South Central Pennsylvania - Dialect

Dialect

The inhabitants of South Central Pennsylvania speak with the Susquehanna dialect. The Susquehanna dialect is most commonly used in the Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Gettysburg, and Carlisle areas (sometimes Chambersburg), and incorporates influences from the Philadelphia accent and that of Pennsylvania Dutch English. Here is a list of common words and phrases unique to the Susquehanna dialect:

• Redd up- to straighten up, (I redd up the house yesterday.)

• Macadam- asphalt, influenced by the original macadam roads in Pennsylvania, (Jason scraped his knee on the macadam.)

• Dippy eggs- fried eggs

• ..awhile- used at the end of a sentence, signifying 'in the meantime' (Can I take your drink orders awhile?)

• ..once (or wunst)- used at the end of a sentence, signifying 'quickly' or 'for just a moment' (Come here once.)

• Outen the lights- turning the lights off, (You need to outen the lights, John.)

• It's all- it is all gone, (The coffee is all.)

• Furhuddled- disheveled, (Patrick appeared furhuddled at his job interview.)

• Rutsching- wriggling, restless, (Timmy, quit your rutsching around...sit still!)

• Yous(e)/You'ins- plural of you, (Yous coming to dinner on Sunday?)

• Spritzing- lightly raining, (It ain't raining hard, it's only spritzing.)

The Central Pennsylvania accent is commonly spoken in the western and northern counties of the South Central Pennsylvania region.