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!
