If You Do These 10 Things Outside Of Pittsburgh, You May Get Some Strange Looks
By Beth Price-Williams|Published January 03, 2019
×
Beth Price-Williams
Author
A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.
Let’s have a little fun today, Pittsburgh! We can all probably agree, though maybe a bit begrudgingly, that we Pittsburghers are a bit, well, unique. After all, how many other cities do you know where the people cheer on life-size pierogies as they run around a baseball field? But, what makes us Pittsburghers so unique, and downright lovable, are things that might garner us some really strange looks outside of the city. See if you agree.
We've got a language all our own that, sure, might seem confusing to others. But, that's what the Pittsburghese dictionary is for. Wouldn't yinz agree?
And, we probably might agree that one of the most popular words in Pittsburghese is "jagoff." You're just about to pull into a parking space, for example, and notice that a car is parked at an angle, talking up half of the space. Outsiders might not understand our frustration, but we'll probably utter the word jagoff once or twice.
We might get a few strange glances if we venture outdoors - when it's bitter cold and snowing - in shorts and a sweatshirt. But, even when the temps dip below freezing, you'll still find Pittsburghers staying true to tradition, in their shorts.
Well, if you're in a town that says "pop," no one will think anything of you ordering one. But, if we're visiting say, Philly, then asking for a pop is a dead giveaway we're from out of town.
Fries on a salad? Yes, please. The popular Pittsburgh salad, a staple in the Burgh, certainly might confuse out-of-towners who have yet to experience that delicious meal on a lone plate.
If we earned a few raised eyebrows for requesting fries on our salad, imagine the looks we'll get when we ask for fries and coleslaw on our sandwich. It's a Burgh thing, of course, thanks to Primanti Brothers.
Sure, we've been called the worst drivers - even the rudest - in the United States. But, we certainly do have our moments of politeness behind the wheel. Like when we adhere to the Pittsburgh left - allowing the car opposite of us at an intersection to turn left when the light turns green, before we go straight ahead.
We might just start a chain reaction crash - and scare the heck out of those around us - if we slam on our brakes as we approach a tunnel in any other place than Pittsburgh. No one has yet figured out why we slow down when we get close to the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. There have been rumblings about a tunnel monster, though.
Black and gold are the colors of Pittsburgh. And, if you ask most Pittsburghers, they have more black and gold in their wardrobe than any other color, something that just might confound others when we're out of town.
What other things do Pittsburghers do that might garner us a few strange looks when we leave the Burgh? Join the conversation in the comments! Then, click here to read about 10 things we take for granted in Pittsburgh but really shouldn’t.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
