A yinzer's Night Before 'Chrismis' (Cute and kind of funny)

[femmocrat]

Monday - Dec. 21, 2015
By Joe Wos
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, 9:00 p.m.

Editor's note: A tradisshunle hawiday pome, adapted and translated into Pittsburghese.


Twas the night before Chrismis and all through dahtahn

Not a creature was stirrin, weren't no one arahn!

The stockings needed hung by the chimley with care,

Ahnachanta Saint Nicklas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of progis raced in their heads,

And mawm in her babushka and me in my hat,

Had just settled dahn for a long winner n'at;

When ahtside I heard a noise on the lawn,

I sprung from my bed to see whawas goin on.

To the baffroom window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shudders and threw up the sash.

My neckstore neighbor was aht with his cat,

I shahted at him — “Quit bein nebby n'at.”

When what to my ooglin' eyes I seen there,

But a miniature sleigh, moving my parking chair!

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Read the rest at link:

Read more: http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/9633378-74/chrismis-arahn-chimley#ixzz3v3jQYoPT

[LiberalEsto]

1. Nebby?

We need a Pittsburghese-English dictionary!

LOL

[femmocrat]

2. Nebby = nosey!

I can't figure out "Ahnachanta" though and I'm from here! LOL

I thought it might remind some people of home.

[LiberalEsto]

3. I think it means "on account of"

My daughter, son-in-law and baby granddaughter live in Pittsburgh, and I'm just beginning to discover the wonders of the natives' language. Recently learned n'at and yinz.

[femmocrat]

4. You're right!

I think they misspelled it! It should be: "ahnacahnta" !!! I was reading the ch as in "chant". It is more like "Onna counna" !!!

[malthaussen]

5. Pittsburgh Dad should recite this.

I was thrown off by "anachanta," too. "Ahna counta" is much clearer.

-- Mal

[femmocrat]

6. I can just hear him pronouncing some of those phrases! LOL

I can't get a good copy, but there is a Youtube video of him reading the book with his own interjections!

[malthaussen]

7. That reminds me of one of our family traditions...

... we always got to open one present on Christmas Eve. I wonder if that's a Pittsburgh thing, or if little monsters everywhere are as demanding as we were?

-- Mal

[femmocrat]

8. A lot of people do that!

We never did because we were told that Santa brought the presents while we were asleep and we continued the "tradition" with our kids.

Our big treat was to come home from Midnight Mass and sample the kielbassa! (We fasted on Christmas Eve.)

[Leith]

9. I Am Married to a Pittsburgher

Poor guy - he still can't tell the difference between "cot" and "caught." My Michigan ears still have trouble with his accent sometimes.


We got a good chuckle over "neckstore."

[femmocrat]

10. There's a difference?

[Number9Dream]

11. Similar to the PA Dutch/English we hear in the Lehigh Valley

"Look at the clods in the sky"

"The cahs in the field"

Allentown has signs for speed humps, not speed bumps.

[Divernan]

12. Really funny - best spoof yet on Pittsburghese

His eyes how they twinkled, his dimples how merry,
His nose round and red, like a fresh farkleberry.

He dittint say nuffin, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And beside his nose he placed his thumb,
And just lie-gat, up the chimley he clum!
He sprung to the ruuf and flew off in his sleigh,
I hollered aht to him “Don't take the parkway!”

And I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

Happy Chrismis to yinz, and to yinz …Go Stillers