about or 'bout
- pronounced a-bott' or bott
- rhymes with gavotte or hot
- as in
- pronounced Bay'-den
- rhymes with maiden
- meaning a borough in Beaver County along the Ohio River, population 5,231 (1992); named by Christian Burkhardt in 1838 for his native town of Baden-Baden
- as in
- rhymes with Pittsburgh
- meaning a term to describe the city's prowess particularly in athletic events such as football, hockey and baseball
- as in
- rhymes with stuccos
- meaning a fond nickname for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team; derived from "Bucs," an abbreviated form of "buccaneers"
- as in
- rhymes with ducks
- meaning a fond nickname for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team; an abbreviated form of "buccaneers"
- as in
- authority Star Brand (Marvel Comics Group) Volume 1, Number 2, November 1986, page 3.
- meaning a particularly infelicitous term of relatively recent origin, an abbreviation for "Pittsburgh" and used most often as a commercial or promotional ploy
- as in "It's a Burgh thing."
- meaning Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers running back
- as in
- meaning an abbreviation for the Community College of Allegheny County, a four campus educational institution comprised of Allegheny, Boyce, North and South campuses
- as in
- meaning an abbreviation for Carnegie Mellon University, formerly Carnegie Institute of Technology, a benefaction of Andrew Carnegie, alma mater of Andy Warhol; famous today for its computer-related researches
- as in
- pronounced Car'-negy or Ker'-negy
- meaning the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Music Hall, the Lecture Hall, the Carnegie Science Center and the Andy Warhol Museum--in combination a living monument to the dreams and aspirations of Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), philanthropist and captain of industry
- as in
- in full The Cathedral of Learning
- meaning landmark classroom and office skyscraper of the University of Pittsburgh, intended as a symbol of aspiration and possibility to the workingclass neighborhoods from which it is visible; symbol of the University's dominance in the Oakland community
- as in
- pronounced chipped ham samitch
- meaning a term popularized by author Michael Chabon in his novel "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" and referring to the steam vented from the Bellefield Boiler
- rhymes with story
- meaning a nickname for Coraopolis (pronounced Cory-op-olis), a borough in Allegheny County along the Ohio River, population 6,732 (1992); named for Cora Watson, the daughter of a prominent citizen; not to be confused with "Corry" in Erie County
- as in
- pronounced cotch
- rhymes with watch
- meaning a sofa or similar piece of furniture
- as in "This is a good lookin' cotch."
- meaning the mall-like expanse of grass at Carnegie Mellon University that runs from Forbes Avenue to the Hunt Library
- as in
- pronounced Dahntahn
- rhymes with bon ton
- meaning Pittsburgh's business, financial and shopping district; also known as the Golden Triangle
- as in
- pronounced Sliberty
- rhymes with slippery
- meaning
- pronounced injun
- meaning a peculiarly idiosyncratic bus route which scenically meanders from Mount Oliver borough and the South Side to Pittsburgh's North Side (and back) by way of Oakland, altogether skirting Downtown
- as in "From the 54C you can see Mount Oliver, St. Michael's Cemetery, East Carson Street, The South Side Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, St. Elmo's Bookstore, the Monongahela River, St. Agnes', the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Soldiers and Sailors, The Cathedral of Learning, Stephen Foster Memorial, Heinz Chapel, The Carnegie, Pittsburgh Blind Association, St. Paul's Cathedral, Bloomfield, Bloomfield Bridge, Polish Hill, "Cinderella," Stephen Foster's home, Woolslair Elementary School, Pittsburgh Brewing Company, Lawrenceville's Doughboy, Old St. Patrick's, The Strip, the Food Distribution Center, Smallman Street, Cruisers, the Allegheny River, Warhola Recycling, the Heinz plant, East Ohio Street, the Commons, Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, Allegheny Hospital, Light of Life, Mercy Providence Hospital, West Park, Old St. Peter's, the Aviary, Allegheny Regional Library, Allegheny Center, and the old Allegheny Post Office (now the Children's Museum)--not to mention that you get to cross the Birmingham and Sixteenth Street Bridges."
- in full Franco Harris
- meaning
- pronounced arn
- rhymes with yarn
- meaning Iron City Beer
- as in "Pump an arn."
- rhymes with staggers
- meaning sticker bushes or thorn bushes growing wild
- meaning a common place of meeting at the corner of Fifth and Smithfield; known to all Pittsburghers for nearly a century
- as in
- for further reading
- meaning a particularly embarassing kind of male dishabille; often used by an individual's companions, in an adolescent manner, both to further increase his embarrasment and to alert him to his condition; the allusion is to internationally famous Kennywood amusement park.
- as in "Kennywood's open!"
- in full Bill Mazeroski
- pronounced
- rhymes with
- meaning A cautionary sign placed at the exit of the Duquesne Incline.
- as in
- pronounced mum
- rhymes with gum
- meaning mother
- as in
- authority Star Brand (Marvel Comics Group) Volume 1, Number 2, November 1986, page 9: "I'm so covered with mud even mum and dad wouldn't recognize me."
- in full New Kensington
- pronounced Norside
- rhymes with
- meaning a nickname for the University of Pittsburgh
- pronounced Picksburgh
- rhymes with Vicksburg
- meaning a variant pronunciation of Pittsburgh
- meaning the name given to natives of the city of Pittsburgh
- meaning the much-speculated-upon alternative to the Regional Renaissance Tax Initiative's 1/2 percent sales tax
- as in "There is no 'Plan B.'"
- in full Three Rivers Regatta
- meaning
- as in
- in full Myron Cope's Official The Terrible Towel
- meaning generally the geographic area defined by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers to form the Ohio, site of Pittsburgh; specifically a phrase prefixed to any number of entities to give them a regional identity, such as Three Rivers Stadium, Three Rivers Arts Festival, Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival, etc.
- as in
- pronounced warsh
- rhymes with harsh
- meaning to clean using water
- as in
Pittsburghese: To Learn More, A Reading List
Created:
Last Updated: 2 September 1997A joint collaboration of the staff of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Department. With additional suggestions from John S. Fail, John W. Fail Dennis Hasch, and Michael Nimec.