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Browse Pittsburgh words, meanings, usage, pronunciation, local notes, neighborhood references, food memory, and place language.
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Soda or soft drink.
“Grab me a pop while you’re up.”Open word
A chair used to claim or protect a parking spot.
“Somebody put a parking chair out front.”Open word
Pittsburghese pronounced in Pittsburghese style.
“That phrase is pure Pixburghese.”Open word
A filled dumpling strongly associated with Pittsburgh food culture.
“I want a pierogi with onions.”Open word
Plural/common local form of pierogi.
“We’re having pierogies for dinner.”Open word
A paper bag, especially an older regional way to describe a grocery or lunch bag.
“Put those pierogies in a paper poke before they slide around in the buggy.”Open word
Probably.
“I’ll prolly stop up later.”Open word
Using “whenever” to mean “when” for a one-time event.
“Whenever I got home, the power was out.”Open word
A toilet installed in a basement, often with little or no enclosure.
“This house still has a Pittsburgh potty.”Open word
A vending machine for pop or soft drinks.
“There’s a pop machine by the door.”Open word
Grandfather.
“We’re going to Pap Pap’s after church.”Open word
Grandfather, dad, or father figure depending on family usage.
“Ask Pap if he wants coffee.”Open word
The local dialect, words, and speech patterns associated with Pittsburgh.
“Yinz is one of the most famous Pittsburghese words.”Open word
A salad topped with French fries, often with grilled chicken or steak.
“Order the Pittsburgh salad with ranch.”Open word
A regional use of anymore to mean nowadays or these days, even in a positive sentence.
“I take the parkway pretty early anymore.”Open word
A thin Italian waffle cookie common at holidays and cookie tables.
“My aunt made pizzelle for the cookie table.”Open word
A church or parish community festival.
“The parish festival is this weekend.”Open word
Another name for a Pittsburgh potty.
“The basement had a Pittsburgh toilet beside the laundry sink.”Open word
Pittsburghese-style pronunciation/spelling of “pout.”
“Don’t paht just because yinz lost.”Open word
Pittsburghese-style pronunciation/spelling of “pound.”
“That bag weighs about a pahn.”Open word
Pittsburghese-style pronunciation/spelling of “power.”
“The pahr went out during the storm.”Open word
Put the cat out.
“Put the cat aht before you go to bed.”Open word
Pittsburghese-style pronunciation/spelling of “potato.”
“Pass the patayta salad.”Open word
Pittsburghese-style pronunciation/spelling of “peanut.”
“Get me a peanit butter sandwich.”Open word
A driving move where the first left-turning car goes before oncoming traffic starts.
“He took a Pittsburgh Left at the light.”Open word
To sit on the porch and pass time.
“We porch sit when the weather breaks.”Open word
A bottle of pop or soft drink.
“Put the pop bottle in the recycling.”Open word
Winter period when people reserve shoveled parking spots with chairs.
“Once the snow hits, it’s parking chair season.”Open word
Return the shopping cart.
“Don’t be a jagoff — put the buggy back.”Open word
Traffic on the parkway.
“Parkway traffic made me late.”Open word
Baked dough balls filled with pepperoni.
“Bring pepperoni balls to the party.”Open word