Chicago Slang? (Atlanta, Cleveland: place, Irish, working)

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Personally, I've always found the "come with" thing charming.

Ending sentences with "at", not so much, however. As in "Where are you at?" That one always grates on my nerves.

Interesting. I find them both equally annoying in the exact same way for the exact same reason-- the dangling preposition. I blame my strict childhood English teachers.

[Kmanshouse]

The "come with" is just so ingrained that it's not annoying to me. The "at" doesn't bother me either, but it does make me assume the person I'm speaking with isn't exactly a refined individual.

Honestly, the "go by Jimmy's place" bothers me more, because it's closer to correct, but isn't. It's just off enough to be irritating. Whereas the others feel more like pure Chicago slang.

Another is combining "Did you", into "Jew". "Jew get that laundry done?" "Jew eat yet?"

Kitty corner, not catty corner
Gym shoes, not sneakers
Pop, not soda

[hendersj31]

cuppa two three

[Irishtom29]

My slang might be obsolete.

Prairie, not empty lot.

Referring to your neighborhood by cross streets or parish—I wasn’t from East Garfield Park or Austin, I was from Madison and Kedzie and Jackson and Cicero. Or Lady of Sorrows and Resurrection.

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

Originally Posted by hendersj31

cuppa two three

It's tree. couple(cuppa) two tree. Get it right.

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

My slang might be obsolete.

Prairie, not empty lot.

Referring to your neighborhood by cross streets or parish—I wasn’t from East Garfield Park or Austin, I was from Madison and Kedzie and Jackson and Cicero. Or Lady of Sorrows and Resurrection.

I remember Prairie from when I was a kid.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

I remember Prairie from when I was a kid.

People were referring to an empty lot as a "prairie"? In the middle of the city?

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

Originally Posted by MassVt

People were referring to an empty lot as a "prairie"? In the middle of the city?

I'm intrigued by this, too. I guess if you grew up in the city, a 20' X 100' patch of unmowed grass was the closest thing to a prairie you saw! That term surely must have first been used by someone who knew better and was being sarcastic, though.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by MassVt

People were referring to an empty lot as a "prairie"? In the middle of the city?

Yes.

Interesting, isn’t it? I wonder if the use goes back to the 19th Century when people in Chicago were quite aware they were prairie dwellers, especially as many had moved west from hilly, rocky or wooded places like New England and New York. Back when you could see the heights of Blue Island from many miles away, sitting on the flat prairie like a...blue island.

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by MassVt

People were referring to an empty lot as a "prairie"? In the middle of the city?

I grew up in the burbs, but it was a standard vacant lot in the middle of our residential neighborhood. It was next door to our neighbor's house and that family mowed the lawn. We used it for softball. My mother grew up on the NW side in the '40's and '50's and they used "prairie" too.