"Yinz"

[oramar]

My nephew's wife is a high school English teacher. She posted this on Facebook, "I feel very strongly that a medical professional (or any other kind of professional) should never say "Yinz". I cringed when I read it because as a old South Sider from Pittsburgh I must have let the word "Yinz" slip from my lips a few hundred thousand over my 62 years. Is it really all that bad? Up until that minute the word "Yinz" has been a subject of much good natured ribbing and fun amoung my family and friends. We actually calll ourselves "Yinzers" and have t-shirts that say "yes, I am a Yinzer".

[KneKno]

There's a book somewhere out there about "Pittsburghese." I did find this, with the spelling "yunz." http://www.tomtwine.com/pa.htmlunz

I live down in the corner of SW PA, and work in WV. The word slips out on occassion, and someone is sure to point it out to me. Usually, it's "When are yunz going to lunch?"

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

oh so yinz it slang for you (plural).

youse is common in ireland where im from not the best english but however this is a defict of the language.

[MissCharlieRN]

I moved to Pittsburgh from Jersey and I do have to say this:

It drives me up the wall when my instructors are teaching us and saying "yinz" and "yinz guys" and it's so irritating. But only because it's in a professional setting. Otherwise I have no problem with it.

I happen to say "Yous" and "Yous guys" a lot in my Jersey accent. =)

[pghfoxfan]

I was born and raised in and still live in Pittsburgh, I NEVER say "Yinz".

[llg, PhD, RN]

While I was born in Pittsburgh, I was raised a few hours to the east of there, where the phrase is either "you'uns" or "yous guys."

It does make a person sound uneducated and I wish some nurses would try a little harder to speak with correct grammar. The ocassional colloquialism among friends doesn't bother me ... nor does the ocassional error in grammar. We all make a few mistakes here and there. But when people obviously can't speak (or write) 3 sentences in a row without making several serious errors in their grammar, that makes me think we need to do better. It reflects badly on our educational level. It's the people who can't communicate without several major errors that bother me -- and make us look bad. It's not the ocassional slip up here and there.

It's like the use of profanity. An ocassional naughty word used in an appropriate circumstance doesn't bother me. But that's not the same thing as people who can't have a normal conversation without a generous does of f-bombs, etc. Those people never learned how to communicate effectively without using profanity -- and that refects a weakness on their part.

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

I don't use it at work because I try to keep my speech professional but it's perfectly OK when yinz go dahntahn to watch the Stillers n'at or go out to get some pierogies.

[Bill E. Rubin]

I think that being able to connect with pts is one of the most important things you can do as a nurse. Yes, I want respect too, but one can be professional and still be versant in the colloquialisms of your geographic area. It helps to be able to turn it on and off when the situation calls for it or not, respectively. Here in Boston, we're more famous for our accent than for specific words/expressions. I wasn't raised here, so I don't have a Boston accent. I do, however, sometimes use expressions common to the area, for example the word "wicked" to mean "very." Anyway, using well-understood colloquialisms can help to gain the trust of a patient, but you need first to understand your patient before doing it.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Oye! I can see this go off like in the grammer/ spelling thread!

I don't think I use that word alot, but I hear it alot. I work in a urban area so I hear a lot of other words that would make you all cringe.

Yinz ain't all gonna believe some of the other stuff. LOL

[freefalr]

i absolutely believe in using correct grammar and spelling when charting or corresponding professionally. the last thing we nurses need is to seem uneducated or contribute to the "less than" misperception some still hold regarding our profession (relative to MD's, etc.).

however, i also believe in speaking to my patient in terms he or she can understand & relate to. i use "y'all" quite a bit and don't feel unprofessional doing so.

when i was a dialysis tech in my 20's, a med student (volunteering on the unit) corrected me when i asked one of my patients if he wasn't feeling good. i asked, "you're not feeling good?" "not feeling -well-," the med student said. yah, i know, but that's not how the patient phrased it. she said, "hey freefalr, i don't feel good."

& i have a soft spot for the yinzers...my favorite coworker, an elizabeth township girl on our administrative staff, is a diehard steeler fan who yinzes people regularly. she is invaluable. :)

but please, no profanity within earshot of patients! tacky.

[sparklie.lady]

:stdnrsrck:

I love hearing "yinz." Makes me think of my Baba (grandmother) and then I'm happy!

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I was born and raised in New England but I worked in Pittsburgh for 2 years..when I moved there, they knew I wasn't native to Pittsburgh and I was confused at first by the whole "yinz" thing..

All regions have their own little quirks and accents, I would not be offended if a healthcare worker used a word such as yinz..sheesh, i think people need to lighten up!

They thought I was weird in Pittsburgh because I liked vinegar on my french fries and I used the term "milk store" once(little corner store where you buy lottery tickets, milk, bread etc)and they all cracked up.