How to talk right in Chicago

August 20, 2003 | from an e-mail

[Chi-townChief]

1. Grachki (grach'-key) is Chicago for "Garage Key" as in, "Yo, Theresa, waja do wit da grachki? Howmy supposta cut da grass if don't git intada grach?''

2. Uptadaendada (up-ta-da-en'-dada) as in, "Joey, you kin ride yur bike uptadaendada alley but not acrost or I'll bust yur butt..."

3. Sammich. Chicagoese for sandwich. When made with sausage, it's a sassage sammich; 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. The definite article is a key part of Chicago speech, as in "da tree bears" or "da Mare" -- the latter denoting, or as long as he wants it to, Richard M. Daley, or Richie, as he's often known.

5. Jewels. Not family heirlooms or a tender body region, but a popular appellation for one of the region's dominant grocery chains, to wit, "I'm goin' to da Jewels to pick up some sassage." As in most Chicago pluralizations, the "S" is pronounced with a hissing sound, rather than the usual "Z" sound of American pluralization.

6. Field's: Marshall Field, a prominent Chicago department store.  Also Carson Pirie Scott, a major department store chain, is called "Carson's," etc.

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. i.e. "over by there," a prolix 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. Perhaps the high concentration of ethnic Poles makes people want the White Sox to be playing in this mythical ballpark, rather than in their true home, Cellular Field formerly known as Comiskey Park.

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 south of the zoo and north of Soldier Field near the lake.

14. BoysTown: A section on Halsted Ave., between Belmont and Addison, which is lined with gay bars on the west and east sides of the street. "Didn't I see uze in Boystown in front of da Manhole?"

15. Braht: Short for Bratwurst. "gimme a braht wit kraut"

16. Cashbox: Traffic reporter slang for tollbooths.  "Dere's a delay at da cashbox on da Skyway"

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

18. Guys: Used when addressing two or more people, regardless of each individual's gender.

19. Pop: A soft drink. Don't say "soda" in this town. "what kinda pop you got?"

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

21. The Taste: The annual Taste of Chicago Festival, a huge extravaganza in Grant Park featuring samples of Chicagoland's fine cuisine.  Takes place around and before the Fourth of July holiday.

22. "Jieetyet": this is used to ask "did you eat yet"?

23. Winter and Construction: Punch-line to the joke, "what are the two seasons in Chicago?"

[aruanan]

Then ya got yer diagonals: Lincoln, Milwaukee Ave., Elston. . . .

And that street that cuts from somewhere around Western southwest to past Cicero, maybe to Harlem or beyond. I wonder if these diagonals represent some of the oldest extant roadways in Chicago.

[carlo3b]

I think that is the Southwest Highway.. I have always wondered why those roads were so different, from an otherwise perfect grid.

[Chi-townChief]

Columbus / Southwest Highway runs all the way out to Lockport as Illinois 7. These streets are all angled to follow the river as is the Stevenson I-55.

[carlo3b]

Thanks..

[aruanan]

Columbus / Southwest Highway runs all the way out to Lockport as Illinois 7. These streets are all angled to follow the river as is the Stevenson I-55.

That makes sense. So they were probably some of the oldest streets in the city.

[B Knotts]

Da ting is...

There are actually several markedly different accents in "Chicagoland."

My step-father was from Bridgeport, and I had a step-mother from the back of the yards area. They ("Dey") had a similar accent, and said "youse" ("You all") a lot. But most of my family was from an Irish neighborhood on the far west side, with an entirely different accent (we would never say "youse", which is also different from the north side way of speaking. Go far enough north, and you get into Wisconsinese.

[DrNo]

Bein' from an Iralian/Irish neighborhood on the far West side, I agree.

[ThreePuttinDude]

I hate to let this thread die....8^(

I've read some nostalgic posts that brought back
fond memories.