Pebbles
04-12-2007, 06:56 AM
After spending the last few days in Chicago..I some times forget the "Windy City Slang" terms. Have to stop and think what some of them mean again! Have to laugh between the UK slang and the USA slang. Catches me off guard!!:)
1. Grachki (grach'-key): Chicagoese for "garage key" as in, "Yo, Theresa,
waja do wit da grachki? Howmy supposta cut da grass if I can't git intada
grach?"
2. Sammich: Chicagoese for sandwich. When made with sausage, it's a
sassage sammich; when made with shredded beef, it's an Italian Beef
sammich, a local delicacy consisting of piles of spicy meat in a
perilously soggy bun. (YUMMY Italian beef with peppers!)
3. Da: This article is a key part of Chicago speech, as in "Da Bears" or
"Da Mare" (the latter denoting Richard M. Daley, or Richie, as he's often
called).
4. Jewels: Not family heirlooms or a tender body region, but a popular
name for one of the region's dominant grocery store chains. "I'm goin' to
Jewels to pick up some sassage."
5. Field's (unfortunately, now Macys): Marshall Field, a prominent
Chicago department store. Also Carson Pirie Scott, another major
department store chain, is simply called "Carson's."
6. Tree: The number between two and four. "We were lucky dat we only got
tree inches of snow da udder night."
7. Over by dere: Translates to "over by there," a way of emphasizing a
site presumed familiar to the listener. As in, "I got the sassage at
Jewels down on Kedzie, over by dere."
8. Kaminski Park: The mispronounced name of the ballpark where the
Chicago White Sox (da Sox) play baseball. Comiskey Park was recently
renamed U.S. Cellular Field (da Cell).
9. Frunchroom: As in, "Getottada frunchroom wit dose muddy shoes."It's
not the "parlor." It's not the "living room." In the land of the
bungalow, it's the "frunchroom," a named derived, linguists believe, from
"front room."
10. Use: Not the verb, but the plural pronoun 'you!' "Where use goin'?"
11. Downtown: Anywhere near Da Lake, south of Da Zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo)
and north of Soldier Field.
12. The Lake: Lake Michigan. (What other lake is there?) It's often used
by local weathermen, "cooler by Da Lake."
13. BoysTown: A section on Halsted between Belmont and Addison which is
lined with gay bars both sides of the street. "Didn't I see use in
BoysTown in front of da Manhole?"
14. Braht: Short for Bratwurst. "Gimme a braht wit kraut."
15. Goes: Past or present tense of the verb "say." For example, "Then he
goes, 'I like this place'!"
16. Guys: Used when addressing two or more people, regardless of each
individual's gender.
17. Pop: A soft drink. Don't say "soda" in this town. "Do ya wanna canna
pop?"
18. Sliders : Nickname for hamburgers from White Castle, a popular
midwestern burger chain. "Dose sliders I had last night gave me da
shits."
19. The Taste: Da Taste of Chicago Festival , a huge extravaganza in
Grant Park featuring samples of Chicagoland cuisine which takes place
each year around the Fourth of July holiday.
20. "Jieetyet?": Translates to, "Did you eat yet?"
21. Winter and Construction: Punch line to the joke, "What are the two
seasons in Chicago?"
22. Cuppa Too-Tree: is Chicagoese for "a couple, two, three" which really
means "a few." For example, "Hey Mikey, dere any of dem beerz left in da
cooler over by dere?" "Yeh, a cuppa too-tree."
23. 588-2300: Every one in Chicago knows this commercial jingle and the
carpet company you'll get if you call that number -- Empire! (Famous or
their salesmen using 30 inch yard sticks to measure your home for
carpeting).
24. Junk Djor: You will usually find the 'junk dr aw er' in the kitchen
filled to the brim with miscellaneous... but very important,
junk.
25. Southern Illinois: Anything south of I-80.
26. Expressways: The Interstates in the immediate Chicagoland area are
usually known just by their 'name' and not their Interstate number: Da
Dan Ryan ("Da Ryan"), da Stevenson, da Kennedy, da Eisenhower (da "Ike"),
and da Edens.
27. Gym Shoes: The rest of the country may refer to them as sneakers for
running shoes, but Chicagoans will always call them gym shoes!
1. Grachki (grach'-key): Chicagoese for "garage key" as in, "Yo, Theresa,
waja do wit da grachki? Howmy supposta cut da grass if I can't git intada
grach?"
2. Sammich: Chicagoese for sandwich. When made with sausage, it's a
sassage sammich; when made with shredded beef, it's an Italian Beef
sammich, a local delicacy consisting of piles of spicy meat in a
perilously soggy bun. (YUMMY Italian beef with peppers!)
3. Da: This article is a key part of Chicago speech, as in "Da Bears" or
"Da Mare" (the latter denoting Richard M. Daley, or Richie, as he's often
called).
4. Jewels: Not family heirlooms or a tender body region, but a popular
name for one of the region's dominant grocery store chains. "I'm goin' to
Jewels to pick up some sassage."
5. Field's (unfortunately, now Macys): Marshall Field, a prominent
Chicago department store. Also Carson Pirie Scott, another major
department store chain, is simply called "Carson's."
6. Tree: The number between two and four. "We were lucky dat we only got
tree inches of snow da udder night."
7. Over by dere: Translates to "over by there," a way of emphasizing a
site presumed familiar to the listener. As in, "I got the sassage at
Jewels down on Kedzie, over by dere."
8. Kaminski Park: The mispronounced name of the ballpark where the
Chicago White Sox (da Sox) play baseball. Comiskey Park was recently
renamed U.S. Cellular Field (da Cell).
9. Frunchroom: As in, "Getottada frunchroom wit dose muddy shoes."It's
not the "parlor." It's not the "living room." In the land of the
bungalow, it's the "frunchroom," a named derived, linguists believe, from
"front room."
10. Use: Not the verb, but the plural pronoun 'you!' "Where use goin'?"
11. Downtown: Anywhere near Da Lake, south of Da Zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo)
and north of Soldier Field.
12. The Lake: Lake Michigan. (What other lake is there?) It's often used
by local weathermen, "cooler by Da Lake."
13. BoysTown: A section on Halsted between Belmont and Addison which is
lined with gay bars both sides of the street. "Didn't I see use in
BoysTown in front of da Manhole?"
14. Braht: Short for Bratwurst. "Gimme a braht wit kraut."
15. Goes: Past or present tense of the verb "say." For example, "Then he
goes, 'I like this place'!"
16. Guys: Used when addressing two or more people, regardless of each
individual's gender.
17. Pop: A soft drink. Don't say "soda" in this town. "Do ya wanna canna
pop?"
18. Sliders : Nickname for hamburgers from White Castle, a popular
midwestern burger chain. "Dose sliders I had last night gave me da
shits."
19. The Taste: Da Taste of Chicago Festival , a huge extravaganza in
Grant Park featuring samples of Chicagoland cuisine which takes place
each year around the Fourth of July holiday.
20. "Jieetyet?": Translates to, "Did you eat yet?"
21. Winter and Construction: Punch line to the joke, "What are the two
seasons in Chicago?"
22. Cuppa Too-Tree: is Chicagoese for "a couple, two, three" which really
means "a few." For example, "Hey Mikey, dere any of dem beerz left in da
cooler over by dere?" "Yeh, a cuppa too-tree."
23. 588-2300: Every one in Chicago knows this commercial jingle and the
carpet company you'll get if you call that number -- Empire! (Famous or
their salesmen using 30 inch yard sticks to measure your home for
carpeting).
24. Junk Djor: You will usually find the 'junk dr aw er' in the kitchen
filled to the brim with miscellaneous... but very important,
junk.
25. Southern Illinois: Anything south of I-80.
26. Expressways: The Interstates in the immediate Chicagoland area are
usually known just by their 'name' and not their Interstate number: Da
Dan Ryan ("Da Ryan"), da Stevenson, da Kennedy, da Eisenhower (da "Ike"),
and da Edens.
27. Gym Shoes: The rest of the country may refer to them as sneakers for
running shoes, but Chicagoans will always call them gym shoes!