Pennsylvania has one of the most varied vocabularies in the entire country, representing five distinct dialects. You could even say we have our own dictionary. Our Pennsylvania slang is deeply ingrained in our roots. Most non-Pennsylvanians probably look at us a bit funny when we use these 20 popular Pennsylvania words.

1. Buggy

Flickr/C.G. McGee
In some places it’s a shopping cart, but often in PA we put our groceries in a buggy. Which do you say – shopping cart, cart, or buggy?

2. Crick

Flickr/DM
This isn’t something that happens to your neck, rather it’s a small stream. Most people called it a creek, but not Pennsylvanians. We refer to those lazy bodies of water as "crick."

3. Gum Bands

Flickr/Andrew Malone
How many times has someone asked you for a gum band, and you just looked at them funny? While we all probably know what gum bands are, we call them rubber bands in Pennsylvania. They’re helpful and handy, but don’t chew on them.

4. Hoagie

Flickr/Eugene Kim
There seems to be a great debate as to whether these delicious sandwiches are hoagies, subs, or gyros. All I know is that, no matter what you might call it, I wish I had one right now.

5. Jagoff

Flickr/David Kent
Jagoff is an especially disparaging Pittsburghese word used to convey a feeling of someone being generally stupid, inconsiderate, or inept. If you’re driving down the parkway, for example, and someone slams on their brakes right before the Squirrel Hill Tunnel, you’re likely to yell or at least mutter "jagoff" under your breath.

6. Philly

Flickr/Vic15
Philadelphia is referred to as Philly by almost everyone in Pennsylvania. It’s also the home of the Philly cheesesteak. (If you hear someone call it a Philadelphia cheesesteak, chances are they’re not from Pennsylvania.)

7. Djeetyet?

Flickr/Random Retail
Did you eat yet? We tend to cram all of the words of a sentence into a single word, especially those of us who live in Western Pennsylvania.

8. Yinz, yinzer, yous, you guys

Flickr/Matt Niemi
Depending on where you are in the state, you might encounter yinz (in Pittsburgh) or you guys (closer to Philly.) The term is so prevalent in Pittsburgh that residents of the city are referred to as Yinzers.

9. Mummer

Flickr/Atzert
The Mummers Parade is held in Philadelphia every year on New Year’s Day. It is believed to be the oldest folk festival in the country.

10. State Store

Flickr/camera-obscura (busy)
Not so long ago, here in Pennsylvania, we couldn't buy liquor at grocery stores or convenience stores, so we went to state stores to purchase our booze instead. Some of us still do.

Related Stories

The Outdoor Cafe In Pennsylvania That Is The Prettiest Place To Enjoy A Warm Afternoon

The Outdoor Cafe In Pennsylvania That Is The Prettiest Place To Enjoy A Warm Afternoon

 Explore Thousands Of Acres Of Trails, Flora, and Fauna At Pennsylvania's Otherworldly Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Explore Thousands Of Acres Of Trails, Flora, and Fauna At Pennsylvania's Otherworldly Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge

 We Experienced A Delicious, Over-The-Top Chocolate Feast In Hershey, Pennsylvania

We Experienced A Delicious, Over-The-Top Chocolate Feast In Hershey, Pennsylvania

11. Dippy Eggs

Flickr/Jayme Frye
Referred to as eggs over easy most other places, dippy eggs hold a special place in Pennsylvanians’ hearts.

12. Wooder

Flickr/Jeanne Menjoulet
Water! This is a variation found more commonly in the eastern part of the state.

13. Wawa

Flickr/Lauren Seigert
Another eastern PA thing, Wawa fulfills all of our hoagie and quick snacking needs. We feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t recognize the name. However, if you live on the other side of the state, you probably frequent Sheetz.

14. Dahntahn

Flickr/Kevin Zollman
Downtown, and that’s pretty much how you’ll hear every Pittsburgher refer to downtown Pittsburgh. Just dahntahn.

15. ‘N at

Flickr/Jeffrey Beal
A Pittsburghese staple, n'at means "and that." It's usually thrown onto the end of a sentence, as in, "We're going down to the Steelers game n'at."

16. Down the shore

Flickr/Jason Jenkins
It just means we’re going to The Jersey shore.

17. Gesundheit

Flickr/otamajakusi
This one comes straight from Pennsylvania’s Germanic roots. Gesundheit is the German version of "bless you," said after someone sneezes, and it’s more prevalent in Pennsylvania than anywhere else in the U.S.

18. Slippy

Flickr/Smart Sign
Slippery. When we’re putting out our parking chairs in the dead of winter, to save our freshly shoveled parking space, we probably remark at just how slippy the ice has made the road.

19. Babushka

Flickr/Toby Bochan
A headscarf tied under the chin, worn by Russian or Polish women. Pennsylvania’s Polish roots brought the term to the region.

20. Scrapple

Flickr/Kate Hopkins
Yummmm. Scrapple is the one Pennsylvania food, maybe along with peeps, that you either love or you hate. Which side do you fall on? Fan or no?

There you have it… Your own Pennsylvania slang dictionary. These PA words are just one of the ways that we Pennsylvanians wear our roots. Which are your favorite slang words from Pennsylvania? What words or phrases have we left out? Join the conversation in the comments! Did you know these are nine words that only Pennsylvanians can pronounce?

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More to Explore

Life In Pennsylvania

Beth Price-Williams | June 13, 2020

What are the most popular foods in Pennsylvania?

Living in Pennsylvania means you probably love food. After all, we live in the Snack Food Capital of the World, and Pennsylvania is home to Pennsylvania Dutch food, Hershey’s, Utz, and a whole lot of other delicious companies.

Here are some of the most popular foods in Pennsylvania –

  • Philly cheesesteak
  • Whoopie pies
  • Shoofly pies
  • Pierogis
  • Pizza

Then, of course, there’s scrapple, that one famous Pennsylvania food that you either love or hate. The same could probably be said for Peeps, too, another controversial (but yummy, depending on how you look at it) Pennsylvania food.

What stereotypes are there about Pennsylvania?

People have stereotypes about all states, even the cities and small towns. However, some of those Pennsylvania stereotypes are absolutely true, including:

  • We know how to tell a real Philly cheesesteak from a knockoff.
  • We measure distance by time.
  • Our idea of fun – lawnmower races and outhouse races, for example – may be a little bit out of the ordinary, but that’s just what makes Pennsylvania so special.


Where should I go to take photos of Pennsylvania?

You’d probably have an easier time answering where not to take photos in Pennsylvania. There are so many gorgeous spots in Pennsylvania – from natural to man-made wonders. You might even want to take this road trip to some of the best natural wonders in Pennsylvania, each of which is the perfect backdrop for photos.

Here are some of the best places to take photos in Pennsylvania

  • Pine Creek Gorge (the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania)
  • Cherry Springs State Park
  • Ringing Rocks State Park
  • Ricketts Glenn State Park
  • Mount Washington in Pittsburgh
  • Ohiopyle Falls

 

Related Articles

Featured Addresses
Pennsylvania, USA