OK, all of you traveling to our fair city.
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. 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; when made with shredded beef, it's an Italian Beef sammich, a local delicacy consisting of piles of spicy meat in a
soggy bun. (Editor's note-the soggy bun is the best part!

4. 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.
5. 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 Jewel to pick up some sassage."
6. Field's: Marshall Field, a prominent Chicago department store. Also Carson Pirie Scott, another major department store chain, is simply called "Carson's."
7. Tree: The number between two and four.
8. 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 Jewel down on Kedzie, over by dere."
10. KaminskiPark: The mispronounced name of the ballpark where the Chicago White Sox (da Sox) play baseball. Comiskey Park was
recently renamed U.S. Cellular Field (yuck!)
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 near The Lake, south of The Zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo) and north of Soldier Field.
14. The Lake: Lake Michigan. (What other lake is there?)
15. 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?"
16. Braht: Short for Bratwurst. "Gimme a braht wit kraut."
17. Cashbox: Traffic reporter slang for tollbooths. "Dere's a delay at da cashbox on da Skyway."
18. Goes: Past or present tense of the verb "say." For example, "Then he goes, 'I like this place'!"
19. Guys: Used when addressing two or more people, regardless of each individual's gender.
20. Pop: A soft drink. Don't say "soda" in this town. "Do ya wanna canna pop?"
21. Sliders: Nickname for hamburgers from White Castle, a popular Midwestern burger chain. "Dose sliders I had last night gave me da runs."
22. 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.
23. "Jieetyet?": Translates to, "Did you eat yet?"
24. Winter and Construction: Punch line to the joke, "What are the two seasons in Chicago?"
25. Cuppa Too-Tree: is 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.
26. 588-2300: Everyone in Chicago knows this commercial jingle and the carpet company you'll get if you call that number -- Empire!
27. Junk Djor: You will usually find the 'junk drawer' in the kitchen filled to the brim with miscellaneous, but very important, junk.
28. Southern Illinois: Anything south of I-80.
29. Expressways: The Interstates in the immediate Chicagoland area are usually known just by their 'name' and not their Interstate number: the Dan Ryan ("the Ryan"), the Stevenson, the Kennedy, the
Eisenhower (the "Ike"), and the Edens.
30. Gym Shoes: The rest of the country may refer to them as sneakers or running shoes but Chicagoans will always call them gym
> shoes.

Now use guys are ready to enjoy your trip over by the Lake!

OH MY GOODNESS Swalter!!

!!! "Dose sliders I had last night gave me da runs." Ain't that da truth!

I'm up in Antioch, but relate to just about everything you said! What a hoot... my laborador is wagging her tail at my response to your post. Thanks for the Friday fun!

When I found out we were transferring to Chicago, the first thing I thought of was "588-2300 - EMPIRE" from watching loads of bad cable TV in the 70's and 80's on WGN.

I can't claim credit for these-they were passed along to me but they made me smile! I thought everyone called them gym shoes! They don't?!?!

LOL dat was a good laugh! i'll need to pass it on to my mudder and fahdder...

and speaking of phone numbers to sing along to, i was at a store once when i heard a little girl tell her friend, "no, it goes like this: 773-202-di di di di-LUNA". it was priceless.

oh great, now I'm going to have 773-202-LUNA going through my head all night!

You guys suck, now I'll be singing that LUNA song all day too That get stuck in your head worse than that awful 'it's a small world' ditty.

Oh my God, swalter518. You should come to Buffalo. You would have no problem understanding Buffalo-ese!

But understand this.....it's a sangwich!!!