Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois > Chicago
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 05-14-2013, 01:23 PM
 
Location: "Daytonnati"
4,241 posts, read 7,180,454 times
Reputation: 3014

Advertisements

Been reading this great cultural history of Chicago in the WWII/early postwar era...say very late 1930s to mid 1950s to late 1950s:

The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream: Thomas Dyja: 9781594204326: Amazon.com: Books

(and it really is as good as the glowing reviews make it out to be)

...in the early chapters there is a discussion about the importance of being a "Regular Guy"...as if it was sort of a unique thing to Chicago ("regular" or "regularity" in this sense means unpretentious and pragmatic, sort of like the term "average Joe" but with maybe less of a social class thing...)

Yet i thought this was a pretty commonplace understanding of the term. Being a native Chicagoan Ive heard it used and use it myself but never thought it was a localism.

Any opinions either way?

(anyway, if this post makes you say "huh?", at least use it as a plug for a good book on Chicago).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-17-2013, 11:42 PM
 
6,438 posts, read 6,924,520 times
Reputation: 8743
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayton Sux View Post
(anyway, if this post makes you say "huh?", at least use it as a plug for a good book on Chicago).
Huh?

I've heard the phrase "regular guy" (usually in a tone implying I'm not one) in the four places I've lived, which are Ohio, Chicago, California, and New York.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-18-2013, 09:43 AM
 
5,985 posts, read 13,133,994 times
Reputation: 4931
ON 93XRT radio, they have a guy that calls himself "just a regular guy", he does movie reviews with a Chicago accent.

Going To The Show With A Regular Guy « WXRT
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-18-2013, 09:58 AM
 
2,918 posts, read 4,212,430 times
Reputation: 1527
It may be a concept Chicago has historically embraced more than some places, but it's definitely not unique to Chicago by any stretch, nor can I imagine that it originated here.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-18-2013, 01:33 PM
 
Location: Chicago
178 posts, read 371,455 times
Reputation: 185
I think it is more of a Rust Belt thing then specifically a Chicago thing.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-18-2013, 02:20 PM
 
2,918 posts, read 4,212,430 times
Reputation: 1527
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bird4Prez View Post
I think it is more of a Rust Belt thing then specifically a Chicago thing.
No, it's an English language (or at least American English) thing. None of the other places I've lived are in the Rust Belt, and I've heard that phrase everywhere.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-18-2013, 02:30 PM
 
Location: The East
1,557 posts, read 3,307,939 times
Reputation: 2328
I can see the term being used around the great lakes area. Chicago, Milwaukee and area do have a certain kind of guy that looks, talks, and thinks in a more pragmatic manner. Flamboyance is NOT a trait I see very often in straight men or gay for that matter in that part of the country. 'Well except for Dennis Rodman when he played for the Bulls and Liberace when he was young and lived in Milwaukee! Lol..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-18-2013, 02:37 PM
 
2,918 posts, read 4,212,430 times
Reputation: 1527
Quote:
Originally Posted by matzoman View Post
I can see the term being used around the great lakes area. Chicago, Milwaukee and area do have a certain kind of guy that looks, talks, and thinks in a more pragmatic manner.
I know what you're saying, but Boston has a version of that guy. Long Island and Brooklyn have a version of that guy. Texas has a version of that guy. Montana has a version of that guy. Etc., etc., etc.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-18-2013, 06:03 PM
 
Location: Where the heart is...
4,927 posts, read 5,319,113 times
Reputation: 10674
Default I agree...

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiNaan View Post
I know what you're saying, but Boston has a version of that guy. Long Island and Brooklyn have a version of that guy. Texas has a version of that guy. Montana has a version of that guy. Etc., etc., etc.
there are plenty of regional areas with the regular guy persona.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-18-2013, 09:40 PM
 
1,520 posts, read 1,874,907 times
Reputation: 545
There is a couple of dudes called "The Regular Guys" on the radio but not in Chicago. Think they are in Tennessee or somewhere down there in redneck land. I heard one of their shows on the internet. Was actually pretty good.
The Regular Guys
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois > Chicago

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:07 AM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top