We could have been ‘Ell with the lid off’

Of the reasons to celebrate July in Pittsburgh, here’s one that’s sublime, profound and semantic.

Pittsburghers love to tell how our town lost its H in 1891 thanks to the United States Board on Geographic Names. That absurdity led to our region’s longest grammar war (not counting Pittsburghese).

Twenty years after our final consonant was severed, it was restored on July 19, 1911. Another reason for July fireworks? I’m just happy that the infamous James Parton description of Pittsburgh, “Hell with the lid off,” wasn’t part of the mess.

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– Paul Furiga, WordWrite