Advanced lesson in Pittsburghese

Today, I leave you with not a bit of trivia, but a very handy link for your journeys in the 'burgh. Behold, the Pittsburghese translator. Easily translate any bit of standard English into Pittsburghese. For example, take Robert Frost's famous poem:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


And then imagine he was from the burgh instead of New England:

Two roads diverged in a yella wood, And sorry I couttent travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked dahn one as far as I could To wheres abahts it bent in da undergrowth; Then took da other, as jest as fair, And having perhaps da better claim, cuz it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as onnat da passing dere Had worn dem rilly abaht da same, And both that morning equally lay In hit da brickss no tramp had trodden black. Oh, I kept da first fer another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this wit a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took da one less traveled by, n'at has made allsa difference.

She called us what?

Something tells me Sienna Miller won't be too popular around down. When filming the upcoming Mysteries of Pittsburgh, she told Rolling Stone "Can you believe this is my life? Will you pity me when you're back in your funky New York apartment and I'm still in Pittsburgh? I need to get more glamorous films and stop with my indie year." In addition, she "called the city a name that sounds like Pittsburgh, but contains an expletive." Who needs her anyhow?

Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/683816/actress_sienna_miller_slights_pittsburgh/index.html

That could have been really bad

When it comes to languages, I have a passing knowledge of Italian...but I'm fluent in Pittsburghese. Every once in a while though, something surprises me. Like this handy phrase-Kennywood's open. I sure am glad I learned the translation before I spend May 20 shouting it (Kennywood's opening day.) In the burgh, the phrase alternately can mean "psst, buddy, your zipper's down."

Source: http://www.pittsburghese.com/glossary.ep.html?type=phrases

Do the other 28 have 6 SuperBowl rings?

In keeping with the rankings and ratings theme, the Today Show voted Pittsburgh the 28th overall best city in the country. It will always be number one in my heart (blatant cheese.)

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4625179/

Reading n'at

This ought to be encouraging to all of us future librarians: in a recent survey, Central Connecticut State University ranked Pittsburgh the ninth most literate city in the country.

Source: http://www.ccsu.edu/AMLC07/Overall_Rankings/Top10.htm

No Beer Today, No Beer Today, You Can't Buy Beer On Sunday

After I moved from Ohio, I was totally discouraged by the lack of readily available grocery store beer. That's because you won't find your Yuengling or Arn City at the Giant Iggle. The travel site 10best says it better than I can.

"Buying a 6-pack of beer in Pittsburgh can be quite an experience. Beer is sold by distributors in cases only. In order to purchase beer on Sunday or by the 6-pack, you'll have to head to one of the bars or restaurants that sell "beer-to-go." There is a catch, though! You can buy only one 6-pack at a time. However, you can buy a maximum of four 6-packs a day but in order to do so, you have to leave the store and return."

http://www.10best.com/Pittsburgh,PA/locationDetails.html?tab=facts

Even though most of the time the 'burgh seems like a world of its own, we're actually very connected. Pittsburgh is located within 500 miles of more than half of the US population.

Source: http://www.butlerwebs.com/pittsburgh/funfacts.htm