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Allemaengel t1_jdmpeyn wrote

We don't need one.

134

SendAstronomy t1_jdndznh wrote

How could we decide between Yinz and Jawn?

84

Allemaengel t1_jdneqer wrote

Just like we do between pop and soda, sub and hoagie, and Sheetz and Wawa.

It's based on your cultural genetics given you by your childhood zip code, lol.

In all seriousness, we don't really use either term here in the Poconos.

Edit: spelling

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Decent_Nectarine_758 t1_jdo61m9 wrote

Do Philly people not call them hoagies? I thought that was the one thing that united us Pennsylvanians🤣

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Allemaengel t1_jdoaccs wrote

Yes. Typically most people within about a 60-mile radius of Center City Philly do. I'm about 80 miles out and people here more likely call them subs though I grew up closer to the city and call them goagies. I saw a map once showing where in the U.S. they were called subs vs. grinders vs. hoagies and most of PA and most of the country call them subs apparently.

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Decent_Nectarine_758 t1_jdoaiqq wrote

Ah, thanks for the clarification. Guess it’s more of a thing that unites Pittsburgh and Philly!

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missym59 t1_jdpcqoo wrote

Back in the ‘60’s we used to call them zeps. (I lived between Pottstown and Phoenixville) Somewhere along the way we began calling them hoagies, yet here in Canada we call them subs.

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StudyIntelligent5691 t1_jdpkjgo wrote

I’m totally remembering zeps, and that’s from the mid 70s when I lived in Norristown..

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JohnDeere714 t1_jdmvzl0 wrote

Well we got Pittsburghese, north central, south central, eastern and Philadelphia languages to start

Is it creek or “crick”?

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ell0bo t1_jdnd9sc wrote

Pennsylvania Deutsch is also a thing. It's not exactly (High) German... definitely not English.

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artful_todger_502 t1_jdmx5ii wrote

Beat me to it! I was thinking the same thing! Call it "YinzandYo"

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ScoutCommander t1_jdn0wz8 wrote

Water or wooder?

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artful_todger_502 t1_jdn3zuy wrote

'wadder' is how it seems to come out of my mouth.

Town or tahn?

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[deleted] t1_jdn7tr6 wrote

both for me are right. and i live in greensburg which is just outside of pittsburgh. born and raised

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artful_todger_502 t1_jdn8zqm wrote

My Dad worked in Greensburg. I know exactly where it is!

It's interesting how totally different the western part of the state is from the eastern portion. Having lived in both, I prefer the PGH area, hands down.

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[deleted] t1_jdnberq wrote

I prefer PGH and not the Pennsyltucky I live in.

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artful_todger_502 t1_jdokm7l wrote

I lived in Amish country for a short time. I liked it though. It was just a short time though, so I guess that's a little different then long term or growing up there.

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epicgrilledchees t1_jdn142a wrote

It depends on the size. Crick is small. No trouble crossing. Creek could be an issue, depending on recent rain.

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YamPsychological9471 t1_jdn2mg8 wrote

For me it’s if I’m referring to a named body of water or not. “That’s Spring Creek” vs “I’m heading down to the crick”

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General_Sorbet7571 t1_jdq36m8 wrote

My understanding is crick or creek, which term is used is based on the waterway. Best answer is - it depends. IMO a creek is picturesque, has more volume and can usually support fish. A crick is a smaller, not a ton of water and might have minnows and crayfish.

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GraffitiTavern t1_jdn555r wrote

Good. We shouldn't, although the state should support indigenous and PA Dutch language revitalization efforts

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Mor_Tearach t1_jdoco7d wrote

Pennsylvania appears to be one of the only states not recognizing an indigenous people anyway. Lenape tribe were/are here it's never been a question and are still here albeit after the usual ugly history where there was certainly a shove to eradicate them. Sounds like the Monty Python dead parrot argument or something " We are here " ( visibly ) " No you're not " ( speaking to a tribal member ).

NO idea what in hell government gets out of the flat refusal. Pretty infuriating.

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GraffitiTavern t1_jdohbfz wrote

Also worth noting the Seneca Nation had 1500 acres in northern PA up until the 1960s, but then it was flooded when the Kinzua Dam was built. Also still in the area, but that was when the last tribal land in the commonwealth was taken. Honestly I wish I knew how to change that, should I try to do something locally or take it up with my state rep? https://pahistoricpreservation.com/cornplanter-grant-native-american/

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JAK3CAL t1_jdopuzz wrote

Yup I was suprised moving to PA from NY, we grew up right by rez’s and there was lots of native talk and culture in school. Down here… nothing. Like they never even existed

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jbot14 t1_jdmpn8d wrote

It should be Pennsylvania dutch.

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Opossum-Fucker-1863 t1_jdnnp5b wrote

Honestly would be funny as fuck if the Pennsylvanians just start unanimously speaking Pennsylvania Dutch like how the Irish brought Gaelic back

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Flimsy-Lie-1471 t1_jdnpfnf wrote

Dude, I live in Dutch Country, I do not want to start speaking it, the English is weird enough is.

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Unfamiliar_Word t1_jdp18e7 wrote

I once read, somewhere that I cannot recall, that there was a time when a third of Pennsylvanians spoke Pennsylvania Dutch. My father is Pennsylvania Dutch and his father was bilingual, but his mother forbade him from being taught the tongue as it wasn't, "modern." She later admitted that this was a mistake. He once told me that he hated going to the local barber shop in his small coal town as all the old men would speak Pennsylvania Dutch and he would have no idea what they were saying.

My grandfather once visited a bar in Upper Darby, where we lived when I was very young, and the locals asked if he was Swedish, because of his accent. My mother has told me that when she met his grandparents, she could never quite tell when they were speaking Pennsylvania Dutch and when they were speaking 'Dutchified' English.

When I was in college, in an act of futility, I took courses in German that were taught by a woman from southern Germany. I once showed her my grandfather's old Grundsau Lodsch (Numma Finf an da Schwador) pamphlets, and she was amused to find the language rather familiar. (She also said that I sounded Austrian when I tried to speak German)

I wish that I were bilingual, because I would not be too far from High German, even if I would sound like something of a 'hick' in Germany, and it would be amusing if I could banter with my father auf Deitsch when he visits. My grandfather would often torment my mother, a self-described 'suburban princess' from Central Pennsylvania, by speaking Pennsylvania Dutch around her. He used to recite some poem that began, "A Truss truss trilly, a farmer hat in Philly," and ended, "the farmer had to sell," that I wish I knew all of. The Pennsylvania Dutch have strange, slight cruel streak, especially toward children. (Anybody who has lived in mortal terror of the Belschnickel knows what I refer to.)

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DelcoWolv t1_jdnyyw5 wrote

And I think it’s just called “Irish” now; Gaelic is what we’re supposed to call Scots Gaelic.

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cunninglinguist32557 t1_jdqmi2w wrote

Scottish* Gaelic. Scots is a completely different language, closer to English than Gaelic.

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Feisty-Fish t1_jdmvgvd wrote

And that’s for the better so govt documents don’t come all in one language

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Zenith2017 t1_jdmsmtq wrote

Meaning unclear; racially harassed pizza guy for having Spanish on the tv

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FHatzor t1_jdn0dj4 wrote

Our official language should be "who gives a fucking shit."

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PatAss98 t1_jdn31tm wrote

How about the Lenni Lenape language to honor the original inhabitants?

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Early-Consequence-61 t1_jdmp0fn wrote

So?

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Impressive_Bus11 t1_jdndcup wrote

There is no official language in the US. I would be shocked if most of the states who have one aren't Red states. For people who love murica and the constitution so much, they're generally happy to get rid of our traditions and rights as long as it serves their bigotry.

The US not having an official language is symbolic of our "melting pot" status.

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starrsuperfan t1_jdn0bw1 wrote

Probably because Philly English and Pittsburgh English are so different from each other, and each side will defend theirs to the death

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oDINFAL28 t1_jdpgaqr wrote

All of the comments here are great, but if we’re being serious, it gets pretty interesting.

I mean we have the Amish/Mennonite/PA Dutch contingent, some of whom still speak an old dialect of German as their first language.

Then we have the modern immigrant population speaking a variety of languages, predominately Spanish dialects.

Regardless, I’m glad we don’t have an official language, because we never really did.

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GracieThunders t1_jdo6v6a wrote

Mumble is the local dialect in the northeastern part of the state

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Unfamiliar_Word t1_jdp1phs wrote

In the formerly Pennsylvania Dutch parts the second language is bickering. (My mother, a Scottish-Irish woman from Central Pennsylvania's suburbs, told me that when she first met my father's aunts, she thought that they hated one another.)

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GracieThunders t1_jdp7pxh wrote

That's just how they communicate

I'm from New Jersey, our language is sarcasm

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godofleet t1_jdn2owv wrote

Simlish is the only way

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Teej92 t1_jdo0vzs wrote

We ain’t need no fishal language

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Libsoccer20 t1_jdn2irq wrote

Did you know we don't allow atheists to hold political office?

One of like 8 states that directly contradicts the federal constitution.

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susinpgh t1_jdnrk4z wrote

This is such a weird point, and it's why sometimes it counts and sometimes it doesn't. The PA Constitution is weirdly worded:

>§ 3. Religious freedom.
>
>All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; no man can of right be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent; no human authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience, and no preference shall ever be given by law to any religious establishments or modes of worship.
>
>§ 4. Religion.
>
>No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth.

IIRC, this was put in place so that no-one could be disqualified because of the practice of religion and served to make sure that you were not barred from office for practicing and flavor of worship. But it certainly doesn't proscribe atheists from holding office.

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Libsoccer20 t1_jdnrwx8 wrote

https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2014/07/post_699.html

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Benanov t1_jdphee5 wrote

Incorrect. (Technically incorrect, the worst kind of incorrect.)

Atheists can hold political office in PA.

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Stoic-Cholo t1_jdo1spa wrote

Official? Every freaking document I have read, signed etc in all my years in Pennsylvania has been in English. That's FACT and darn near "official". Of course we can split the atom ...

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BurghPuppies t1_jdo1vmp wrote

As it should be. Official state business is done in English, many forms offer several languages. Why isolate non- English speakers ?

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chrlsrchrdsn t1_jdpguvg wrote

One more thing for Republicans to demand for purity.

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Petercherry30 t1_jdn2af2 wrote

The north philly accent is beautiful right? Youz and Nawt fo Nawting?

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millerwelds66 t1_jdn4fng wrote

Don’t forget color is kellers here and crick is also creek .

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Unfamiliar_Word t1_jdp1gio wrote

When I was younger, my father's family would have annual gatherings at a property owned by their parents known as, "the crick." I remember many summers of try to catch crayfish.

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ktp806 t1_jdnnpjl wrote

Coal cracking heyna

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kenziethemom t1_jdo0ud6 wrote

I actually didn't know this about PA, but I did know this about Texas (was born and raised there lol). There were a few cities in the countryside around Austin Texas that speak like a mixture of German, Polish and English, and they also make the best kolaches on the planet lol

Edit: I made it sound like there were whole countries around Texas' capitol, but I really meant "not big cities like Houston" lol

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HeyZuesHChrist t1_jdo9rkk wrote

There are tons of official languages in Pa.

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BitchyWitchy68 t1_jdp0brr wrote

I think the official language of over half the state is “ Hillbilly “.

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Kaelixz t1_jdmrl5c wrote

That's so not unobvious

−1

w00dm4n t1_jdnu0w7 wrote

i think its about time we adopted one.

i'm tired of the southern PA people saying "WaWa"

when the proper term for getting gas/food is "Sheetz"

−1

ravenx92 t1_jdnhc0z wrote

I'm pretty sure it's English.... Source: I live there and everything's in English

−11

TheCoolerSam t1_jdnnbaa wrote

There's plenty of people and businesses in PA who don't speak English. I've met people's grandparents who only speak eastern European languages like Czech and polish, third and fourth generation Mexican families who always speak Spanish to each other, Puerto Rican restaurants who only have menus in Spanish, Italian neighborhoods with a ton of Italian speakers, and so on.

Source: I've lived here all my life.

Bonus points: I've never lived in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh with huge immigrant communities, all the examples I cited are in cities under 75k in PA

1