CHICAGO SLANG

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. 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.

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 the Jewels to pick up some sassage."

5. Field's: 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 the 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 renamed U.S. Cellular Field (d a Cell)

9. Frunchroom: As in, "Get outta da 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 prono un 'you!' "Where use goin'?"

11. Downtown: Anywhere near The L ake, south of The 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 The Lake."

13. Braht: Short for Bratwurst. "Gimme a braht wit kraut."

14. Goes: Past or present tense of the verb "say." For example, "Den he goes, 'I like this place'!"

15. Guys: Used when addressing two or m ore people, regardless of each individual's gender.

16. Pop: A soft drink. Don't say "soda" in this town. "Do ya wanna canna pop?"

17. Sliders: Nickname for hamburgers from White Castle , a popular Midwestern burger chain. "Dose sliders I had last night gave me da runs."

18. The Taste: The 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.

19. "Jeetyet?": Translates to, "Did you eat yet?"

20. Winter and Const ruction: Punch line to the joke, "What are the two seasons in Chicago ?"

21. Cuppa Too-Tree: is Chicagoese for "a couple, two, three" which really means "a few." For e xample, "Hey Mike, dere any beerz left in da cooler over by dere?" "Yeh, a cuppa too-tree."

22. 588-2300: Everyone in Chicago knows this commercial jingle and the carpet company you'll get if you call that number -- Empire!

23. Junk Dror: You will usually find the 'junk drawer' in the kitchen filled to the brim with
miscellaneous, but very important, junk.

24. Southern Illinois : Anything south of I-80. This is where Smothers' is from....

25. Expressways: The Interstates in the immediate Chicagoland area are usually known just by their 'name' and not their Interstate number: the Dan Ryan ("da Ryan"), the Stevenson, the Kennedy (da "Kennedy"), the Eisenhower (da "Ike"), and the Edens (just "Edens" but Da Edens" is acceptable).

26. Gym Shoes: The rest of the country may refer to them as sneakers or running shoes but Chicagoans will always call them gym shoes! =============

 

The Michigan Crew will need a translator!

 

Flippin and Skeechin - Hanging on the azz end of a car bumper on a icey street

 

I liked "tree"

 

Wanna go with?
said this on the East Coast and I was asked, with what; umbrella, hat etc.?

 

there is no number 5 anymore , now its Macys

 

Bob, you volunteering

 

I don’t do nuttin fer free toots.

 

Firgeddabout the gosh darn WAVE!

 

If you live on the North side, over by Wrigley Field, your not allowed to speak like that.Only true Bears and White Sox fans can understand "Chicagoese"

 

Ron of course meant to say "Nort" side.

Chicago motto - Ahh wadayagonnado.

 

If you're REALLY a Chicago native, you STILL call it Fields!!

 

Also, we're known for always ending a sentence with a preposition.

Such as...

"Do you want to go with?

 

Wadaya stupidersomtin? I gotta spellit out fer ya? It's all eggsplayned fer ya over by dis website ting, jeezalreddy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norther...es_Vowel_Shift .

If ya went ta publik skool in Chacaga an kant reed two good yoose cud offer to tak me out fer a beer or tree and I'll lernya howtiz done.

Or yoose cud stop over by dis fellas ahfice an hava chat wit him maybe. Heeza Mazter on da subjek. http://www.thetownofcicero.com/president/ , now don't mayke me comoverdare n slapya, jus tak my word ferit...

 

OK, if you live over by der den use aint got nuttin to worry bout.

 

Ann ferdermore, any ah yu outatown goofz dat tink us Chacaga types ar unejakated goofz dat dont speek write ar goofy!

I tink maybe ya needta kleen da patatazz outa yer earz.

Says here dare was alotta words dat ar uszd all over da place tanks to us invetinum rite hear! Hadaya like dat ha...

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Ma...lish-Language/

 

I haven't lived in Chicago for over 12 years, but I still say a some of that.
I never did get why some people always put an 's' after things like Jewels, Ventures, Kmarts.

Whenever I meet up with someone, I always say "What's goin' on?"
I have a friend here that always tries to beat me to that saying in his version of a Chicago accent.
I actually didn't catch on right away when he started doing that.

Not sure if was Chicago only or not, but anyone remember "Monkey Wards" for Montgomery Wards store?

 

Two uh dem, tree uh doze, five uh deez.

I don't know anyone who puts an S after Jewels.

 

Im witchu formul89, puttin a S after Jewels wood be Jewelss and dat dont make no cents nohow!

Yu ser ar kerekt!

Ma had no shortige ah places ta shop, addum if ya gat um...

Sears AND Roebucks
Wieboldt('s)
Goldblatt's
Topps
Jewel Grand Bazaar
E.J. Korvette(s) - Yes, I know what it stood for!
Kresge(s) (became K-Mart)
Bargain town (became Toys-R-us)
Zayre(s)
Venture(s)
Turn Style
the Treasury
Shoppers World
Morrie Mages
Klein(s)
F.W. Woolworth('s)/Woolco
Mayflower(s)
National Tea (aka the National)
Handy Andy
Polk Brothers
Service Merchandise
Rexall
Ben Franklin(s)

 

Anne's Department Store and Wolke & Kotler were across the street from each other on Milwaukee Ave. in Jefferson Park for a long, long time..............

Oh, I almost forgot! SAVE the WAVE!