Things to do / Travel Guide
“Yinz, redd up dahntahn for the big game!” Sound like pidgeon or patois? Actually, it's Pittsburghese. Southwestern Pennsylvania is largely defined by the Caucasian population which comprises nearly 70% of the area's inhabitants. Almost a third of Pittsburgh's population is African American, with lower percentages in the rural areas. The Caucasians come from various ethnic backgrounds including Scotch-Irish, Italian, Eastern European, and German. These cultural influences are particularly noticeable in the area's English dialect. Pittsburghese is characterized by words like “yinz,” used instead of the plural form of you, and “redd up,” meaning prepare or get ready. Pronunciation of various words is also distinctive in southwestern Pennyslvania, “downtown” is pronounced “dahntahn,” the word “chimney” becomes “chimbley,” and “washed” becomes “warshed.” These regional pronunciations are far more prevalent among the working-class in southwestern Pennsylvania, but don't be surprised if you also hear a regionalism tumble out of the mouth of a college-educated, upper-class local.
Southwestern Pennsylvania's largest city is Pittsburgh, with a population of close to 335,000 people. McKeesport, southeast of Pittsburgh, has a population of about 24,000 people, other southwestern Pennsylvania towns have populations ranging from nearly 10,000 (Connellsville, PA) to just under 80 people in Ohiopyle, PA.
Whereas the steel industry once dominated Pittsburgh's economy and constituted the largest employer, Pittsburgh is now often referred to as a “hospital town.” Perhaps Pittsburgh's city motto should be “get well soon,” as the city has more than 30 hospitals or medical centers, including well-regarded cancer centers, a children's hospital, and a hospital specifically dedicated to women's health. Pittsburgh's Allegheny Hospital is considered one of the best hospitals in the nation, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is the city's largest employer. The University of Pittsburgh was also home to Jonas Salk during his development of the polio vaccine.
The city's economic base includes a large portion from the technology and finance sector. While, the University of Pittsburgh is the city's second-largest job-creating corporation, several Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters in Pittsburgh and also contribute greatly to the local economy, these inclue: H.J. Heinz Company, Mellon Financial, PNC Financial, and U.S. Steel.
One of the first things that will strike you about southwestern Pennsylvania is the interesting dialect, but do your best not to chuckle at the colloquialisms - most locals take them for granted. The plural “you” becomes “yinz,” “up there” is shortened to “up er,” and “downtown” is pronounced “dahntahn.” Don't be surprised when a Pittsburgher drops the “to be” from a sentence that would normally require it - “the car needs to be washed,” for example, becomes “the car needs washed.” Pittsburgh English, or “Pittsburghese,” is a version of English that has been linguistically linked to Scotch-Irish, German, Central European, Slavic, Croatian, and other and Eastern European languages.
Pittsburghers' personal histories are intricately linked to the triumphs and tragedies of the steel and mining industries. A large percentage of native Pittsburghers originally come from hearty, working-class and immigrant families; Caucasian residents of southwestern Pennsylvania are generally from Italian, German, Eastern European, and Scotch-Irish heritage. African Americans comprise nearly a third of Pittsburgh's population.
“I'm from the South Side,” you may hear a Pittsburgher say - Pittsburghers' identities are often profoundly tied to their childhood neighborhoods. And you will sense in their voices a deep pride for the city they affectionately refer to as the ‘Burgh. The city has three rivers and three huge sports teams: the Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers. On a Pittsburgh Steelers home game weekend (not to mention if they've made it to the Super Bowl playoffs) Pittsburghers swathe their city in yellow and black: banks hand out yellow and black cookies, clothes shops push racks of Steelers t-shirts out onto the sidewalks, you'll see yellow and black hats and t-shirts on public buses, and “good luck!” signs on virtually every urban street corner.
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