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Welcome to Adams County. We hope you like Gettysburg and the surrounding area enough to stay an extra day or two. Theres a lot of history here, and if you don't stay a little longer than you planned, you might miss something. And you wouldnt want to do that now, would you? El-speak is short for Local-speak. You see, the word local begins with the letter L. The letter L is pronounced el and therefore, local-speak becomes el-speak. It doesnt take much to amuse some of us around here. But you probably figured that out way before this long, overblown explanation.

Anyway.To help you with your stay, Ive compiled a small glossary of el-speak you may hear but not understand. And to help you get your bearings straight, Im an el because I was born and raised in Adams County. I find it easy to make fun of myself and the way I learnt how to talk. Besides, only psychiatrists and comedians worry about a person habitually making fun of himself.

So, without further ado, here's the first edition of the glossary of el-speak:

All: Possibly the most perplexing word we use! Once the restaurant runs outta pancakes, they’re all. You’ll say, “all what???” Often the response to your question will be this, “all!” Sometimes we may need to raise our voice to get the point across to you, as in “ALL!” When we say something is all, we mean it is ‘all gone.’

Amblivance: If you feel real bad, an amblivance will take you to the hospital.

Arntsvl: The National Apple Harvest Festival is located just north of Arntsvl.

Ballmer: Ballmer is not the capitol of Merlan. Ballmer is also a good place to get crabs cause its on the Chespeke Bay.

Bigerbill: The Bigerbill road goes north outta town.

Chimuly: The sarn went off lat night. Musta been a chimuly far.

Circle: The thing in the middle of Gettysburg. See square.

Didju: Didju eat all the cracklin oat bran?

Dreckly: To get to my house, you go dreckly past the tar.

Extree: Itll cost you an extree quarter for nuts on your sundae.

Far: Mispronunciation of Fiyer. See Fiyer.

Fav: We hope youll stay fav or six days with us.

Femayel: One of the two sexes generally acknowledged to inhabit our planet. See Mayel.

Fiyer: Musta been a chimuly fire lat night.

For: I for e except after c.

Gone: See stralll

Harsberg: The capitol of Pennsylvania is Harsberg.

Hinkll: Rhymes with tinkle. Thinkll tinkle for we go.

Lat: I didnt sleep at all lat night.

Lillstown: The Lillstown road goes south outta town.

Mayel: One of the two sexes generally acknowledged to inhabit our planet. Also, be sure to put stamps on your postcards for they are mayeled.

Meer: You look in a meer to see yourself.

Merlan: The state drectly south of Pennsylvania.

N: Were gone shopping to buy n umberella. N then were gonna hope it rains.

Parful: Musta been a parful storm lat night.

Parkie: Got pulled over by a parkie last night. A parkie is a person that works for the National Park Service.

R: In aboutta r, r bus will be here.

Sarn: All amblivances have sarns so the cars get outta the way.

Square: The thing in the middle of Gettysburg. See circle.

Stralll: Next month, all the farmers are gone to bale the stralll.

Tar: The tar gives you a good view cause its so high up.

Torst: In the summer, Gettysburg gets a lot of torsts. The circle usually bewilders torsts. Thats why Els look at the torsts license plate first.