Before I moved back to Maryland from Florida (many moons ago), when traveling back to this area to see friends and family, my wife was often baffled by the conversations that took place between locals.  She grew up in both Massachusetts and Florida, where the accents you hear coming from people’s mouths are far different from what she was being subjected to in the four-state area.  She’d listen to an exchange and then literally ask for me to interpret, like some poor man’s United Nation’s representative.

Here’s an example:

• “Ize walkin up’t crick ‘bout dark and seen a big’ol eight point in nem brar’s by that musrat hole below Nyom’s. Mayonaise sum big deer dow nair this year.”

Translation:

• “I was walking up along the creek around dusk and saw a large eight point deer in the briars by the muskrat hole below Naomi’s. Man, there are some big deer down there this year.”

See?  Couldn’t be simpler.

The local four-state accent is this strange amalgamation of the Pittsburgh accent (“Yinz” for “you all”, “sweep” or “sweeper” for “vacuum”, “hoez” for “house”, etc.) the Baltimore accent (“arn” for “iron”, “pilla” for “pillow”, “zinc” for “sink”, etc.) and just plain lazy redneck.  Folks in this area like to reduce words or phrases down to their barest essentials, creating shortened combinations that have to be heard to be believed.  I call this vernacular the “Pittmore” or “Baltiburgh” accent.  Here are some examples of words heard locally in this dialect:

“acrosst” = across the

“ambalance” = ambulance

“arr” = hour

“atz wudised” = “That’s what I said”

“capdal” = capital

“collar” = color

“done did dat” = already completed that task

“downt” = down at the

“far” = fire

“fitty” = fifty

“feeshin” = fishing

“hah skewl” = high school

“How we dawn?” = How are you doing?

“hunerd” = one hundred

“iggle” = eagle

“Itlee” = Italy

“levn” = eleven

“liberry” = library

“nem” = them (sometimes pronounced “n-nem” for “and them”)

“prolie” or “problie” = probably

“Stillers” = Steelers (as in Pittsburgh)

“tar”=tar

“warsh” = wash

“Warshington, Dee Cee” = Washington D.C.

“Wainsbarra” = Waynesboro

“zupt” = “was up at the”

These are just examples.  The language is also known for its infamous misuse of the verbs “saw” and “seen” as well as “was” and “were” – as in:

• “Where was you last night? You said you’d be at the carnival but Mary seen you at the mall.”

I cringe just writing that sentence, but I’ve heard versions of it at local town council meetings – coming from the town council.  Locals are also famous for dropping the “to be” in a sentence.

• “The lawn needs (to be) mowed.”

I’ll admit it.  I’m routinely guilty of this one (which my spouse calls me out on all the time).

Pittmore/Baltiburgh also has strange sayings for different events or situations, which draw smiles of amusement and questions like “I’m sorry – what?” when heard in conversation with people from outside the area.

• “It’s putiner down ow dere” = “It’s raining really, really hard outside
• “all boogered up” = a complete mess
• “some nice” = very nice
• “got to red upt house before compnie comes” = I must clean up around the house before our visitors arrive

So, if you’re new to the area (or just passing through), listen closely when someone is speaking to you.  It takes a while to get tuned in to the articulation and usage, but you’ll catch on (hopefully).