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?"

[Charles Henrickson]

Turd: Between Second and Fort.

[sharkhawk]

I read this on a post on the song "The night Chicago died". Although I never heard it called this, someone said that Hegwish, and the other neighborhoods around mills could be considered East Side, since they are east of Michigan Ave.

[Steve0113]

Monkey ward's--The late lamented Montgomery Wards ************************************** there has GOT to be a lot of DEE-troit/ Chicago cross-over.

Not just there. I grew up in a MD suburb of DC, and that's what we called it there. That was back in the '70s.

[Chi-townChief]

Never was at The Stadium although I have seen a few guys go down the stairs in Soldier Field chin-first while trying to hang on to a couple of beers.

[Charles Henrickson]

Portillo's and Al's both have excellent beef. Fluky's for dogs and Polish. Pizza? Gino's East, Lou Malnati's, Gigio's, the list goes on and on. . . .

[Atlas Sneezed]

"I must have told that to a dozen Meewalkeeans..."

To an outsider, it sounds like "m'walkee".

[X-FID]

Can't find real Chicago Italian beef in the Sunshine State, drat.

I don't think you can find a good beef even in the Chicago suburbs, Portillos is ok, if you buy the biiiigggg beef for $5.00.

[1rudeboy]

Not true. And even if they were considered east, the dividing-line would be State St. and not Michigan Ave. East Chicago is in Indiana.

[Chi-townChief]

Nah, no Turd Street but I did work at the Zenith plant over on Nord'avenue.

[sharkhawk]

Reminds me of a story I heard from my parking lot attendant when I had Blackhawks season tickets, and always parked at one of the non-Wirtz lots.

Some Yuppies were walking by the lot (this was the early 90's when the neighborhood was really questionable, and the Bull's were the hot ticket) and they were talking about how the kid was really nice when they parked by the "Condos" and he only charged them a few bucks to park their car

[habs4ever]

Nah, fully krauseneded is phony frou-frou Euro babble to confuse the masses.It's supposedly the same swamp water swill ie normal beer given bogus German authority though it tastes the same as regular suds.Any place that has Krauts uses this term to brand market.It ain't a Chicagoism :)

Old Milwaukee isn't real beer either, in case anyone in Chicago drank it ;-)

[tet68]

What day is today?

Today is um, Thursday.

O my gawd, up up get up, we've got to move the car.

Love those street sweepers.

Anyone ever gillnet for smelt in montrose harbor?
What a great time that was.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

The Stadium was The Golden Age of Black Hawk Hockey.

Saw the old crew there. Hull, Makita etc.

[Chi-townChief]

I worked at the Ward's downtown on State and Adams many years ago - the building is even long gone.

[Salman]

As a Noo Yawkah transplanted to Chicago, it took me a while to say I was from Chicawgo, and to say 'over by dere' instead of 'owa deyah'.

[sharkhawk]

I saw a fight at the stadium where a guy who had a few too many slipped down the stairs in the second balcony (think of the pitch in the new Caminsky) and was only stopped from going over by breaking his jaw on the railing.

[habs4ever]

Lots of folks here just love their White Castles!

[sharkhawk]

Pizzeria UNO or DUE. Home Run INN. Super Dawg on Milwaukee.

[Charles Henrickson]

. . . someone said that Hegwish, and the other neighborhoods around mills could be considered East Side, since they are east of Michigan Ave.

Yes, but nobody calls it "East Side." (I think. I'm a Nortsider myself, so I'm not 100% sure.) You could say "Southeast Side," but that's about it. Usually you refer to the area by the ward, e.g., "the 11th Ward," or whatever.

[tiamat]

We're more alike than we know, Brother!

but did you have Hudson's Basement? Tia