My parents had their very own  "mom and pop"grocery store located at Frankford Ave and Palmer St. in Fishtown across what was once St. Mary's Hospital. . The entire block is gone having been replaced ny a parking lot. I was driving by a few months ago and stopped, walked through the little park across the street sat down on the bench and stared across the street at the empty space.

I went to the Adaire public school at Palmer and Thompson  until the first half of Second Grade. There I learned to read with Dick and Jane readers using the "look & say method"  instead of "phonics" which is why I still have difficulty "sounding out words".

See Dick. See Dick run. Run Dick run.
See Jane. See Jane run. Run Jane run.
See Sally. See Sally run. Run Sally run.

For more exciting information about my background click here.

bu ti full

She was a bu ti full baby.

"Oh bu.. ti.. ful, for spacious skies and amber waves of grain...purple mountains majesty" I have discovered that the phrasing of the this song is why millions of Philadelphians were taught to say this world in this way. You say it the way you sing it.

It's in your head.

Like thank you and appreciation

Ability to do something

Child born out of wedlock. A curse word. You bastid!

Which street is the pizza shop auwn?

Where you can go fishing in Pennypack Park

Quick someone needs help. Call 911.

Of course there are some problems with the 911 service ala the Eddie Polack incident where a nice kid was beaten to death with baseball bats by a gang from outside the city. Several people had called 911 but the dispatcher didn't "prioritize the call".

Like a subway, but runs on elevated tracks, except where it goes underground in center city and emerges above ground somewhere in West Philly.

I'm going downtown wid de l

dihdent
        conjunction of did not.  I dihdent go up the maw wid my dawter.

gehz

If you have a car, yuz need to put this in it to make it go.

        a canine pet or what they used to eat with a fishcake and Champ Cherry at Levis

maw
        a collection of retail stores

galrey
        the inside maw at 8th and Market.

dawter
        female offspring

caw fee
        I like mine with cream only, tank yuz

dun
        finished the task

dbait
        What politicians pretend to do in front of the cameras when its already a dun deal.

cump-knee
        My mother is making dinner for cumpknee tonight.
        I got a job at the truckin cumpknee.

pock-ah-book

        where Mom keeps her money and lip stick

guh head

        don't wait for me

fur real

        it's authenitic; it's the truth

bin dare

rue beer

        Hires, Stewart's, Dad's, Ma's, Hank's and Levis

birch beer
        Like rue beer

Mum-ers

New Years Day Tradition. Neighborhood groups that raise money, make their own costumes and floats. Lots of feathers. They start in South Philly and march up Broad Street to City Hall. You'll see two year olds dressed up doing the "mummer's strut". There are different divisions which compete for cash prizes.
• String Band Division
• Fancy Brigade Division
• Fancy Costume Division
• Comic Division
Visit the Mummer's Museum on Washington Ave. around 5th Street to learn more about this folk art and tradition.You're 4 blocks from the Italian Market so make it a day. Get a steak from Pat's or a hoagie from Geno's and Cannoli from Termini.

Cheese Steak Sandwich with onions. Try GENO'S at 9th and Passyunk where you can also enjoy a Champ Cherry soda! The place across the strret has been running on their reputation for years, but the quality and quantity you get a Geno's is superior.

I'm going to the Pocnose (Poconos) Mountain resort area. About 75 mile north of the City.

Cape May to Brigantine Island. Beach resorts north of Atlantic City aren't considered down d' shore.

Name of river that flows from upstate Pennsylvania, through West Philadelphia and meets the Delaware River near the Oil Refinery and Airport. West River Drive is picturesque with lots of daytime joggers, roller bladers, strollers. These a long rowing course and is the location of the Dad Vail Regatta in the Spring. If you're in a hurry, take the Scu kl Expressway.

The section of the city south of Washington Ave. It's were the Italian MArket is located, Pat's and Geno's Steaks (9th Street). There's Passyunk Ave. The Melrose Diner, The Spectrum, Vet's Stadium, a new large Concert hall and it's where the Navy Yard was located.

Passayunk Ave. Long winding street that runs northeast diagonally through South Philly. Visit lots of auto junk yards, refineries, under the Schykill expressway, at 15th Street is the Melrose Diner. The other side of Broad Street are lots of small, interesting shops of every description, lots of small family run Italian restaurants. At 9th Street, you have Pat's Steaks and Geno's. (9th Street is the Italian Market). Continue on Passyunk Ave cross Washington Ave, Bainbridge and then the street dead ends at South Street. A very colorful tour.

South Street runs parallel to Market Street and is where Passyunk Ave ends. South Street is "where all the hippies meet" .Lots of craft and art galleries and other strange and interesting shops and restaurants. Tattoo and Piercing Salons along with shops such as "Zipper Head". One stores sells ray guns and other space toys from the past.

My brother Steve owns "Sound & Vision Odyssey" in the 300 Block of South Street. Take a bottle cap from Elliott's Amazing Juices and get an extra $1.00 off your purchase and ask him to shave those fu..king sideburns off his face and make my mother happy!

Can I get yuz anything? What are yuz going to do after school?

Instead of Hello. Also shouted to get someone's attention that across the street.

           Greeting like Como Esta Usted or Comme Talle Vous?
Ac a me

I am going to the avenue then stop at the "Acc a me" and pick up some milk. My wife Debbie says there is no "a" in Acme, so why do I pronounce it? I'm from Philly! When I was a tike, every school kid went to the Ac a me bakery for a tour to see how bread is made. At the end of the tour we got orange juice, donuts and a coupon to give mom for a loaf of bread. Now a days, nobody gives kids tours in their factories. Of course, we don't make anything anymore. They recently closed the Fleer bubble gum plant and several years ago they closed up the Breyer's Ice Cream plant.

You might ask where the "a" in Ac-a-me" came from? It came from the Mayonnaise

This has nothing to do with the Ac a me. It's just another Philly word.

fil lem

What you put in your camera to take pix tures.

I prefer oil on my oogee, not maynaz.

        Sanwitch made on long Eye-Talyon roll. Wid meat, cheese, onion, toe-may-toe, let-us.
        Either oil or may-naze, hot or sweet peppers, oregano.

Eye-Tal-Yon

        People whose family came from Itt-Ley and moved to Sud-Filly.

 

"Champ"

            Levis Champ Cherry, of course!

Get me a glass of warter. In Pittsburgh, they say wah-ter. This was a area of fascination with Freshman  at Penn State which is right in the geographical center of the state and where you actually met people who you didn't go to high school with.

I recently made a trip to Kentucky to call on some beverage distributors. I kept saying warter and they had no idea what this Yankee was talking about. Then I spoke wah-ter and they knew it was the stuff in the plastic bottles they sold.

What you get out of a vending machine. In Pittsburgh, this stuff is called "pop". In NY, they call it so-der.

Boil in water and serve with tomato sauce or as they say in South Philly "gravy". Add meat balls if you like.

The white thing in the bathroom or kitchen where your "bath the baby".

           The thing that turns the warter on and off on your zink
 

crick

You might catch a "Sunny" when you went fishing at the crick

 

 

Wissyhicken

       the Wissahickon Creek

root

        the highway number.  Roosevelt Blvd is  Root 1
 

Big Mahaf

        He's he boss of it all... The Big Mahaf

Haf Ball

         Cut a pimple ball in haf and yuz play stik ball

Chink

        Poor kid's version of squash or racquet using a pimple ball and your hand.

 Igles

        The Eagles football team.
            Our Other Sports Teams:
                              The 76'ers....basketball
                                                the Flyers....hockey
                                                    and the Phillies...baseball

dorf
        A very short person. Snow White knew seven of  'dem who sang on their way to work.

bat tree
        A portable energy source.  What size battrees do yuz need to get at the mawr?