Funny sayings and humorous expressions in English from the Pennsylvania Dutch

English as a world language

English, with its increasing number of varieties, pidgins, and inflections, is now firmly established as a world language. It is currently spoken as a second or foreign language by more speakers than those who call it their first language. There are now more than three non-native English speakers for every native speaker, and the number of non-native English speakers continues to grow daily. “Never before has there been a language that has been spoken by more people second than first,” said David Crystal, author of the book “English as a Global Language.” In the area where I grew up in south central Pennsylvania, there is an interesting variety of the English language spoken by the “Pennsylvania Dutch”.

A difficult aspect of speaking English in Dauphin, Lancaster, and York counties located in south-central Pennsylvania, where a large concentration of Amish, Mennonites, and other “Pennsylvania Dutch” sects live, is the manipulation of English grammatical elements. . Here are some examples of the ways grammar and word order are handled in everyday Pennsylvania Dutch speech. For “Outlanders,” anyone who isn’t a Pennsylvania Dutchman, these expressions of everyday speech can range from amusing to surprising. Here’s a look at some of the many aspects of this variety of English.

complicated grammatical forms

“Throw daddy’s hat down the stairs.”

Explanation: Throw dad’s hat down the stairs. (I don’t care how old he is, don’t you dare touch old daddy!)

Go out and tie up the dog and don’t forget to turn off the light.

This expression uses complicated grammar as well as “Germanic” verbs. Here the verb “outen” means “to go out”. The adjective and noun are used in the reverse order of other forms of standard English.

“The owner says he’ll pay me ten dollars a day if I eat, but only five dollars if he eats me.”

Explanation: No, there is no cannibalism here! The worker will receive ten dollars a day for providing his own food, but five dollars a day if the owner has to provide the worker’s food. (Wow! Glad we cleared that up!)

“He’s still a pretty good man, isn’t he?”

Explanation: He is a good man (supplier), isn’t he? (a tag question form)

Use of specialized vocabulary

The addition of specialized, but “local” vocabulary is also done quite frequently, as demonstrated in these examples.

“Should I put the candy in a toot?” (A “toot” is a paper bag.)

When talking about the fact that his father or grandfather is sick, a child might say:

“Dad’s not that good; his food is gone and he doesn’t look so good on his face either.”

Talking about his son’s difficulties in school, one parent could be heard expressing the following sentiments: “My son is not stupid. It’s not that he can’t learn, it’s that after he learns, he forgets.”

If you don’t speak “Pennsylvania Dutch” in one of its many forms, they may say of you, “You don’t look so good. You talk so fancy as if the body couldn’t understand you.”

When talking about someone who doesn’t read aloud well, in a meeting or at school, for example, people might say something like, “When he gets up to read he gets dazed.”

Or how about this funny little observation from someone else’s speech: “Don’t talk so fast, it gets too close together when I think.”

Pennsylvania Dutch Proverbs

Some interesting Pennsylvania Dutch proverbs include these offerings:

“Kissing wears out, cooking doesn’t”

“No woman can be happy with less than seven to cook”

“A plump wife and a big barn never did a man any harm”

“He who has a secret does not dare to tell his wife”

“We have become old too soon and too late”

The key state

In this region of the “Keystone State,” as Pennsylvania is known, the Pennsylvania Dutch themselves and local “foreigners” often call this variety “Ferhoodled English.” Famous for their frugal lifestyle and delicious fresh, natural cuisine, the Amish and other sects contribute to the state’s tourism. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to taste the crafts, the food and the “peculiar” language of this austere town. It is just another of many varieties of English that are continually developing as a global language.

“When you come, come out” When you are in the area, come closer. See, hear, and experience Pennsylvania Dutch and food for yourself.