The word doppich means “clumsy or awkward,” is used primarily in Southeastern and South Central Pennsylvannia, and goes back to a German word for the same. Another handy word with Pennsylvania Dutch roots: grex, also spelled krex...
In parts of Pennsylvania, a late-spring dusting of light snow is called onion snow. It’s a reference to the way little green onion shoots are poking through the white. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Onion Snow”...
Ben, who grew up near Pittsburgh and now lives in Olympia, Washington, grew up saying redd up for straightening a messy room, not so much deep cleaning it. The verb redd means to pick up, tidy up, or clear out, as in gathering books, putting away...
What do you call the place you purchase adult beverages? Is it a liquor store or a package store? Package store is common in the Northeast, while folks in Milwaukee know it as the beer depot, and Pennsylvanians might call it the ABC store. Tell us...
What’s the origin of the warning phrase down goes your shanty!? This bit of menacing slang pops up in letters written by Civil War soldiers. One wrote, “If I ever get a chance to draw sight on a rebel, down goes his shanty.” It has...
What crawled over your liver? This Pennsylvania Dutch idiom means “What’s the matter with you?” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pennsylvania Dutch Saying” Here is something that we haven’t...