Wp/pgh/Pittsburghese Wiki:Dictionary

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" becomes d, so they become "da" and "dat"
 * 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

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

B
 * babushka - (n.) headscarf (of Slavic origin)
 * behint - (prep./adv.) behind (of Scots origin)
 * berm - (n.) edge of the road, curb: an accepted alternative to "shoulder of the road"
 * betwinkst - (prep./adv.) between
 * blinkers - (n.) turn signals
 * brahn - (n./adj.) brown
 * brudder - (n.) brother
 * buggy - (n.) shopping cart
 * baby buggy - (n.) baby carriage
 * da 'Burgh - (n.) Pittsburgh

C
 * cahch - (n.) couch
 * cahnny - (n.) county
 * camra - (n.) camera
 * carbon oil - (n.) kerosene
 * carbarn - (n.) streetcar depot
 * carline - (n.) streetcar line
 * caw - (v.) call
 * 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
 * cupboard - (n.) closet
 * clahd - (n.) cloud
 * clahdy - (adj'') cloudy
 * clicker - (n.) remote control
 * crick - (n.) creek
 * cripe - (exclamation) expressing anger, surprise, or frustration; similar to damn
 * cruds, crudded milk, or cruddled milk - (n.) cottage cheese (of Scots origin)

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

E
 * et - (v.) simple past tense and past participle of eat (ate and eaten respectively)

F
 * fahr - (n.) fire
 * famly - (n.) family
 * fell - (v.) - fail
 * filled - (n.) field
 * filum - (n.) film
 * flahr - (n.) flour, flower

G
 * gob - (n.) whoopie pie
 * grawj - (n.) garage
 * grinnie - (n.) chipmunk
 * gumband - (n.) rubber band; elastic fastener
 * gutchies; or undergutchies (n.) term used to describe undergarments of any variety

H
 * hahse - (n.) house
 * han - (n.) hand
 * hap - (n.) comfort; or, comforter or quilt
 * hisself - (pron.) himself
 * hunnert - (num.) hundred (of Scots or Pennsylvania German origin)
 * hutch - (n.) chest of drawers (this usage is unique to Pittsburgh)

I
 * icebox - (n.) refrigerator, freezer
 * iggle - (n.) eagle
 * ill - (n.) eel
 * innernet - (n.) internet

J
 * jag - (v.) to prick, stab, or jab (of Scots origin)
 * jagger - (n./adj.) any small, sharp-pointed object or implement, usually thorns
 * jaggerbush - (n.) briar
 * jagoff - (n.) stupid, inept, irritating, or contemptible person
 * jest - (adj./adv.) just
 * jestice - (n.) justice
 * jimmies - (n.) sprinkles
 * 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
 * lookit - look at

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

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 out - (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
 * paper poke, poke - (n.) paper bag, bag (of Scots origin)
 * parkin chair - (n.) a chair placed in the street to reserve a parking space (unique to Pittsburgh)
 * pome - (n.) poem
 * pond - (n./v.) pound
 * pop - (n.) soda (Western PA, Midwestern US, Canada, parts of Britain)
 * prahd - (adj.) proud

Q
 * qourt - (n.) quart

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

S
 * sammich - (n.) sandwich
 * sahr - (n./v./adj.) sour
 * schul - (n./v.) school
 * shahr - (n./v.) shower
 * slippy - (adj.) slippery (of Scots origin)
 * spicket - (n.) alternate pronunciation of spigot, specifically an outdoor faucet used to connect to a garden hose (of Scots origin)
 * sputzee - (n.) any kind of small bird (possibly of Pennsylvania German origin)
 * still - (n.) steel
 * strenth - (n.) strength
 * sumthin, sumpin, su'm - (n.) something
 * sweeper - (n.) vacuum cleaner (Western PA, Ohio, Indiana)

T
 * tahn - (n.) town
 * thahsan(d) - (num.) thousand
 * tamayta - (n.) tomato
 * 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

U
 * ungion - (n.) onion (possibly of Scots origin)
 * ungion snow - (n.) early spring snow

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)
 * yins, yinz, yunz, you'uns, or youns - (pronoun) plural of you (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)

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)