Talking Pennsylvanian .
Once a Pennsylvanian, ALWAYS a Pennsylvanian!
About Pennsylvanians:
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."
</ DIV>
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
signal 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 consecu tive s t ops 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 driving habits.
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!
Once a Pennsylvanian, ALWAYS a Pennsylvanian!
About Pennsylvanians:
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."
</ DIV>
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
signal 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 consecu tive s t ops 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 driving habits.
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!