Oh Central PA boardies...

[creekland]

Have you seen this list of 61 Signs You're from Central PA?  

 

http://theodysseyonline.com/penn-state/61-signs-youre-from-central-pa/220207

 

Middle son just shared it with us.  We can identify with many of them.   :lol:

 

#1 is the reason we can return home tomorrow...  #14 has to add Gettysburg as an option.  I doubt most people could put Gettysburg on a map, but at least they've heard of it!  #27 is a gem too.  ;)

 

1. You had the Monday after Thanksgiving off of school for the first day of hunting season.

14. So when you do tell people where you're from, you just say Williamsport, Harrisburg, Scranton, or Altoona, hoping that maybe some people have heard of those places.

 

27. Going to Penn State “Main†is basically like saying you’re going to Harvard.

[Sherry in OH]

But ... most of those are true for all of Pennsylvania.  :001_smile:

[happypamama]

I disagree with #27 (as you probably knew I would).  I've lived in Boston.  Penn State "main" is a much nicer place to live than Harvard. :D

 

(I'm not even from central PA.  I'm from northwestern PA and southern DE.  My kids are the lucky ones who get to be from central PA, haha.)

 

On a related note, did you see the recent report that listed the most beautiful campuses?  University Park and Gettysburg College both made the list.  Well, they both worked for me, anyway; I first visited UP in September one year and fell for how gorgeous it was there, and nine years ago, we first looked at houses in this area in the fall too, and again, the fall beauty hooked us in. ;)

 

Safe travels tomorrow, Creekland!

[school17777]

Oh, I thought you were going to invite us to a Christmas party!

[imagine.more]

Bahaha! Yeah, trying to explain where Altoona is to non-PA people is funny. They just smile and nod like they have no idea what I'm talking about :) I'm like "well, it's sort of halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg...in the mountains??" And usually I get "so which direction is Harrisburg?"

[happypamama]

Bahaha! Yeah, trying to explain where Altoona is to non-PA people is funny. They just smile and nod like they have no idea what I'm talking about :) I'm like "well, it's sort of halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg...in the mountains??" And usually I get "so which direction is Harrisburg?"

Which is hilarious to me because to me, anything that is significantly west of me, but isn't either all the way north to State College or all the way west to Pittsburgh is Altoona. As if Altoona is just some big huge blob out "there."

 

Do other states refer to themselves by county, I wonder? When I lived in Boston, I barely knew my county, and I certainly have no idea where the lines are. But I feel Iike the county here in PA matters, like its a important distinction which county is yours.

[creekland]

But ... most of those are true for all of Pennsylvania.  :001_smile:

 

At least almost all.  I'm not sure about the cities.  Many things also apply to other rural areas - like where I grew up (in NYS) - but not the first day of hunting season or pork & sauerkraut bit, etc.  I've had to explain some of those to many people.

 

I disagree with #27 (as you probably knew I would).  I've lived in Boston.  Penn State "main" is a much nicer place to live than Harvard. :D

 

(I'm not even from central PA.  I'm from northwestern PA and southern DE.  My kids are the lucky ones who get to be from central PA, haha.)

 

On a related note, did you see the recent report that listed the most beautiful campuses?  University Park and Gettysburg College both made the list.  Well, they both worked for me, anyway; I first visited UP in September one year and fell for how gorgeous it was there, and nine years ago, we first looked at houses in this area in the fall too, and again, the fall beauty hooked us in. ;)

 

Safe travels tomorrow, Creekland!

 

Boston has never appealed to us as a place to live, but we're not super fond of the mountain areas either.  We love where we've picked - in the rolling hills.  Neither of us are native to PA.  I'm northern NY and hubby is VA/NC.  Our boys were all born in FL.  When we decided to leave FL we drove all around to find our "perfect spot" (since hubby can work from pretty much anywhere) and found it.  Honestly?  It's been a terrific place to raise our guys.  No regrets at all.  And they don't have an accent... ;)

 

On yesterday's trip taking middle son back to college we were discussing where he will live/work, etc., (keeping this list in mind and coupling it with the "fact" that we'll be living in his basement).  We've gotten kinda picky in our older age.   :lol:  PA might not be a contender though.  We really like HI - except for how far away it is from everything else.

 

Oh, I thought you were going to invite us to a Christmas party!

 

Now that's an idea... but I wonder how many people are super scheduled around this time of year.

 

Bahaha! Yeah, trying to explain where Altoona is to non-PA people is funny. They just smile and nod like they have no idea what I'm talking about :) I'm like "well, it's sort of halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg...in the mountains??" And usually I get "so which direction is Harrisburg?"

 

I was wondering why Altoona made that list.  Even with Gettysburg, most people really have no idea where in PA it is if they had to put it on a map.  Fortunately most don't want to admit that, so they just smile and nod.   :coolgleamA:

 

Which is hilarious to me because to me, anything that is significantly west of me, but isn't either all the way north to State College or all the way west to Pittsburgh is Altoona. As if Altoona is just some big huge blob out "there."

 

Do other states refer to themselves by county, I wonder? When I lived in Boston, I barely knew my county, and I certainly have no idea where the lines are. But I feel Iike the county here in PA matters, like its a important distinction which county is yours.

 

We absolutely knew our county and where the lines were in NY where I grew up.  Our county was huge though, so getting out of it took some travel time.  More people had been out of the country than in a different state county ('cause we were literally on the border with Canada).  In VA and FL (two other places we've lived) we also knew our county as it was mentioned often in the news, etc.  FL had them on their license plates.  In RI (another spot we lived) I still have no idea what county we were in, so no.

[mom@shiloh]

I'm in western PA and most of those apply here as well.  The one they forgot was the dropping infinitives.  This is the only place I've lived where peole say, "The car needs washed."  instead of "The car needs TO BE washed."  Drives me nuts.  

[MedicMom]

The county thing is the same in New York, at least upstate.

 

I'm not really sure why, but I've always known exactly what county I was living in and where the lines were. And I'm generally geographically impaired.

[Rebel Yell]

43. You get annoyed having to explain all the weird alcohol laws to your non-PA friends.

 

UGH!  I get annoyed with all of the weird alcohol laws, and I rarely drink!

[creekland]

43. You get annoyed having to explain all the weird alcohol laws to your non-PA friends.

 

UGH!  I get annoyed with all of the weird alcohol laws, and I rarely drink!

 

Ditto!

[Doodle]

I enjoyed that list! I am from south central PA. I love it here!

[imagine.more]

I'm in western PA and most of those apply here as well.  The one they forgot was the dropping infinitives.  This is the only place I've lived where peole say, "The car needs washed."  instead of "The car needs TO BE washed."  Drives me nuts.  

 

Yes!! That drove me absolutely bonkers! I always wanted to say "um, I think you forgot a couple words...." ;) 

[imagine.more]

Which is hilarious to me because to me, anything that is significantly west of me, but isn't either all the way north to State College or all the way west to Pittsburgh is Altoona. As if Altoona is just some big huge blob out "there."

 

Do other states refer to themselves by county, I wonder? When I lived in Boston, I barely knew my county, and I certainly have no idea where the lines are. But I feel Iike the county here in PA matters, like its a important distinction which county is yours.

 

No, other states are not as tied to their county. It's mostly just Pennsylvania and New York and West Virginia, as far as I know. In the south nobody notices which county they're in half the time, certainly no children know. But in PA your county is very important for some reason, which makes it hard to find events when they're all listed under the county name vs a general "Altoona area" or something. 

 

But yeah, Altoona is a big blog out "there" ;) Haha! Loved it there, still kinda hope to move back to Central PA, but being from major cities it is pretty special in its seclusion from the outside world. I mean, our co-op cancelled in the winter because nobody could make it over the mountains in the snow for 3 months. And if you've ever seen the Altoona houses they're pretty much just tall old blobs anyway. Until they burn down. Never have I lived in a place with so many house fires! It was like 3 a week easily.

[school17777]

No, other states are not as tied to their county. It's mostly just Pennsylvania and New York and West Virginia, as far as I know. In the south nobody notices which county they're in half the time, certainly no children know. But in PA your county is very important for some reason, which makes it hard to find events when they're all listed under the county name vs a general "Altoona area" or something.

 

But yeah, Altoona is a big blog out "there" ;) Haha! Loved it there, still kinda hope to move back to Central PA, but being from major cities it is pretty special in its seclusion from the outside world. I mean, our co-op cancelled in the winter because nobody could make it over the mountains in the snow for 3 months. And if you've ever seen the Altoona houses they're pretty much just tall old blobs anyway. Until they burn down. Never have I lived in a place with so many house fires! It was like 3 a week easily.

 

 

Not only do you have to know what county you live in in PA, you have to know what borough or township too!

[creekland]

No, other states are not as tied to their county. It's mostly just Pennsylvania and New York and West Virginia, as far as I know. In the south nobody notices which county they're in half the time, certainly no children know.

 

Add FL and NC to your "even kids know" category.  Hubby and I both lived in FL and hubby spent part of his youth in NC.  

 

In NC some folks were proud of never having left their county... and were amazed that he would go out of state to college.  Of course, they also considered him a Yankee since he moved there (prior to 4th grade) from Richmond, VA - a wee little place that most of us thought was the capital of the Confederacy - hardly a place we'd consider a Yankee to be from.

[Junie]

I'm in western PA and most of those apply here as well.  The one they forgot was the dropping infinitives.  This is the only place I've lived where peole say, "The car needs washed."  instead of "The car needs TO BE washed."  Drives me nuts.  

 

I used to do this.  Growing up in south central PA, I never knew that it wasn't normal to drop the "to".  When I went to college in Virginia, my roommates called me on it and I fixed it.

 

Other fixes I made:

 

pronouncing the "l" in Pennsylvania (instead of saying Pennsavania).

 

couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't (instead of cunnent, shunnent, wunnent)

 

:)

[imagine.more]

I used to do this.  Growing up in south central PA, I never knew that it wasn't normal to drop the "to".  When I went to college in Virginia, my roommates called me on it and I fixed it.

 

Other fixes I made:

 

pronouncing the "l" in Pennsylvania (instead of saying Pennsavania).

 

couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't (instead of cunnent, shunnent, wunnent)

 

:)

 

So what would be a way to tactfully convey this to someone? I always felt like it pegged people as uneducated but didn't feel like there'd be a way to tactfully tell them they should add in the "to" so they made sense and sounded more educated to outsiders. I did try to tactfully convey to people in Altoona that "colored" was not an acceptable term for talking about my puerto rican daughter, but usually it went right over their heads, like they truly didn't understand that it is not a term other people use and in my Georgia-raised-mind is one short step away from the N-word. These were super nice people who loved my daughter, it was fully ignorance vs prejudice but made my skin crawl nonetheless. 

[Junie]

So what would be a way to tactfully convey this to someone? I always felt like it pegged people as uneducated but didn't feel like there'd be a way to tactfully tell them they should add in the "to" so they made sense and sounded more educated to outsiders. I did try to tactfully convey to people in Altoona that "colored" was not an acceptable term for talking about my puerto rican daughter, but usually it went right over their heads, like they truly didn't understand that it is not a term other people use and in my Georgia-raised-mind is one short step away from the N-word. These were super nice people who loved my daughter, it was fully ignorance vs prejudice but made my skin crawl nonetheless. 

 

Because you did not grow up in Pennsylvania, the speech anomalies are much more obvious to you than it is to people who grew up there.  I had no idea that I had speech quirks until I moved away.  Unfortunately, I don't think that many people who still live there will be willing to change their speech patterns because the way they speak is correct to the people in that area.

 

:grouphug: about your daughter.  Growing up, I heard a few people who used the word "colored".  Most of them were two generations older than me.

 

I'm trying to remember how these conversations in college went.  I think it started with a roommate politely giggling about the fact that no one from Pennsylvania can pronounce the name of their home state.  I didn't even know what she was talking about at first.  The "to" conversation may have happened the same night. 

 

The couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't conversation actually happened with a couple of young children I went to church with.  They were trying to help their Yankee friend fit into the South.  And so they made me practice couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't until I got it right.  :)

[creekland]

I think it started with a roommate politely giggling about the fact that no one from Pennsylvania can pronounce the name of their home state. 

 

Hmm, personally I presume people from their state know how to pronounce it correctly and those from outside the state who are incorrect - regardless of spelling.  ;)

 

That said, I've yet to hear it spoken without the "l."  Maybe it's regional or maybe I don't listen very well.

 

There are oodles of dialects worldwide.  I can see wanting to change when one moves outside of an area, but I see little need to fix the masses in an area simply because it seems wrong.  It's what gives character to an area.

 

Hubby has dropped most of his southern twang since we moved outside the south.  Neither of us have picked up Youse Guys from around here.  We both tend to use y'all though.  I guess that's his southerness corrupting me. I like it even if it's not really local.   :coolgleamA:

[Junie]

Hmm, personally I presume people from their state know how to pronounce it correctly and those from outside the state who are incorrect - regardless of spelling.   ;)

 

That said, I've yet to hear it spoken without the "l."  Maybe it's regional or maybe I don't listen very well.

 

There are oodles of dialects worldwide.  I can see wanting to change when one moves outside of an area, but I see little need to fix the masses in an area simply because it seems wrong.  It's what gives character to an area.

 

Hubby has dropped most of his southern twang since we moved outside the south.  Neither of us have picked up Youse Guys from around here.  We both tend to use y'all though.  I guess that's his southerness corrupting me. I like it even if it's not really local.   :coolgleamA:

 

True.  And you know if someone is a tourist if they can't pronounce Lancaster correctly.

 

And yes, I used to say "youse guys".   :laugh:

[xixstar]

Hmm, personally I presume people from their state know how to pronounce it correctly and those from outside the state who are incorrect - regardless of spelling.   ;)

 

 

I don't know about that logic - people from here pronounce Westminster as "West-minister" and it drives me nuts. But I am sure they just peg me as the outsider that clearly can't pronounce it properly (and I assume they can't read properly). There are no directional deacons where I live!

[creekland]

True.  And you know if someone is a tourist if they can't pronounce Lancaster correctly.

 

And yes, I used to say "youse guys".   :laugh:

 

Both of my boys have correctly pegged other central PA buddies at their colleges by overhearing how they pronounced Lancaster.   :hurray:

 

I don't know about that logic - people from here pronounce Westminster as "West-minister" and it drives me nuts. But I am sure they just peg me as the outsider that clearly can't pronounce it properly (and I assume they can't read properly). There are no directional deacons where I live!

 

Sorry... I still gotta go with locals pronouncing their own places correctly.  There are oodles and oodles of places in this country (probably in the world) that have a local pronunciation rather than what seems right by looking at it.  We have a theory that names are pronounced as they are in order to be able to tell the natives from the outsiders.  According to one documentary we watched, that's how the whole southern dialect got started, so it makes sense with local areas.

 

When we travel places we try to listen to see how to pronounce places correctly.

 

It's similar to human names with today's newer varieties.  I always assume kids know how to pronounce their own names correctly.  There are times at school now when I need to ask as some names look like they should be pronounced a certain way, but aren't.

[Doodle]

 

 

That said, I've yet to hear it spoken without the "l."  Maybe it's regional or maybe I don't listen very well.

 

 

I pronounce the "l" in Pennsylvania and I also do not recalled ever hearing it pronounced out the "l".  

[Junie]

I pronounce the "l" in Pennsylvania and I also do not recalled ever hearing it pronounced out the "l".  

 

It's kind of subtle, but I can hear certain relatives say it now that I changed my pronunciation.

 

I found this video from a Lancaster TV station.  If you skip ahead to about the :50 mark, you can hear what I mean.

 

http://www.wgal.com/news/alarms-in-10mile-radius-to-sound-for-nuke-plant-test/36752872

[Pink and Green Mom]

So how do you pronounce Lancaster?  LAN-caster or LAN-Ca-ster?  Or am I all wrong?

[Junie]

So how do you pronounce Lancaster?  LAN-caster or LAN-Ca-ster?  Or am I all wrong?

 

It's at the very beginning of the video I linked above.

[creekland]

It's kind of subtle, but I can hear certain relatives say it now that I changed my pronunciation.

 

I found this video from a Lancaster TV station.  If you skip ahead to about the :50 mark, you can hear what I mean.

 

http://www.wgal.com/news/alarms-in-10mile-radius-to-sound-for-nuke-plant-test/36752872

 

I don't have the internet speed to watch videos here at home, but I watch WGAL all the time (it's on now actually) and I still haven't heard it, so it could be my ears.  In any event, locals pronounce the name of the state correctly IMO.   :coolgleamA:

 

So how do you pronounce Lancaster?  LAN-caster or LAN-Ca-ster?  Or am I all wrong?

 

Lank-a-ster, run together pretty quickly, kinda trying to get it into one syllable I think.

[Junie]

I don't have the internet speed to watch videos here at home, but I watch WGAL all the time (it's on now actually) and I still haven't heard it, so it could be my ears.  In any event, locals pronounce the name of the state correctly IMO.   :coolgleamA:

 

 

Lank-a-ster, run together pretty quickly, kinda trying to get it into one syllable I think.

 

I think that most of the anchors pronounce it with the "l".  The link is a field reporter that I don't know anything about.

 

 

 kinda trying to get it into one syllable I think.   :lol:

 

I miss WGAL.  I grew up with many of the anchors/reporters visiting my house (via TV) several times every day.

[Rebel Yell]

Both of my boys have correctly pegged other central PA buddies at their colleges by overhearing how they pronounced Lancaster.   :hurray:

 

 

Sorry... I still gotta go with locals pronouncing their own places correctly.  There are oodles and oodles of places in this country (probably in the world) that have a local pronunciation rather than what seems right by looking at it.  We have a theory that names are pronounced as they are in order to be able to tell the natives from the outsiders.  According to one documentary we watched, that's how the whole southern dialect got started, so it makes sense with local areas.

 

When we travel places we try to listen to see how to pronounce places correctly.

 

It's similar to human names with today's newer varieties.  I always assume kids know how to pronounce their own names correctly.  There are times at school now when I need to ask as some names look like they should be pronounced a certain way, but aren't.

 

Yep.  Even people from "North Versailles."  Which, around here (SW PA) is propnounced "North Vur Sayles."

 

A lady once landed in my nail salon- car packed with her things and her dog- she had just left her husband and started driving.  Stopped for a pedicure and was looking through the newspeper for apartments. Tought it sounded beautiful to live in "North Vair Sigh" but when we told her how the locals pronounced it she said there was no way she could live there. :coolgleamA:

[creekland]

Yep.  Even people from "North Versailles."  Which, around here (SW PA) is propnounced "North Vur Sayles."

 

A lady once landed in my nail salon- car packed with her things and her dog- she had just left her husband and started driving.  Stopped for a pedicure and was looking through the newspeper for apartments. Tought it sounded beautiful to live in "North Vair Sigh" but when we told her how the locals pronounced it she said there was no way she could live there. :coolgleamA:

 

Cute!

 

When we lived in Newport, RI, it took us forever to pronounce Thames St correctly (with the th and long a).  Both hubby and I were used to the Thames River in England (Temes).  Locals would look at us like we were crazy when we got it wrong.  Some had no clue which street we were talking about (and it's a major one).

 

I believe it was at that point we both decided locals had the ultimate say in how local places were pronounced.  It's not as if one area should dictate what is correct to another.  Both are different spots on our planet.  Who says one is correct and the other isn't?

 

Now whenever we travel we listen carefully - or ask.  I admit I'd have gotten North Versailles, PA, wrong.

[Junie]

I completely agree with using the local pronunciation of a place, at least in most cases.  Pennsylvania with/without an "L" in the middle are both part of the local vocabulary (at least in my family).  I chose to put the L in because it is a correct variation.  And, I was an English Education major in college.  I figured that I needed to fix my speech quirks, especially if I was not going to be teaching at "home".

 

Some local pronunciations I can't do.  Such as North (Noth) Station in Boston.  I would just sound like a tourist trying too hard.   ;)

 

I also can't pronounce Baltimore the people who live there do.

Edited December 6, 2015 by Junie

[creekland]

I completely agree with using the local pronunciation of a place, at least in most cases.  Pennsylvania with/without an "L" in the middle are both part of the local vocabulary (at least in my family).  I chose to put the L in because it is a correct variation.  And, I was an English Education major in college.  I figured that I needed to fix my speech quirks, especially if I was not going to be teaching at "home".

 

Some local pronunciations I can't do.  Such as North (Noth) Station in Boston.  I would just sound like a tourist trying too hard.   ;)

 

I also can't pronounce Baltimore the people who live there do.

 

Hubby's modified his southern to live up here in northern territory.  ;)

 

Of course, when we visit his hometown (which we do at least annually) it all comes back to him quite quickly.

 

Middle son loved his Linguistics course at college.  It's fun to have him tell us about all sorts of varieties of speech out there.  Interestingly enough, he was the only one in his Linguistics class that the prof couldn't identify his home area easily.  (This even includes international students.)  I came from far northern NY.  Hubby came from NC (and VA before that).  Middle son was born and learned to speak in FL.  Then he had language issues so had speech therapy and grew up here.  I guess it all led to a very "mutt" dialect and speech patterns!