Does everyone in Pittsburgh say “yinz?
There’s a reason people in Pittsburgh are often called Yinzers. This term could be used affectionately or with contempt (if you hear it from a Cleveland Browns fan). That begs the question – “Does everyone in the city of Pittsburgh say yinz?”. To put it frankly, no, they don’t. It feels like I’m spoiling a city secret here.
What is yinz?
Get the yinzer neck gaiter and mug. White trash coming from Pittsburgh, PA and the surrounding areas in western, PA, eastern, OH, and northeast WV. Very frequently inbred, under educated, and retarded, the yinzer is a simple breed, speaking in a dialect often referred to as " Pittsburghese ", characterized by the fictional word, " Yinz ".
Why are they called Yinzers?
"Yinzers" are so called because they speak a regional dialect of American English featuring the use of " yinz " or " yunz " as the second-person plural pronoun.
What is the most likely path from you ones to yinz?
The following, therefore, is the most likely path from you ones to yinz: you ones [juː wʌnz] > you'uns [juːʌnz] > youns [juːnz] > yunz [jʌnz] > yinz [jɪ̈nz].
Why do they call Pittsburgh yinz?
Yinz is the most recent derivation from the original Scots-Irish form you ones or "yous ones", a form of the second person plural commonly heard in parts of Ulster. When standard-English speakers talk in the first person or third person, they use different pronouns to distinguish between singular and plural.
What are some Pittsburgh slang words?
Pittsburghese Dictionary: How to Talk Like a YinzerAht = out. Self explanatory.Buggy = shopping cart. ... Chipped-Chopped Ham (chipped ham) = processed lunch meat made from ham pieces, trimmings, and spices. ... Crik = creek. ... Dahntahn = Downtown. ... Dippy = appropriate level for dipping into. ... Gumband = rubber band. ... Jagoff = jerk.More items...•
Do they say yinz in Philadelphia?
While down South, to gather a group of individuals, the term “y'all” may be used, if you're from western Pennsylvania, yinz is the equivalent.
What does Nebby mean in Pittsburgh?
Nosy, snoopy, inquisitiveNebby. Definition: Nosy, snoopy, inquisitive. Used as an adjective or noun. Another noun form is 'nebnose. '
What is a yinzer in Pittsburgh?
"Yinzer" (or "Yunzer") was historically used to identify the typical blue-collar people from the Pittsburgh region who often spoke with a heavy Pittsburghese accent. The term stems from the word yinz (or yunz), a second-person plural pronoun brought to the area by early Scottish-Irish immigrants.
How do yinzers talk?
For one, yinz usually leads off a sentence, as in “Yinz going out tonight?” There's also an inflection where most sentences are spoken as if questions. Pittsburghers also talk fast and mumble, so sometimes it is difficult to even recognize Pittsburgh slang. The accent is a thing to behold.
Do people from Pittsburgh say yinz?
Yinz is common (and useful) feature of the Pittsburgh dialect of English. It is used for the plural you just like you all or the Southern English y'all.
Do they say Y all in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburghers don't say “y'all/you'z/you all”…they say “yinz.”
Where does the term Jagoff come from?
Jagoff is derived from the Scots-Irish word “jag,” which means “thorn” or “to be pricked.” Which is exactly what a jagoff is: a thorn in your side, a person who won't stop needling you. It's no more offensive than “jerk” or “dunderhead.” The word also has a deep history in Chicago.
What does Grinny mean in Pittsburgh?
a chipmunkGrinny – Apparently this is (or was) a word for a chipmunk.
Why do Pittsburghers add an S?
“Or it's a place they go to regularly, so it sort of marks that we should as a listener know which specific store they're talking about.” There's no reason to believe this trend is limited specifically to Pittsburgh or Southwestern Pennsylvania, the linguists said.
What is the meaning of a Jagoff?
"Jagoff," is officially defined as: "(chiefly in western Pennsylvania) a stupid, irritating, or contemptible person." The entry goes on to explain the origin of the word, as "from jackoff, perhaps influenced by jag."
What does "yinz" mean?
What does yinz mean? Yinz is a Pittsburgh equivalent to y'all. It is used to address two or more people as a second-person plural pronoun.
Who is the source of the Pittsburgh yinz?
Barbara Johnstone — a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and an expert in what’s called Pittsburghese— has located the Scots-Irish you ones as the source of the Pittsburgh yinz. You ones became pronounced as you-uns by the 1800s, further smushed to yinz, among other forms like yunz , by at least the 1980s.
What is a yinz?
Yinz is the most recent derivation from the original Scots-Irish form you ones or "yous ones", a form of the second person plural commonly heard in parts of Ulster. When standard-English speakers talk in the first person or third person, they use different pronouns to distinguish between singular and plural. In the first person, for example, speakers use the singular I and the plural we. But when speaking in the second person, you performs double duty as both the singular form and the plural form. Crozier (1984) suggests that during the 19th century, when many Irish speakers switched to speaking English, they filled this gap with you ones, primarily because Irish has a singular second-person pronoun, tú, as well as a plural form, sibh. The following, therefore, is the most likely path from you ones to yinz: you ones [juː wʌnz] > you'uns [juːʌnz] > youns [juːnz] > yunz [jʌnz] > yinz [jɪ̈nz]. Because there are still speakers who use each form, there is no stable second-person plural pronoun form in southwest or central Pennsylvania, which is why the pronoun is variably referred to or spelled as you'uns, y'ins, y'uns, yunz, yuns, yinz, yenz, yins or ynz .
Where is the yinz sign?
Yinz. "Yinz Are Welcome" sign at Occupy Pittsburgh in 2011. Yinz (see History and usage below for other spellings) is a second-person plural pronoun used mainly in Western Pennsylvania English, most prominently in Pittsburgh, but it is also found throughout the cultural region known as Appalachia, located within the geographical region ...
What is Yinz Cheer?
Yinz 's place as one of Pennsylvania's most famous regionalisms makes it a badge of pride. For example, a group of Pittsburgh area radical cheerleaders call themselves "Yinz Cheer," and an area literary magazine was called The New Yinzer, a take-off of The New Yorker.
Where is Yinzfans located?
YinzFans.com is a Fan site for Pittsburgh sports fans located outside of the Pittsburgh area. At the end of every episode of "VH-1's Top 20 Countdown" host Jim Shearer always says "I'm Jim Shearer, and I'll see yinz later.". In the TV series, “One Dollar” (2018) set in a rust belt town (shot in and around Pittsburgh) the Yinz address is frequently ...
Where is the word "yous" pronounced?
Rarely written, it is spelled yous, and is usually pronounced as [jɪ̈z] or something between [jɪ̈z] and [jʊ̈z].
Is slippy a Pittsburgh word?
Yes, it's the Pittsburgh way to say “you all.” But please don't start saying it. Please don't say "yinz." Pittsburghers are sometimes called Yinzers, and the word is unique to the region. Pittsburghese is a bit more complicated than just replacing commonly understood words with region-specific words.
Why is Pittsburgh so important?
Easily navigable waterways with an abundance of natural resources, (coal, timber, natural gas, iron and limestone) helped Pittsburgh become the industrial center for a growing nation. Most people recognize one thing about Pittsburgh's history, that it was known as an industrial hub for coal mining and steel production.
What is YINZ short for?
What does yinz mean? Yinz is a Pittsburgh equivalent to y'all. It is used to address two or more people as a second-person plural pronoun.
Does Pittsburgh have a nickname?
Pittsburgh has certainly earned the nickname The City of Champions. And, if you're from Pittsburgh, you know exactly why.
Is Jagoff a swear word?
The Oxford English Dictionary defined it in 2016 as a “stupid, irritating, or contemptible person.” Even people who use it regularly say it can mean different things. Several Trib readers said in emails Friday that the word is a variant of “jackoff,” and therefore a swear word.
What city is bigger Philadelphia or Pittsburgh?
Philadelphia, with 1.6 million residents, is five times more populous and sits in an area that's more than twice the size of Pittsburgh. Located on opposite sides of Pennsylvania, the contrasts in the cities are further highlighted in their nicknames, the City of Brotherly Love and Steel City.
What does Gutchies mean?
The influx of Eastern Europeans added to the vernacular and may have contributed to the way Pittsburghers pronounce their words. Babushka (a headscarf), kolbassi (sausage), and gutchies (underwear), all are believed to have come from the Eastern Europeans.
Who is the yinzer in Pittsburgh?
The archetypal Yinzer was Myron Cope.
What is the Pittsburgh dialect?
And its neighborhoods were separated by hills and rivers, which discouraged social mixing. The prototypical Pittsburgh word is “yinz.”.
Who banned Jagoff from the Pittsburgh Post?
In 2012, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editor David Shribman —a Massachusetts native— attracted local ridicule when he banned “jagoff” from his newspaper, despite being fully aware of its non-obscene provenance. Sweeper: Vacuum cleaner. The above is an excerpt from How to Speak Midwestern from Belt Publishing.
My grandfather was a Steel worker, and painted as a hobby. He didn't have canvas to work with, so you can still see the logos from the cardboard he used (image 2). This was painted from memory by him
My grandfather was a Steel worker, and painted as a hobby. He didn't have canvas to work with, so you can still see the logos from the cardboard he used (image 2). This was painted from memory by him.
Told my Cuban artist cousin about the sinkhole incident
Community curated front page of Pittsburgh's place on the internet. Share news, events, and thoughts with/about the Pittsburgh community.
What is a yinzer?
Yinzer. A provincial, typically residing in the western half of Pennsylvania (USA), who strongly identifies with the nearby city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, often due to a fervent, pseudo-religious loyalty toward one or more professional sports teams headquartered there. "Yinzers" are so called because they speak a regional dialect ...
Where does yinzer trash come from?
yinzer. White trash coming from Pittsburgh, PA and the surrounding areas in western, PA, eastern, OH, and northeast WV. Very frequently inbred, under educated, and retarded, the yinzer is a simple breed, speaking in a dialect often referred to as " Pittsburghese ", characterized by the fictional word, " Yinz ".
What does "pittsburgh" mean?
1. someone who overdoes pittsburgh using the "pittsburgh" accent. 2. a fairweather fan who wants to disban the team because of 1 bad week. 1. YINZER: jordan, we're going to meet up at the bar, meet us down there (pronounced down air) at 10.
What are some examples of yinzers?
Yinzers are the subject of a number of stereotypes, some of which they are actively proud and consciously reinforce to strengthen their sense of identity, an example being their use of French fries as a condiment.
What is psyop in law?
psyop. Intelligence agency term for "psychological operation". A government or corporate-sponsored operation, usually taking the form of a "terrorist attack" or "crazed gunman on a spree ", with the intent of panicking the public into demanding more police and laws inhibiting freedom.
Is Yinzer a willfully ignorant species?
The Yinzer is a willfully ignorant species, fully believing that pittsburgh is the best city in america simply because said yinzer has never been more than 20 miles from pittsburgh. Yinzer: "YInz gahn'a stilurz game dahn at hahnz fiild".
1. Mum used the sweeper to sweep up them crumbs
Now most of the world would consider that someone probably ate some toast on the caatch (couch)… and, well, you know the rest. But here in Pittsburgh… crumbs can be anything left on the floor. Pizza crust, crackers, cookies, staples, paper clips, fuzz from a dog toy, your old shoes… yeah… you get it.
4. Time to red up yer room
Don’t worry… mum doesn’t want you to paint over that beautiful purple, or green, or black and gold… she wants you to clean it up, straighten it out, live civilized. Now go do it.
8. Worsh up with that face rag on the sink
We went over “worsh” earlier. It’s a wash cloth. Um… sorry, a Worshcloth.
9. Who needs a ham sammitch? How about chip-chopped?
This one covers 2, so maybe our list should be “14 blah blah blah….” Whatever. Sammitch (or sammich – the debate rages on) is something between to slices of bread. Like turkey. Or ham.
10. It was too slippy dahn them stairs
If you don’t want to fall down and crack yer head, don’t go down the icy stairs. Get it?
11. Did yinz catch some crawfish dahn the crick?
Crawfish and crick. Crayfish and creek . Say the latter, well, a real Pittsburgher will correct you before answering. And yes. We did. Then we boiled ’em.
12. Did you turn off the spicket?
If you didn’t, dad will be pretty mad when you get home because the kitchen floor will be covered with water. Then you’ll have to red it up.

Overview
Yinz (see History and usage below for other spellings) is a second-person plural pronoun used mainly in Western Pennsylvania English, most prominently in Pittsburgh, but it is also found throughout the cultural region known as Appalachia, located within the geographical region of the Appalachians.
History and usage
Yinz is the most recent derivation from the original Scots-Irish form you ones or "yous ones", a form of the second person plural commonly heard in parts of Ulster. When standard-English speakers talk in the first person or third person, they use different pronouns to distinguish between singular and plural. In the first person, for example, speakers use the singular I and the plural we. But when speaking in the second person, you performs double duty as both the singular form and the plur…
In popular culture
Yinz's place as one of Pennsylvania's most famous regionalisms makes it a badge of pride. For example, a group of Pittsburgh area radical cheerleaders call themselves "Yinz Cheer", and an area literary magazine was called The New Yinzer, a take-off of The New Yorker. Those perceived to be stereotypical blue collar Pittsburgh residents are often referred to as Yinzers.
Yinztagram is a software program with a Pittsburgh theme.
See also
• Ye (pronoun)
• Y'all
• You § Plural forms from other varieties
Notes
1. ^ Rehder, John B. (2004). Appalachian folkways. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-7879-4. OCLC 52886851.
2. ^ Richard "Pete" Peterson (February 13, 2011). "Is yunz is or is yinz ain't from Pittsburgh?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
3. ^ Nosowitz, Dan (October 13, 2016). "Y'all, You'uns, Yinz, Youse: How Regional Dialects Are Fixing Standard English: The real enemy? "You guys."". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved Augus…
1. ^ Rehder, John B. (2004). Appalachian folkways. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-7879-4. OCLC 52886851.
2. ^ Richard "Pete" Peterson (February 13, 2011). "Is yunz is or is yinz ain't from Pittsburgh?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
3. ^ Nosowitz, Dan (October 13, 2016). "Y'all, You'uns, Yinz, Youse: How Regional Dialects Are Fixing Standard English: The real enemy? "You guys."". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
Further reading
• Johnstone, B. and Danielson, A., "Pittsburghese" in the Daily Papers, 1910-1998: Historical Sources of Ideology about Variation, New Ways of Analyzing Variation Conference, October 2001.
• Johnstone, B., Bhasin, N., and Wittkowski, D., "Dahntahn" Pittsburgh: Monophthongal /aw/ and representations of localness in Southwestern Pennsylvania. American Speech 77(20):146-166.
External links
• Pittsburgh Speech and Society A site for non-linguists, created by Carnegie Mellon University linguist Barbara Johnstone.
• Pittsburghese.com (more humorous than scientific)
• What Do You Call a Steeler Fan?