Scotticisms

Douglas G. Wilson douglas at NB.NET
Wed Mar 21 18:19:46 UTC 2001


 From Beverly Flanigan:

>Not just Pittsburghese! ...

I forgot to put my smiley-face after the designation. I know the so-called
"Pittsburghisms" extend to SE OH, central PA, much of WV ... is there a
proper term for this territory? I've lived in Columbus OH, where I
encountered a little of this (including the "needs cleaned" sort of thing),
and in Urbana IL, where I didn't. I haven't done a survey.

>... 'red up', 'slippy', and (more rarely) 'fornent' are still used around
>here.

That means you're in "Greater Pittsburgh"! (^_^)

>And does anyone know 'brigady' (various spellings are found)?

I used to hear "briggity britches" occasionally years ago. I assumed this
to be an alteration of "biggity" (which I thought was standard, but which
the dictionaries localize). Haven't heard either for a while as I recall.
Is this the same? My little Scots dictionary shows "bigsie" with similar
sense ("conceited").

-- Doug Wilson



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