10 Awkward Moments Every Pennsylvanian Has Endured At Least Once
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
Life can’t get pretty awkward sometimes. We’ve all been there. Badmouthing a rival sports team, for example, then discovering you’re talking to that team’s biggest fan. Some of those awkward moments, however, are uniquely Pennsylvanian. Here are 10 awkward moments we’ve all endured at least once.
Expect a strange look, unless you’re talking to a fellow Pennsylvanian, of course, when you ask for a MAC machine. Today, the MAC machine is generally known as the ATM.
The other person clearly doesn’t know how to pronounce Punxsutawney, Schuylkill, or Lackawanna. In fact, they’re butchering the names. Somehow you have to politely and nonchalantly slip in the right pronunciation.
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Ha ha. We've all heard the jokes or the snickers from out-of-staters when they hear the names of some of PA's towns like Intercourse and Virginville. We've heard it all so excuse us if we have fight to stifle a groan at those tired comments.
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We've all been there. We show up at school or at work in our cozy winter outfit only to be greeted by the heat and humidity of a finicky afternoon. Sometimes dressing appropriately for the weather isn't quite as simple as it might seem, especially in PA.
It's a Pennsylvania thing. And, if you're one of those Pennsylvanians who loves scrapple, you might just have caught yourself ordering the popular dish at an out-of-state restaurant.
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You give someone directions in minutes instead of miles. That's just how we do it in PA. But, out-of-staters might not be accustomed to our way, creating a slightly awkward situation.
So, this might just be a Pittsburgh thing but anyone who's had a Primanti Brother sandwich - topped with fries and coleslaw - or a Pittsburgh salad topped with fries just might inadvertently ask for the same at an out-of-town or an out-of-state eatery.
We've all been there. Walking confidently along a sidewalk or heading to your car when - oops - you just don't see the ice and end up right on the ground.
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Disclosure: Not all parts of Pennsylvania use the term "rid up." But, for those who do, they've been told plenty of times to rid or red up their room and chances are they tell others to do the same. Use that term to someone who has never heard it and expect an odd reaction.
We've all done it. Fed up with the frigid winter temps in PA, we've complained and wished for summer, promising never to complain when the hot weather arrives. Then what to we do? Make the very same complaint to the person we promised not to complain to.
Living in Pennsylvania is pretty spectacular but we do have to deal with our fair share of awkward moments and weird side effects of growing up in PA.
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