Let’s have some fun today, PA! Maybe you’re a part of our Only in Pennsylvania Facebook page (and, if not, you really should be! We have tons of fun!). If you are, you might have joined in a lively conversation about the extremely weird things we Pennsylvanians do. That inspired us to share with you – thanks to you – these 13 Pennsylvania quirks that set us apart from the rest. (And, really, would you want it any other way?)
- We’re from PA.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson DVM Ask us where we’re from and we’ll all answer the same, “PA.” Sometimes that garners us some pretty weird looks and questions of “where’s that?”
- Put on your sneakers!
Flickr/m01229 Up for a game of tennis? You don’t put on your tennis shoes if you’re from PA. Slip on your sneakers.
- We put our dishes in the cupboard.
Flickr/Bryan Lee What else do you keep in your cupboard? Cups? Canned goods? Boxed foods? Cupboard seems to be the consensus for what we call that kitchen furniture that others refer to as cabinets.
- Make me a hoagie, please.
Flickr/Christine Jackowski No, we don’t want a sub or a hero sandwich. Pennsylvanians love their hoagies on crispy white bread, loaded with our favorites – jumbo, Lebanon bologna, and, if you’re from Pittsburgh, maybe a few fries?
- The Monday after Thanksgiving is a bona fide holiday in PA.
Flickr/C Watts The rest of the country might go back to school and to work on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Not in PA. Uh-huh. No way. That’s the first day of hunting season. An extra day of Thanksgiving vacation and a non-official holiday in PA.
- What’s the point of “to be?”
Flickr/Matt Baume Seriously, we know what you’re talking about. It’s just so much easier, after all, to say, the house needs cleaned.
- We measure distance by time, not miles.
Flickr/Jon Dawson Sure, it might be nice to know how many miles you are from, say, Pine Creek Gorge. That’s just not how we measure distance, however. We prefer to say we’re three hours and 15 minutes west of there or an hour north. And, if you ask a Pennsylvanian for directions, that’s how we’ll get you where you’re going.
- We’re left lane drivers!
Flickr/CGP Grey Some Pennsylvanians love to sit in the left hand lane, driving past all of the other traffic on the highways and the turnpike. We’re supposed to use the left lane to pass but…
- Punxsutawney Phil, anyone?
Flickr/hculligan Other states may have their own weather forecasting groundhog, but let’s be honest here. Punxsutawney Phil was the first, the original, and undoubtedly the cutest. The rest of the country can thank us for making Groundhog Day what it is, don’t you think?
- Are yinz or are youse going?
Flickr/Matt Niemi PA is a really diverse state. In fact, the lingo varies depending on where in the state you live. Take Pittsburgh and Philly. In Pittsburgh, yinz might be drinking pop from Sheetz. In Philly, youse probably are going to order soda at Wawa.
- Scrapple.
Flickr/Kate Hopkins Really, what more can be said? You either love it or you hate it. There’s really no in between.
- Wanna go down the shore?
Flickr/Keith Ewing PA might not sit on the ocean but we have plenty of picturesque beaches in our state parks. So, you wanna go down the shore?
- Wait, a minute, are you sure it’s us, not them?
Flickr/Via Tsuji Maybe these aren’t Pennsylvania quirks. Perhaps we’re the normal ones and everyone else has their own quirks? What do you say, fellow Pennsylvanians?
What are your favorite Pennsylvania quirks? Share below! Or, get some ideas by reading the 11 extremely weird things only people in PA do.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson DVM
Ask us where we’re from and we’ll all answer the same, “PA.” Sometimes that garners us some pretty weird looks and questions of “where’s that?”
Flickr/m01229
Up for a game of tennis? You don’t put on your tennis shoes if you’re from PA. Slip on your sneakers.
Flickr/Bryan Lee
What else do you keep in your cupboard? Cups? Canned goods? Boxed foods? Cupboard seems to be the consensus for what we call that kitchen furniture that others refer to as cabinets.
Flickr/Christine Jackowski
No, we don’t want a sub or a hero sandwich. Pennsylvanians love their hoagies on crispy white bread, loaded with our favorites – jumbo, Lebanon bologna, and, if you’re from Pittsburgh, maybe a few fries?
Flickr/C Watts
The rest of the country might go back to school and to work on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Not in PA. Uh-huh. No way. That’s the first day of hunting season. An extra day of Thanksgiving vacation and a non-official holiday in PA.
Flickr/Matt Baume
Seriously, we know what you’re talking about. It’s just so much easier, after all, to say, the house needs cleaned.
Flickr/Jon Dawson
Sure, it might be nice to know how many miles you are from, say, Pine Creek Gorge. That’s just not how we measure distance, however. We prefer to say we’re three hours and 15 minutes west of there or an hour north. And, if you ask a Pennsylvanian for directions, that’s how we’ll get you where you’re going.
Flickr/CGP Grey
Some Pennsylvanians love to sit in the left hand lane, driving past all of the other traffic on the highways and the turnpike. We’re supposed to use the left lane to pass but…
Flickr/hculligan
Other states may have their own weather forecasting groundhog, but let’s be honest here. Punxsutawney Phil was the first, the original, and undoubtedly the cutest. The rest of the country can thank us for making Groundhog Day what it is, don’t you think?
Flickr/Matt Niemi
PA is a really diverse state. In fact, the lingo varies depending on where in the state you live. Take Pittsburgh and Philly. In Pittsburgh, yinz might be drinking pop from Sheetz. In Philly, youse probably are going to order soda at Wawa.
Flickr/Kate Hopkins
Really, what more can be said? You either love it or you hate it. There’s really no in between.
Flickr/Keith Ewing
PA might not sit on the ocean but we have plenty of picturesque beaches in our state parks. So, you wanna go down the shore?
Flickr/Via Tsuji
Maybe these aren’t Pennsylvania quirks. Perhaps we’re the normal ones and everyone else has their own quirks? What do you say, fellow Pennsylvanians?
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