A Lesson in South Philly Lingo

Here in South Philly, just like any regional area, we have many words and phrases that are only locally known. Perhaps one of our best-known semantic secrets is the word skeeve. It is one of those fabulous catch-all words that sum things up brilliantly.

To skeeve something is find it repulsive or, in valley girl lingo, it like, totally grosses you out.

I get the heebie jeebies fairly easily and have somewhat of a weak disposition when it comes to all things disgusting. Take for example, some cringe worthy things like roaches, bleeding scabs, hairballs mixed in with regurgitated cat food, the soggy scummy food remains in the kitchen drain, or that slimy white thing that dangles from an egg yoke?

Ew! Ew! Ew! I skeeve! Skeeve! Skeeve!

Let’s just say that it doesn’t take much to get my gag reflex going. (the Birthday Magic post  is an excellant example of my fragile nature...) Well, as you can imagine, having a child has opened up a whole new dimension of skeeve for me.

• There was the yellow seedy breast fed poo… blaahct! that skeeved me out big time, especially when it was spewed on my hand in mid changing!
• There’s also the ever-popular snot encrusted nose that oozes endless green gunk… skeevy to the n^th degree!
• Then you have your regular mealtime adventures of half chewed food globs which end up in the strangest places…they can range anywhere from minor to major on the skeeve scale.

But, coming to the realization that your toddler isn't exactly playing nicely by herself over there? That upon closer inspection, you discover that she is, in fact, picking up ants and squishing them between her fingers?

That, my friends, is what we in South Philly call a MEGA SKEEVOTS!

Playing Outside
Originally uploaded by Momish.

Comments

[Andrea]

How about slugs. I will introduce Piper to them on my next visit....

[Miss Britt]

My region stinks - we don't have any cool dialect words like "Skeeve!"

Which is one reason I will promptly be stealing this one.

[Francesca (Stuntmother)]

It takes a great deal to skeeve me (except when I'm pregnant. Although children trying to transfer food from their mouths to mine is a little skeevy.

Urk. I can think of more stuff but I will stop now.

[Oh, The Joys]

She was actually TOUCHING real, live bugs? I'm skeeved too. The poo on the hand during diaper changing gets me too. I should be used to it by now, but it's... well you feel like you SHOULD'VE avoided it. SKEEVE! (My brother lives up in Perkasie.)

[Momish]

Andrea: Oh, no you won't!
Miss Britt: Glad to see you are back!
OTJ: I see skeeve is beyond the boarders of South Philly. I find that comforting!
And Francesca: I knew you would know! I too skeeved everything when I was pregnant. But, I skeeve it all anyway, so I guess in the end, it amounts to the same.

[jen]

for some reason i am having sympathy for the ants...you know, minding their business, crumb gathering...and then came the toddler hands...in fact, it might be the halloween story the rest of the ants tell their grandants, you know, about that one night, when those sweet smelling baby fingers came out of the sky, and squooosh...

[you da mom!]

that is so buffy the vampire slayer! i watch that movie just for the awesome slang.