I know how it feels to have places go over the top with your heritage. I'm from Pittsburgh, where there's a certain dialect called "Pittsburghese". Look it up sometime and you'll see many people think of Pittsburghers as people who can't speak proper English. There's also this notion that every man, woman, and child in the city lives and breathes Steelers football. Pittsburghers are also associated with drinking beer, hunting deer, eating Primanti's sandwiches, holding on to the past too long, hating Cleveland, loving zombies, and using local names to refer to roadways instead of what they're actually marked as. If they made a Pittsburgh restaurant, it would probably follow this exact formula.
Now, time for the myth busters:
1. I probably know about 3 people who speak Pittsburghese. Everyone else speaks fluent, proper English.
2. Most people do love the Steelers, myself included, but I do know a few people who don't really follow football.
3. I don't drink--never have touched alcohol in my life. I actually know a lot of people who don't drink or drink very little, although Pittsburghers, in general, do enjoy beer.
4. I don't hunt either, but it seems the majority of guys here do it.
5. Primanti's sandwiches are awesome, but again, I know a lot of people who would never eat one. (The reason these things are special--they put meat, cheese, cole slaw, tomatoes, and french fries on a sandwich all at once--OPEN WIDE!!!)
6. Some Pittsburghers do hold on to the past too long (namely with old buildings), but that seems to be changing lately. I'm one for rebuilding if necessary, and it seems more and more are thinking like me.
7. I've been to Cleveland a few times and don't mind it at all. We do have a rivalry with the Browns and some people do get carried away, but I think most Pittsburghers respect everything else Cleveland has to offer.
8. I can't say I know anyone who gets into the whole zombie thing.
9. The ones most at fault for referring to roadways are the news anchors. I've lived here my entire life and still don't know the difference between the three roads they call "Parkway _____" (with the blank being a cardinal direction other than south). This is a shame, since a visitor would have no idea what they're talking about (and many locals really don't either).
Yeah...that just got this post even more off-topic, but since macman142 gave permission, I thought I'd share...
Now, time for the myth busters:
1. I probably know about 3 people who speak Pittsburghese. Everyone else speaks fluent, proper English.
2. Most people do love the Steelers, myself included, but I do know a few people who don't really follow football.
3. I don't drink--never have touched alcohol in my life. I actually know a lot of people who don't drink or drink very little, although Pittsburghers, in general, do enjoy beer.
4. I don't hunt either, but it seems the majority of guys here do it.
5. Primanti's sandwiches are awesome, but again, I know a lot of people who would never eat one. (The reason these things are special--they put meat, cheese, cole slaw, tomatoes, and french fries on a sandwich all at once--OPEN WIDE!!!)
6. Some Pittsburghers do hold on to the past too long (namely with old buildings), but that seems to be changing lately. I'm one for rebuilding if necessary, and it seems more and more are thinking like me.
7. I've been to Cleveland a few times and don't mind it at all. We do have a rivalry with the Browns and some people do get carried away, but I think most Pittsburghers respect everything else Cleveland has to offer.
8. I can't say I know anyone who gets into the whole zombie thing.
9. The ones most at fault for referring to roadways are the news anchors. I've lived here my entire life and still don't know the difference between the three roads they call "Parkway _____" (with the blank being a cardinal direction other than south). This is a shame, since a visitor would have no idea what they're talking about (and many locals really don't either).
Yeah...that just got this post even more off-topic, but since macman142 gave permission, I thought I'd share...