Chicago Slang
Planning on visiting Chicago? Here's a few things you should know...
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?"
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.
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.
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."
Field's
Marshall Field, a prominent Chicago department store (used to be, but no more since Macy's moved in). Also Carson Pirie Scott, another major department store chain, is simply called "Carson's."
Tree
The number between two and four. "We were lucky dat we only got tree inches of snow da udder night."
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."
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 (da Cell)
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."
Use
Not the verb, but the plural pronoun 'you!' "Where use goin'?"
Downtown
Anywhere near The Lake, south of The Zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo) and north of Soldier Field.
The Lake
Lake Michigan (What other lake is there?) It's often used by local weathermen, "cooler by The Lake."
Braht
Short for Bratwurst. "Gimme a braht wit kraut."
Goes
Past or present tense of the verb "say." For example, "Den he goes, 'I like this place'!"
Guys
Used when addressing two or more people, regardless of each individual's gender.
Pop
A soft drink. Don't say "soda" in this town. "Do ya wanna canna pop?"
Sliders
Nickname for hamburgers from White Castle, a popular Midwestern burger chain. "Dose sliders I had last night gave me da runs."
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.
"Jeetyet?"
Translates to, "Did you eat yet?"
Winter and Construction
Punch line to the joke, "What are the two seasons in Chicago?"
Cuppa Too-Tree
Chicagoese for "a couple, two, 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."
588-2300
Everyone in Chicago knows this commercial jingle and the carpet company you'll get if you call that number -- Empire!
Junk Dror
You will usually find the 'junk drawer' in the kitchen filled to the brim with miscellaneous, but very important, junk.
Southern Illinois
Anything south of I-80. This is where Smothers' is from....
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 ("da Stevenson"), the Kennedy (da "Kennedy"), the Eisenhower (da "Ike"), and the Edens (just "Edens" but "da Edens" is acceptable).
Gym Shoes
The rest of the country may refer to them as sneakers or running shoes but Chicagoans will always call them gym shoes!
Dave
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