[Rick Lee]

East, west and central PA have different dialects. Philly's is very distinctive and it extends almost up to Wilkes Barre. Central PA is not too distinctive, but they do have that R in "Washington." Listen to Newt Gingrich say "Washington." He grew up in central PA. Pittsburgh is totally different. I would say the dialect is dying out a little, since Pittsburgh has become a more cosmopolitan city. When I started college there in 1989, it had just shed its steel mill town image and was starting to become a modern, corporate city. Now they have a new airport and a lot of international companies there. So the true blue Yinzers are a little harder to find.