) internet

J
 * jag - (v.) to prick, stab, or jab; to tease (of Scots origin)
 * jagger - (n./adj.) any small, sharp-pointed object or implement, usually thorns
 * jaggerbush - (n.) briar
 * jagawff - (n.) stupid, inept, irritating, or contemptible person
 * jag awff - (v.) to annoy, irritate, play tricks on; to disparage; to reject
 * jes(t) - (adj./adv.) just (of Scots origin)
 * jestice - (n.) justice (of Scots origin)
 * jimmies - (n.) sprinkles (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New England)
 * jumbo - (n.) bologna

K
 * keller - (n./v.) color
 * Klondike - (n.) any kind of ice cream bar (from a local brand name)
 * kolbassi; kilbassi - (n.) variant pronunciation of kielbasa

L
 * lectric - (n./adj.) electricity, electric
 * lenth - (n.) length (of Scots origin)
 * livergrown - (adj.; archaic) having an enlargement or adhesion of the liver
 * lookit - look at

M
 * mel - (n./adj.) mail, male
 * melk - (n.) milk
 * mill - (n.) meal
 * monkey bawll - (n.) fruit of the Maclura pomifera or monkey ball tree
 * mum - (n.) mom (Commonwealth, New England, Appalachia)
 * mudder - (n.) mother

N
 *  n'at, an 'at  - (general extender) and that (of Scots origin)
 * neb - (v.) to pry into a conversation or argument intrusively or impertinently (of Scots origin)
 * neb aht - (v.) to mind one's own business
 * neb-nose or nebby-nose (vulgar form: nebshit) - (n.) the kind of person who is always poking into people's affairs; inquisitive person
 * nebby - (adj.) given to prying into the affairs of others;  inquisitive

O
 * orrnj (n./adj.) - orange

P
 * paht - (v.) pout
 * par - (n./v./adj.) power
 * patayta - (n.) potato
 * peanit - (n.) peanut
 * Pennsyvania - (n.) Pennsylvania
 * poke - (n.; archaic) bag, sack (of Scots origin)
 * parkin chair - (n.) a chair placed in the street to reserve a parking space (unique to Pittsburgh)
 * Picksburg, Pixburg - Pittsburgh
 * piece - (n.; archaic) snack (of Scots origin)
 * pome - (n.) poem
 * pond - (n./v.) pound
 * pawp - (n.) soda (Western PA, Midwestern US, Canada, parts of Britain; of Scots origin)
 * prahd - (adj.) proud (of Scots origin)

Q
 * qourt - (n.) quart

R
 * redd up - (v.) to clean up, tidy up  (of Scots origin)
 * redd-up - (n.) cleanup
 * relation - (n.) relative
 * reveren(d) - (adj.; archaic) extreme; extraordinary, powerful
 * rill - (adj./adv.) real
 * rubbidge - (n.; archaic) rubbish
 * ruff - (n.) roof

S
 * sammich - (n.) sandwich
 * sar - (n./v./adj.) sour
 * schull - (n./v.) school (of Scots origin)
 * shahr - (n./v.) shower
 * shoofly pie - (n.) mollases pie
 * slippy - (adj.) slippery (of Scots origin)
 * snake doctor, snake feeder - (n.) dragonfly (Western PA, Midland, South)
 * spicket - (n.) alternate pronunciation of spigot, specifically an outdoor faucet used to connect to a garden hose (of Scots origin)
 * spouting - (n.) eaves (of Ulster-Scots origin)
 * sputzee - (n.) any kind of small bird (possibly of Pennsylvania German origin)
 * sprucie - (n.) frizzle (a breed of chicken)
 * still - (n.) steel
 * strenth - (n.) strength (of Scots origin)
 * sumthin, sumpin, su'm - (n.) something (of Scots origin)
 * sweeper - (n.) vacuum cleaner (Western PA, Ohio, Indiana)

T
 * tahn - (n.) town (of Scots origin)
 * thahsan(d) - (num.) thousand
 * tamayta - (n.) tomato
 * telepole, tellypole - contraction of telephone pole
 * tossle cap - (n.) knit hat designed to provide warmth in cold weather
 * trick - (n.) a job shift (as used in West-Central Pennsylvania)
 * trot - (n.) trout
 * twunny (num.) twenty (of Scots origin)

U
 * ungion - (n.) onion (possibly of Scots or Irish English origin)
 * ungion snow - (n.; archaic) early spring snow (Western and south central PA; of Pennsylvania German origin )
 * unner - (prep.) under (of Scots origin)
 * usquebaugh - (n.; archaic) whiskey (of Scots origin)

W
 * wha - contracted form of what
 * well - (n.) whale
 * winner - (n.) winter
 * wit - with
 * worsh - (v.) wash
 * wuff - (n.) wolf

Y
 * ya - (pronoun) you (without emphasis)
 * yer - you're (can also mean your; of Scots origin)
 * yella - (n./adj.) yellow
 * yins, yinz, yunz, you'uns, or youns - (pronoun) plural of you (can also mean your; of Scots origin)
 * yinz guys - (pronoun) plural of you (a relatively new term, from a combination of you guys and yinz)
 * yinzer - (n.) a resident of Pittsburgh, a native speaker of Pittsburghese
 * yinzes - (adj.) your

Z
 * zapper - (n.) remote control

Phrases

 * Kennywood's open - idiom used to inform someone that their fly is open ("Kennywood" referring to the Kennywood amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania)
 * That's it Fort Pitt! - task completed, case closed, end of discussion (originated from a local beer slogan)
 * Deil's own buckie - one of the devil's kind (archaic)

Notes from site administrator
I know that some of these sources may not be the most reliable, but they're the best we've got for the dialect. I have tried to sort through them and get rid of ridiculous words. Some of these sources may be primary sources, so they must always be taken with a grain of salt. I have also used my own firsthand experience to back up some of my entries, which may not be the best thing to do. I have tried my very best to create a useful word list that anyone can use and learn from. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. CanadianToast (talk) 00:37, 22 December 2020 (UTC)