Background Notes: Percy's Speech Pattern Quirks

Dialect cheat sheet for Percy's speech pattern that I keep on hand when writing him.

Percy Longspear (Mostly ranges from Eastern/Philly PA to Central Southern PA)

More Common: 

• Getting rid of prepositions such as "with" and "to" (done your dinner versus done with your dinner) (<- Percy's mother is metaphorically trying to beat this habit out of him)

• Don't use "to be" verbs (cars need washed = car needs to be washed)

• A while = in the meantime, in a little bit, for now (York, Dutch areas)

• Adding "then" to end of sentence

• Anymore = any longer

• Prolly = probably

• Quarter of = quarter to/till (quarter of ten)

• Cattycorner/cattywampus = diagonally oriented in relation to something "kittycorner"

• General split phrasing (ie "Throw the horse over the fence some hay")

• Ignorant = rude (Coal region)

• Aside = next to/beside ("He's sitting aside of me") (Coal region)

• Dippy eggs = runny yolk (Western)

• Jagger bush = bush/shrub/vine with thorns (Western)

• Daresn't = daren't, dare not (Western)

• Again as wide = twice as wide (Penn. Dutch)

• Outten the light = turn off the light (Penn. Dutch)

Less Common

• Water ice = italian ice

• Jimmies = sprinkles

• Sliding board = slide

• Jawn = it

• Tanbark = wood chips, mulch

• What for/whatfer? = what kind ("Whatfer milk do you want?")

• State store = liquor store

• Yous = you guys (Philly)

• After = out to get (slasher is after me!)(Coal region)

• Afterlater = later (Coal region)

• All = empty/done/finished ("Is the milk all?") (Coal region + PA Dutch)

• Artics = winter boots (Coal region)

• Ate up = eaten a lot "I would've ate up if I knew you were paying" (Coal region)

• Plug it out = unplug (Western)

• Sweeper = vacuum (Western)

• N'at = "and that" ("Picking out some pants n'at") (Western)

• n'them" = and them (meeting Jim n'them  (Western)

• Down (south), Up (north) (Western)

• let = left ("The waitress let a menu")

• Is it all? = is it empty? (Penn. Dutch)

• Onest or say? (random end of sentences) (Penn. Dutch)