9 More Words to Add to Your Pittsburghese Dictionary

Pittsburghese Dictionary

It’s been awhile since we’ve done one of these. Here are 9 more words to add to your Pittsburghese dictionary. If you have one you’d like to see included, let us know in the comments and you may see it in a future post!



1. S’Liberty (noun)

Pittsburghese Dictionary

East Liberty, as in the neighborhood in Pittsburgh.




2. Caach (noun)

Pittsburghese Dictionary

Couch, as in “would yinz stop dropping crumbs behind the caach?”




3. Doohickey (noun)

Pittsburghese Dictionary

When you don’t remember what something is called or are not sure of the use of an item. For example, a sentence could be: “Yinz know what this doohickey is for?”




4. Airyago (phrase)

Pittsburghese Dictionary

A phrase, “there you go” or “here you go.” For example, if someone asks for a pen, you would say “Airyago.”




5. Jeez o man! (phrase)

Pittsburghese Dictionary

A mash-up of “Geez!” and “Oh man!” often yelled in Pittsburgh traffic or by beleaguered Pittsburgh parents to their children.




6. Hahrd (noun)

Pittsburghese Dictionary

The male name Howard or the county in Maryland often shown as a snowstorm epicenter in Pittsburgh weather: “Hahrd County is gonna get a foot!”




7. Nill (noun)

Pittsburghese Dictionary

Neal, as in a first name or a last name. An example could be the former Penguin and current Vegas Golden Knight, “the real deal James Nill!”




8. Cennertahnship (noun)

Pittsburghese Dictionary

Center Township, as in the Pittsburgh area community.




9. Lahrburl (noun)

Pittsburghese Dictionary

Lower Burrell, also a Pittsburgh area neighborhood.





Need to brush up on your Pittsburghese?  Here’s some help:

9 More Words to Add to your Pittsburghese Dictionary

9 More Pittsburghese Words in Every Pittsburgher’s Dictionary

9 More Pittsburghese Words or Phrases in Every Pittsburgher’s Dictionary

9 Words in Every Pittsburgher’s Vocabulary



17 thoughts on “9 More Words to Add to Your Pittsburghese Dictionary”

    1. Myrna Valdiserri

      I was born and raised in the South Hills of Pittsburgh and I never said any of these slang words or most of the others attributed to Pittsburghese.

    2. When I was in California and needed a gumband for my hair no one understood me…I was 16!

  1. Horace Christian

    You forgot some of the biggest ones:

    1. “Jagoff”. A derogatory term.
    2. “Mahrn”, as in Myron Cope.
    3. “The Mon”. Monongahela River.
    4. “Stillers”. The Pittsburgh Steelers.
    5. “Turtle Crick”. Turtle Creek.
    6. “Parts”. The Pittsburgh Pirates.
    7. Lemon Blennd (yes, 2 ‘Ns’). That fluorescent yellow soft drink sold in Pittsburgh, especially at Robert Wholeys’, that nobody knows what it is, or where it came from.
    8. “Bonnyville”. A now defunct brand of Pontiac (Bonneville).
    9. “Nebby Nose”. A busy body or “But-In-Ski”. Can’t mind their own business.
    10. “Going Poli’s”. Poli’s was a now defunct restaurant in Squirrel Hill, that was once considered to be one of the upscale dining places in the city. As in, “I just hit the lottery! Were going “Poli’s” tonight!”
    11. The municipality of Beechview (on the South Side). But it has, “No Beach, and No View”.
    12 And finally, “The Chur” (Chair). A distinctly Western PA invention, wherbye people attempt to identify their own parking place, especially if it’s in front of their house, by placing a “Chair” out there in it (preferably a folding “Chur”), to deter anybody else from parking in it. Especially effective, when the “Stillers” used to play in Pitt Stadium, in the surrounding neighborhoods.
    13. I lied. The “O” (Original Hot Dog Shoppe) on the corner of Forbes Ave. and Bouquet St. in Oakland, has an “off the menu” sandwich called, “The Chernobyl Dog”. Invented in 1985 my a Pitt Medical Student (me), it has every condiment available on the hot dog. Used to be 15, now it’s only 11. The concept is, that it “Melts Down” if you try to pick it up. Knife and fork, mandatory. And the 15 condiments used to be: Ketchup, tomato, pickle, pickle relish, cucumber, mustard, mayonnaise, horseradish, onion, bacon, cheese, chili, cole slaw, sauerkraut, and jalapeno. They have since “86ed” the jalapeno, cucumber, tomato, and the bacon. “Too Chicago!” But Pittsburghers got to have their chili and onions on their hot dogs.

    1. Nice list. What about “jaggers” for thorns. “Jimmies” for sprinkles. Growed up in Bethel Park; born in Pittsburgh. Miss yinz.

    1. ?couple of more :
      Don as a guys or girls name or when the sun comes up.
      Battree used to power the starler of yinz cars.
      Pissberg is the city down at the Point. They have the Pissberg Stillers and Bucos.

  2. Amanda DiPietroajs4@

    I was raised in the South Hills and these are all familiar to me. Not from my home but from those around me growing up. It was a shock when I moved to California that everyone didn’t say these things.

  3. Jennifer Watkins

    I asked my husband to run the ‘sweeper’ he had not a clue what I was talking about LOL He’s from NY 🙂

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