Pittsburgh 101: Everything You Need to Know About Our Steel City

All of Pittsburgh’s eccentricities, all in one place.

September 3, 2024

Jessica Sinichak,

THE CATHEDRAL OF LEARNING ON THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH’S CAMPUS | PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

Dear newcomers to Pittsburgh,

In August 2024, we shared that Suri Cruise, aka Suri Noelle, the daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, was an incoming freshman at Carnegie Mellon University.

As Suri soon found out, Pittsburgh is a special city and we’re not without our quirks, such as a distinctive dialect (more on that later) and a propensity for putting fries on our salads. That got us thinking, what will Suri, or anyone new to our city, need to learn before becoming true Pittsburghers?

And so, we put together a guide for everything newcomers need to know about Pittsburgh’s eccentricities. For those new college students still unfamiliar with the city, consider this Pittsburgh 101.

Pittsburghese

We have our own language — Pittsburghese. This dialect makes Downtown sound like dahntown, wash sound like worsh and iron (as in Iron City Beer, another local specialty) sound like arn. Slippy equals slippery, nebby is nosy and redd up means to tidy your surroundings. Perhaps most infamously, instead of shortening “you all” to “y’all” as they do in the South, Western Pennsylvanians use “yinz” as a second-person pronoun … which brings us to our next point.

What’s a Yinzer?

Pittsburghers fondly call themselves Yinzers.

Don’t Call It PIT

You may refer to Pittsburgh as the ‘Burgh or shorten Pittsburgh to PGH in writing, but not PIT — ever (that’s reserved for Pittsburgh International Airport).

Pittsburgh with an H

Do not, under any circumstances, forget the “h” in Pittsburgh. We’re very proud of that h, which was briefly taken away from us before being rightfully restored.

Check Your Fly

If someone giggles and says “Kennywood is open,” check your pants. It means your zipper is down.

Salad with Fries, Please

Salads are not healthy here; we top them with fries. Fries (and slaw) can also be found inside your Primanti Bros. sandwich, a regional delicacy involving two slices of Italian bread and your grilled meat of choice. Pro tip: It tastes best at 2 a.m. after a night on the town.

Black and Gold

On Sundays, we worship at the House of Black and Gold. Throughout the football season, Pittsburghers dress in their finest Steelers gear on the seventh day of the week; it’s also perfectly acceptable church attire.

Three Major Sports Teams

OK, OK, you can actually find Pittsburghers wearing black and gold on any day of the week in celebration of our three major professional sports teams. We’re not known as the “City of ChampYinz” for nothing.

We Still Love the Pirates

Yes, we still have a soft spot for the Pittsburgh Pirates, even though they break our hearts year after year.

The Pittsburgh Left

Drivers beware: The city is known for the “Pittsburgh Left,” which involves the first, left-turning driver at a traffic light taking precedence over the oncoming vehicles driving straight through the intersection — without the benefit of a protected green arrow.

Slow Down in the Tunnels

We drive slowly in tunnels. (This is not a good thing.)

Take in the Skyline

Our skyline of Downtown and where the three rivers meet at Point State Park (especially when viewed from Grandview Avenue atop Mount Washington) is downright iconic — and source of local pride.

Nostalgia at Its Finest

We’re a nostalgic bunch who call things by their original names long after those monikers have changed. See Star Lake amphitheater — which eventually went back to its original title after several changes in naming rights — as an example. Also, Acrisure Stadium will forever be Heinz Field to most of us.

Won’t You Be Our Neighbor?

For important life matters that range from kindness towards others to what to do when times are scary, we turn to our most beloved Pittsburgher, Fred Rogers, for advice. Won’t you be our neighbor?

Don’t Pack Lightly

It’s cloudy here, like all the time. We can also experience all four seasons in one day — so don’t leave home without an umbrella, a sweater and a pair of flip-flops.

The 412

If someone refers to “The 412,” it’s not just our area code, it’s a pet name for the greater Pittsburgh area. Other acceptable nicknames are The Steel City and The City of Bridges. Although not as popular, we’ll recognize The Paris of Appalachia.