Chad Michael Murray
05-18-2006, 10:13 PM
I just got SUCH a kick out of this, and it's so true. There are a few things on there I may not say or do, but I sure as hell have heard them a lot over the years. If you'll notice, pop also makes an appearance on here. I know there are a few people here from the Chicago area, so I hope you guys enjoy it, as well as the people who aren't!
1. Grachki (grach'-key):
Chicagoese for "garage key" as in, "Yo, Theresa, waja do wit da
grachki?
Howmy supposta cut da grass if I don't git intada grach?"
2. Uptadaendada (up-ta-da-en'-dada):
Chicagoese for 'up to the end of the' as in, "Joey, you kin ride yur
bike uptadaendada alley but not acrost the street or I'll bust yur
butt."
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 da Jewels to pick up some sassage."
6. Field's:
Marshall Field, a prominent Chicago department store. Also Carson Pirie Scott, another major department store chain, is simply called "Carson's."
7. Tree:
The number between two and four. "We were lucky dat we only got tree inches of snow da udder night."
8. Prairie:
A vacant lot, especially one on which weeds are growing.
9. 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 da Jewels down on Kedzie, over by dere."
10. KaminskiPark:
The mispronounced name of the ballpark where the Chicago White Sox (da Sox) play baseball. Comiskey Park was recently renamed U.S. Cellular
Field (yuck!).
11. 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."
12. Use:
Not the verb, but the plural pronoun "you." "Where's use goin'?"
13. Downtown:
Anywhere near The Lake, south of The Zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo) and north of Soldier Field.
14. The Lake:
Lake Michigan. (What other lake is there?) It's often used by local
weathermen, "cooler by The Lake."
15 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?"
16. Braht:
Short for Bratwurst. "Gimme a braht wit kraut..."
17. Cashbox:
Traffic reporter slang for tollbooths. "Dere's a delay at da cashbox
on da Skyway."
18. Goes:
Past or present tense of the verb "say." For example, "Then he goes, 'I like this place'!"
19. Guys:
Used when addressing two or more people, regardless of each
individual's gender.
20. Pop:
A soft drink. Don't say "soda" in this town. "Do ya wanna canna pop?"
21. Sliders:
Nickname for hamburgers from White Castle, a popular Midwestern burger chain. "Dose sliders I had last night gave me da runs."
22. The Taste:
The Taste of Chicago Festival, a huge extravaganza in Grant Park
featuring samples of Chicago land cuisine which takes place each year around the Fourth of July holiday.
23. "Jieetyet?":
Translates to, "Did you eat yet?"
24. Winter and Construction:
Punch line to the joke, "What are the two seasons in Chicago?"
25. Cuppa Too-Tree:
Chicagoese for "a couple, two, or three" which really means "a few." For example, "Hey Mike, dere any beerz left in da cooler over by dere?" "Yeh, a cuppa too-tree."
26. 588-2300:
Everyone in Chicago knows this commercial jingle and the carpet
company you'll get if you call that number -- Empire!
27. Junk Djor:
You will usually find the 'junk drawer' in the kitchen filled to the
brim with miscellaneous, but very important, junk.
28. Southern Illinois:
Anything south of I-80.
29. Expressways:
Elgin-O hare expressway dosent go to or thur Elgin or O hare and is not known by any other name or number.
The Interstates in the immediate Chicagoland area are usually known just by their 'name' and not their Interstate number: The Dan Ryan ("the Ryan"), the Stevenson, the Kennedy, the Eisenhower (the "Ike"), and the Edens.
30. Gym Shoes:
The rest of the country may refer to them as sneakers or 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 don't git intada grach?"
2. Uptadaendada (up-ta-da-en'-dada):
Chicagoese for 'up to the end of the' as in, "Joey, you kin ride yur
bike uptadaendada alley but not acrost the street or I'll bust yur
butt."
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 da Jewels to pick up some sassage."
6. Field's:
Marshall Field, a prominent Chicago department store. Also Carson Pirie Scott, another major department store chain, is simply called "Carson's."
7. Tree:
The number between two and four. "We were lucky dat we only got tree inches of snow da udder night."
8. Prairie:
A vacant lot, especially one on which weeds are growing.
9. 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 da Jewels down on Kedzie, over by dere."
10. KaminskiPark:
The mispronounced name of the ballpark where the Chicago White Sox (da Sox) play baseball. Comiskey Park was recently renamed U.S. Cellular
Field (yuck!).
11. 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."
12. Use:
Not the verb, but the plural pronoun "you." "Where's use goin'?"
13. Downtown:
Anywhere near The Lake, south of The Zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo) and north of Soldier Field.
14. The Lake:
Lake Michigan. (What other lake is there?) It's often used by local
weathermen, "cooler by The Lake."
15 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?"
16. Braht:
Short for Bratwurst. "Gimme a braht wit kraut..."
17. Cashbox:
Traffic reporter slang for tollbooths. "Dere's a delay at da cashbox
on da Skyway."
18. Goes:
Past or present tense of the verb "say." For example, "Then he goes, 'I like this place'!"
19. Guys:
Used when addressing two or more people, regardless of each
individual's gender.
20. Pop:
A soft drink. Don't say "soda" in this town. "Do ya wanna canna pop?"
21. Sliders:
Nickname for hamburgers from White Castle, a popular Midwestern burger chain. "Dose sliders I had last night gave me da runs."
22. The Taste:
The Taste of Chicago Festival, a huge extravaganza in Grant Park
featuring samples of Chicago land cuisine which takes place each year around the Fourth of July holiday.
23. "Jieetyet?":
Translates to, "Did you eat yet?"
24. Winter and Construction:
Punch line to the joke, "What are the two seasons in Chicago?"
25. Cuppa Too-Tree:
Chicagoese for "a couple, two, or three" which really means "a few." For example, "Hey Mike, dere any beerz left in da cooler over by dere?" "Yeh, a cuppa too-tree."
26. 588-2300:
Everyone in Chicago knows this commercial jingle and the carpet
company you'll get if you call that number -- Empire!
27. Junk Djor:
You will usually find the 'junk drawer' in the kitchen filled to the
brim with miscellaneous, but very important, junk.
28. Southern Illinois:
Anything south of I-80.
29. Expressways:
Elgin-O hare expressway dosent go to or thur Elgin or O hare and is not known by any other name or number.
The Interstates in the immediate Chicagoland area are usually known just by their 'name' and not their Interstate number: The Dan Ryan ("the Ryan"), the Stevenson, the Kennedy, the Eisenhower (the "Ike"), and the Edens.
30. Gym Shoes:
The rest of the country may refer to them as sneakers or running shoes but Chicagoans will always call them gym shoes!