You know you're from Chicago if...

[Cuban_Liberal]

The "Living Room" is called the "Front Room" (pronounced fronchroom).

You don't pronounce the "s" at the end of Illinois. You become irate at people who do.

Everything is 15 minutes away.

You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Des Plaines."

Your school classes were canceled because of cold.

Your school classes were canceled because of heat.

You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

Stores don't have sacks; they have bags.

You can distinguish between the following area codes: 847 708 630 773 312 815

You have, at some time in your life, used furniture to guard your
parking spot in the winter.

You respond to the question "Where are you from?" with a "side"
example:
"WEST SIDE, SOUTH SIDE or NORTH SIDE"

You know what the number to Empire Carpet is!

You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition: "Where's my coat at?" or "If you go to the mall, I wanna go with."

You carry jumper cables in your car.

You drink "pop" not soda.

You understand that I-90, I-290, I-294, and I-94 are different roads.

You know the names of the interstates: Stevenson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, Dan Ryan, and the Edens but you call the interstates "expressways".

You refer to anything south of I-80 as "Southern Illinois"

You refer to Lake Michigan as "The Lake"

You refer to Chicago as "The City"

"The Super Bowl" refers to one specific game in a series of 35 played in January of 1986.

No matter where you are, when you hear the term "Downtown" you
immediately assume they're talking about Downtown Chicago.

You have two favorite football teams, the Bears and anyone who beats the Packers.

You buy "The Trib."

You think 35 degrees is great weather to wash your car.

You know what goes on a Chicago style hot dog (mustard, bright green relish, onions, tomatoes, pickles and optionally peppers)

You know what Chicago style pizza REALLY is.

You know why they call Chicago the Windy City.

You understand what "lake-effect" means.

You know the difference between Amtrak and Metra and know which station they will end up at.

You have ridden the "El".

:D

[latteromden]

1. *laughs* I guess Minnesotans and Chicagoans (is that... a word?) are more

similar than I thought. :D

[maxpower]

2. How about

You say "Over by dere" to refer to places you are going or been to.

[flamingyouth]

3. You know you're from the Pacific Northwest if...

Feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.

Know at least eight people who work for companies that manufacture computer parts, airplanes or athletic shoes.

Can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai food.

Return from a California vacation depressed because “all the grass was dead.”

Take a half day every July 1 to find your sunglasses and sunscreen.

Remember the date, severity, time of day, where you were, and how long you were out of power and phone service for every winter weather event in the last five years.

Feel guilty for days after throwing an aluminum can in the trash instead of recycling it.

Get very, very happy when the early morning weather forecast includes the term “sun breaks.”

Are able to use 10 words to order a beverage the rest of the country calls “coffee.”

Have ever called your insurance agent to ask if your homeowner’s policy covers falling trees, flooding, or mud slides-or if the number of your favorite roofing company is on your phone’s “speed-dial.”

Never go camping without waterproof matches, ponchos, and mattress pads that double as flotation devices.

Know more people who own boats than air conditioners.

Moved to the Northwest because you read that the two most popular hobbies are fishing and reading. Since arriving you’ve taken up fly fishing and learned to tie flies by reading a book.

Consider that if it doesn’t have snow on it or has not recently erupted, regardless of elevation, it is a “hill” and not a “mountain.”

Complain about Californians until the day you sell your house to one for twice what you paid for it.

Don’t complain about Californians because you’re secretly married to one or are dating one.

Personally know someone from Alaska.

Find a wallet with $500 in it, return it all to the owner, and refuse a reward.

Know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye salmon.

Used to live somewhere else.

Believe swimming is not a sport but a survival skill to prevent boating deaths.

Believe swimming should only be done indoors, except in emergencies.

Own more than 10 articles of clothing that have the names of microbreweries/brewpubs printed on them. Bonus for embroidery.

Wave at people who drive Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles like yours.

Basically, you just drive down the road weaving. (This one's for ZombyWoof.)

Can point in the direction of two or more volcanoes even though you can’t see them through the clouds.

Think downtown is “scary” because you were panhandled there, once.

Go to work and return home in the dark in the winter, even though you only work an eight-hour shift.

Replace your hiking boots with Birkenstock or Teva sandals when the weather gets above 60 degrees.

Believe people who use umbrellas are wimps or Californians, or both.

[barbaraann]

4. Add Copper River to that list of salmon. :)

n/t

[flamingyouth]

5. ROFL - I didn't see that this was in the Illinois forum!!!!

I thought it was in the Lounge when I posted it, because it was on the front page!!! :D

Sorry to all of my friends in Chicago - didn't mean to hijack this!!! I'm a dodo. :silly:

And I love Chicago!!! :D

[Withywindle]

6. Ha, funny!

Go to work and return home in the dark in the winter, even though you only work an eight-hour shift.


This one is true in Chicago as well.

[Tweed]

8. Thanks for adding to our post count!

We passed Washington sometime ago, but we are proud to be near the top.

[fudge stripe cookays]

42. I laughed my ass off at both, honey.

Don't worry!

:D
FSC

[greatauntoftriplets]

7. The one I can't see is....

my family has always called the living room the living room.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

9. Actually GAT, I think front room is more a

South Side thing. My grandparents and parents always referred to it that way.

My sister and I still do too on occassion.

:hi: :hi:

[chicagojoe]

12. It was always front-room in my home.

I think that comes from the fact that in Chicago two/three-flats and Chicago bungalows, the living room is, literally, the front room of the house. And only Suburbanites have "family rooms".

[seventythree]

27. agree,

and in rural Illinois it is often called the front room, also, because farm houses had parlors which were referred to as front rooms.

[Withywindle]

49. Yup, I think that's it too.

True of every apartment I've lived in here.

Well, except the one that was only one room.

[xray s]

10. and some more

You went to college at "Circle"

You've driven your car through the "spaghetti bowl"

You ask a car full of girls if "you guys wanna go to the movie?"

When you go shopping you "go down to the Jewel"

You can legally take a trip on LSD

[seventythree]

28. good additions

[stevebreeze]

47. When they had Wacker closed down a couple of years ago

they for a short time put up a sign "Wacker Closed use LSD"

[Southsideirish]

11. After which "side" of the city, you then ask "what parish?"

[chicagojoe]

13. That's very Southside.

[Guns Aximbo]

15. Yes, well

what neiborhood or what parish. what parish will tell you exactly where that person is from within a 12 or 13 block radius.

I'm from St. Barnabas - so tell me where I lived...

[chicagojoe]

17. Never heard of it. Is it on the Southside?

I get nosebleeds if I go south of Lake St.

[Guns Aximbo]

18. South Side....

Beverly

Longwood Drive

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

19. Beverly...

I am from Little Flower. Where did I live?

[Guns Aximbo]

24. Springpatch?

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

30. No, Little Flower or perhaps I should refer to it by it's proper name

St. Therese of the Infant Jesus was located at 80th & Wood Street in Chicago. The parish borders were Ashland on the east, Western on the west, 74th Street on the north and 84th Street on the south.

[Southsideirish]

32. Hey neighbor I'm from "Sabina"! Did you ever go to the dances there?

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

38. No, I was too young, but my older

sister did.

BTW, my parents were married in St. Sabina in October of 1941 and lived at 79th & Aberdeen until my grandfather bought our house in Little Flower in 1952. I arrived in 1953.

The church was at 80th & Wood, the grammar school was at 80th & Honore and the high school was at 79th & Honore.

[Southsideirish]

34. 79th & Honore????

[Southsideirish]

35. The address number "1000" would never be "one thousand" but "ten hundred".

[Southsideirish]

31. Beverly!

[Padraig18]

26. St. Mary of Perpetual Help

We lived in Bridgeport until my junior year in high school, when we moved to Oak Lawn.

:)

[billyf65]

51. No way.

...was a St. Mary's/BCA grad in 1987. De La Salle 1991.

I grew up near Archer and Lock.

You?

[chicagojoe]

Most importantly...

Ya gotta pronounce it "Chi-ca-gah", NOT "Chi-caw-go".

[More Than A Feeling]

22. interesting. I have always said Chi-ca-go

but then I am from the suburbs

[Southsideirish]

33. Sout'siders say "Chi-caw-go" Anything else sounds wrong to us.

[EST]

45. Hmmmm...

And here I always thought it was Chick-wah-guh. Must have a hearing problem. (I'm downstate)

[Inland]

57. What's not local is "shi-KA-go; shi-KAW-go is local.

[chicagojoe]

14. Dupe. Sorry!

[catshoe]

16. Chi-ca-gah!

Holy cow! That is cracking me up, especially the fronchroom (which is definitely the preferred spelling, as my students often mention the fronch in their papers). I live in a two-flat, so I am all about the fronch. I've heard "French" before too; wonder what the right would think about us all devoting a room to le francais...

My 'hood (and parish): St. Ben's. Ahhh Chicago

~Mary

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

20. You're a Northsider then.

As a born and raised Southsider, get me north of Madison and I become completely discombubulated.

I just can't used to main streets with names instead of numbers.

And what's with all those angle streets on the North Side? Lincoln, Elston and Northwest Highway. They really throw me off..

[Paulie]

21. Street names? When in doubt, use "hundred"

I'm an ex-northsider (moved to southern cook after I got hitched).

Foster is 5200 north, Western is what, 2800? So it's close enough to get along when you head up "nort dare" without the numbers. :)

Lincoln is funny, since it's US 41, used to be populated with motels, till it was gentrafied and they chased all the hookers away (even Aunt Bea, he was a regular at the bar I used to frequent in the early 90's called "The Bend"). NW Highway is also a Highway. ;) Milwaulkee (which is worse angled than Lincoln Ave) is several highways, I believe US 21 most of the way.

I always considered the south side to be south of Diversey, but then again, I went to Lane Tech, what do I know. LOL

[mopinko]

29. western is 2400 nt

[chicagojoe]

40. Those angle streets are just for fun.

But, hey, what about Archer Ave. and Southwest Highway?

[Paula Sims]

23. I may be wrong about this but. . .

. . .every Southsider I know pronounces Jewel as "Jewels" and Dominic's as "Dominic".

:shrug:

[chicagojoe]

41. Same on the North Side!!! LOL n/t

[windycitychick]

25. Bridgeport and Canaryville

area is where I grew up. You can't get anymore south side than that. I can add 1 more to the list.

"You know you're from Chicago if..." (especially the southside)
The smell of manure brings back fond childhood memories of warm summer days.

Anyone who lived near the stockyards as I did knows what I'm talking about.

BTW..To this day it's still called the "fronchroom" in my house.

[ComerPerro]

36. Everybody sing: "Five eight eight, two three hundred!"

[Tweed]

37. Welcome to DU Illinois Forum!

I'm not sure you've been here before. You have a lot of posts though. Be sure to check in at the Illinois County by County thread.

[ComerPerro]

39. I've been here before, but thanks!

I lived in Lake County for ten years, but am going to school in Kansas currently.

[fudge stripe cookays]

43. I was SHOCKED my last chicago visit!

We actually have the Empire jingle in Dallas too. And here I thought it was a Texas original!

FSC

[barb162]

44. agree on all except Chicagoans say soda and suburbanites will often

say pop AND public schools NEVER cancelled anything for heat or cold when I was attending in Chicago. Cancelling a school day was against the law or something back then. Also a man I know who is now in his 70s or 80s told me that way back when everyone spoke in terms of parishes when asked where one lived. He said a person would respond "Oh I'm in St. ______'s parish"

And people I know who have lived east of Ashland all of their lives think anything west of Western Avenue may as well be Iowa.

I would add if you are really, really from Chicago you know where you can get great food from the all night places

[Tweed]

46. Yeah, anything west of Western way as well be in Iowa.

And I'm east of Ashland.

[cubschicago]

56. That could be

the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard! (I am from the NW side) Though I have heard many!

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

48. I am one Chicagoan that never even heard the word soda,

until I went to college with people from downstate. Coke, Pepsi, RC Cola, et al were pop and they still are.

As one that was born and raised west of Ashland Avenue on the Southside, now the K streets that were west of Pulaski Rd were like Iowa to me and my friends in high school and anything west of Cicero Avenue was a foreign country.

And everyone in the area of 79th & Ashland to 79th & Western knew that the best pizza came from Buddy's Pizza at 79th & Hermitage, the best hot dogs were from Fat Johnnie's Hot Dog Stand on 74th & Western, the best hamburgers came from Atlas at 79th & Winchester and Field's Restaurant at 79th & Wood was always good for a quick dinner on a Sunday if Mom was going to a wedding or baby shower.

I also do believe that the CPS were closed for a week in the aftermath of the Blizzard of January, 1967.

[barb162]

50. I was born and raised in Chicago and never heard "pop" till I got to

college. Then the people from the suburbs and downstate and elsewhere were using the word "pop" and I thought how strange it was. My idea of THE best pizza was and probably still is Home Run Inn and they now have suburban locations. Their place was on 35th or 31st in the K streets. They even sell HRI frozen pizza at a lot of stores, in the suburbs, including Jewel and Dominicks. I had their frozen pizza from the grocery store once and thought it was lousy compared to having it at their restaurants.

You know where to get the best shrimp at 3:00AM??? A total dive just off east Cermak Road in this deserted industrial section with broken down factories and railroad tracks a bit west of Chinatown. I still remember that place...what great food. It wasn't even a restaurant; just a carryout place.

[billyf65]

53. Shrimp

You must mean Lawrence's. It is actually a pretty spiffed up place.

If you were hard core, you went to the little shack on Ashland, right off of the canal/river. It was gross-looking, doubtlessly in violation of numerous health code violations and the building looked as if a stiff breeze could blow it over.

But damn good shrimp.

[barb162]

54. did it have a bunch of guard dogs barking behind a chain link fence

I think that was the name. It was a true hole in the wall type place and it sure did a lot of early morning business.

[billyf65]

52. Pop

I grew up in Bridgeport -- and it was definintely pop.

[barackmyworld]

55. if you miss "bang bang bang skeet skeet skeet"

anyone remotely in my generation and actually from the city will understand!