Pittsburgh is for speaking Pittsburghese

Okay, so I need to make a slight clarification before too many Pittsburghers send me emails about it.

Pittsburghers speak a wonderful version of English which they call Pittsburghese.  Sam McCool wrote a great and informative book which I carry often with me to translate words like, “spicket” and “nebby”.  

For instance, I don’t live in the neighborhood of “Squirrel Hill”.  I live in “Skworuhil”. 

Here’s some sample dialogue of Pittsburghese:

“Jeet jet?”

“No, I dinnet.  J’ew?”

“How’s about we go dahntawn for sammitches at Primantis?”

“Alright.  Ahz ready for a cold ahn and a good mill”.

There are of course, linguistic websites devoted to this particular language and those that speak it, which are called Yinzers.

So it is incorrect for me to actually say “I speak Yinz”. 

This blog isn’t devoted solely to the verbal language of Pittsburgh, though.  This is for observations of all things Yinz.  The language.  The terrain. The people.  The wonderful uniqueness of the experience.

For me, to say “I speak yinz” is a metaphor. 

I know, I know.  Perhaps that explanation is a little, well, slippy, innit? 

I can already see the email inbox filling up.  (Sigh)