THE FLUX ISSUE
71
WORD!
How well do you know local slang? ECHO STAFF
Every city has terms all its own: “In a classic Chicago accent, which now is mainly heard among older [Chicagoans], you hear ‘des,’ ‘dem’ and ‘dos’ type things. Substituting ‘d’ for ‘th’ actually comes from immigrants,” says Chicago-based journalist and author Edward McClelland. These regional quirks start to create new words that are then passed down through generations. In celebration of the slang that makes up the Midwest—as well as words that have been adopted by Chicagoans old and young—the Echo staff compiled a list of “Chicagoisms” to keep you in the loop. (Get it?)
3. Chicago’s status in relation to New York City. The place where Chicagoans go to have a laugh. 4. The busy Chicago street that snakes along the lake. 6. A room with a toilet. 8. A substyle of hip-hop dance. Also means something is good. 10. Anish Kapoor’s stainless steel outdoor sculpture, Cloudgate. 11. Chicago’s public transit train system. 14. “I put that chair in the place I shoveled for my car; don’t even think of parking there!” 15. This 13-block stretch from the Chicago River to Oak Street is Chicago’s equivalent of New York’s Fifth Avenue. 17. Chance the Rapper’s version of “yada yada, blah blah blah.” 18. I-290 19. The latest film you’re going to see.
1. Superficial. Fake. 2. The former name of Willis Tower. 5. The act of casually leaving a place or an event before anyone else. 7. The moniker the New York Sun gave Chicago when it was vying to be the site of the 1893 World’s Fair. 9. What easterners call “soda” and Texans call “Coke.” 11. The colloquial name for a midwestern grocery chain. 12. Onomatopoeia often associated with Al Capone. 13. The former name for Macy’s. ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND AT E C H O M AG O N L I N E . C O M
16. Mike Ditka is a former player and coach of this sports team.