I may be a little biased, but Chicago is the best city in the world. There are so many things about the windy city that make it so extraordinary. For one, the architecture is INSANE and I always shed a little tear whenever I walk past the Sears Tower. Yes, the Sears Tower.
And please don't get me started on the food. There is just something so moving about being able to get a slice of deep dish pizza at an unholy hour in the morning. There are so many things to do in Chicago, may it be shopping, hanging out at the Bean, or checking out the latest Indie band playing at the Rock of Blues, you're almost guaranteed a boredom-free life.
The best part of the city is the Chicagoans. I'm talking about both old and new Chicagoans. We are a truly amazing group of individuals. Once again, I'm a little biased, but we're fantastic. The coolest thing about Chicagoans is our minimalistic but evident slang that puts the icing on top of our Chicago culture.
There are 5 types of slang Chicagoans use that people outside of the city would probably raise an eyebrow to, but we don't care. Honestly, truly.
1. Pop
When someone asks for a nice cold pop, they're asking for a cold soda. Why we Chicagoans call 'soda' 'pop' is a total mystery, but thank god we do. I feel so out of place saying soda. "Soda." "Yeah, can I get a soda?" It feels so weird! I'll just stick to requesting a thirst quenching pop. Please and thank you.
2. 'Der' and 'Da'
Us Chicagoans have omitted 'th' from our vocabulary and replaced it with 'der' and 'da'. I can't tell you how many times my mother has tried to correct me for using 'da' opposed to 'th'. At this point, it's somewhat innate, and I can't say, "The blue line is over there," to save my life. But the blue line is most definitely over der.
3. The L
When a Chicagoan mentions the L, they aren't talking about taking a loss. They are in fact talk about the Chicago train systems. Moreover, the L is usually considered to just be apart of the Loop are of downtown (i.e. why it's called the L). So rest assured, when a Chicagoan says they're going to take the L somewhere, they aren't talking about failing tremendously. They're fine.
4. The Lake
There have been so many times where I've told my friends we should go to the lake, for them to then have their eyes glaze over. The only lake a Chicagoan refers to when they say the lake is Lake Michigan. Fully saying Lake Michigan is just TOO much work, so we modified it. The Lake. That's it, that's all.
5. Goofy
I've called people a goofy quite a few times. To Chicagoans, someone who's a goofy makes poor decisions and kind of gets under our skin. So take note, if someone calls you a goofy, they aren't calling you the lovable friend of Mickey Mouse. They're saying you're annoying. Just FYI.
Being a Chicagoan is the best. We're so cultured and full of immense knowledge about all things Chicago. Where your Chicagoan nature proudly. Oh, and don't forget to top it off with an ice cold pop in your hand.
