Ok, let me explain what Reddin’ Up means!
If you are from Pennsylvania, and you would say “P-A”, you know exactly what I mean. Most folks in Ohio, don’t know what it means!
A good friend sent me a website explaining the term “Redd”. The terms redd and redd up came to the American Midlands from the many Scottish immigrants who settled there. Meaning “to clear an area or to make it tidy,” redd is still used in Scotland and Northern Ireland; in the United States it is especially common in Pennsylvania as the phrasal verb redd up. The term, which goes back to Old Norse rydhja, can be traced from the 15th century to the present, particularly in dialects of Scotland and the North of England — from www.thefreedictionary.com.
In P-A terminology, Red up means to:
clean up,
get ready, and
put everything back where it belongs
Curious about other P-A terms? Here’s a few you may or may not have heard:
“Djeetyet?”, or Did you eat yet?
“Chipped ham” is very thin sliced chopped ham
“Pocketbook” is a purse
“Pierogies” are potatoes cooked in a dough
“State Store” is the only place can purchase alcohol
“You’ens” or “You guys” is a way to refer to you people over there
“Dahn tahn” is P-A slang for downtown
“Spicket” is a faucet
“Slippy” is for slippery
“Crick” is how to pronounce creek
“Jynt Igl” is where you pick up chipped ham (Giant Eagle grocery store!)
If you would like a Redd Up soy candle, they are available at Pittsburgh Candle Works. I’m not affiliated with this company, but appreciate if you support this small business!
