Ready to immerse yourself in the way of living and culture of Pennsylvania? Penny as a state is amazing and part of what makes it so are all the slang terms that originate from it. Today after exploring the slang of Rhode Island and South Dakota, we take a metaphorical step towards Pennsylvania and its own unique expressions that should hopefully help you accustom yourself to local life there next time you visit. Without further delay, let’s take a look at the coolest Pennsylvania slangs you need to know!
Dippy eggs
In Pennsylvania if you’d like to order eggs and prefer them soft cooked then you need to tell the waiter you’d like dippy eggs. Cooked over easy for so your taste buds can appreciate this delicacy popular in Pennsylvania.
Yinz or yous
This one is heavily affected by accent and stands for “you all”. When referring you a group of people you can say in Pennsylvania “Yinz coming or what?” It’s especially popular in Pittsburgh, where it is used to get the attention of your friends.
Jawn
This one is very general and can refer to a very wide range of words, such as a person, a place or a thing. For example one could say “Can you give me that jawn over there?” while pointing at a thing or you could say “While I was walking this jawn started talking to me but I can’t seem to remember his name.” when using it to refer to a person.
Gum bands
This one is quite intuitive if you’re familiar with the language and know that gum means rubber. In that sense gum bands is another term for rubber bands.
Red things up
This is what you do after making a mess. You red things up when you mean to tidy up and has nothing to do with colouring.
Scrapple
This is yet another delicacy popular in Pennsylvania, traditional for Amish people. It’s another word for pork prepared in loaf form, cooked well to create a flavourful breakfast. It’s usually served crispy along with eggs. Perhaps dippy eggs?
Jag off
This is a negative slang and we wouldn’t recommend using it in Pennsylvania unless you know the person you’re speaking with well, as it could offend someone. It stands for stupid, and is similar to calling someone dumb or a douchebag.