Chicagopedia

The Sun-Times has a great feature called Chicagopedia. It defines many terms used by Chicagoans check it out. There are a few pretty funny ones.

Some samples...

Italian beef
Italian beef / uh TALE yun beef / n. 1. Thinly sliced beef seasoned with garlic, oregano and other spices and served on Italian bread. A Chicago creation, it is slowly spreading nationwide thanks to transplants who can't do without it. The slow-cooked, top-butt meat can be eaten "dipped" (in beef broth), "sweet" (with sweet peppers), "hot" (with giardiniera), "cheesey" (with cheese) or as a combo (with an Italian sausage tucked beneath the beef). In Chicago, it's a source of pride, competition and dirty shirts. 2. A sandwich not known to be served anywhere in Italy.

Downstate
Downstate / doun steyt/ n. Any place in Illinois outside of Cook, Lake, DuPage, Will, Kane or McHenry counties, even if it is actually farther north than Chicago, such as Rockford. "I don't know where that town is. It's probably Downstate."

This is one that I heard from Weglarz that I didn't know about

Couple two tree
couple two tree / (cup el too tree) / n. / The Chicago way to refer to two or three of something. Maybe even four. Usage: "Hey, let me get a couple two tree Old Style."

Soldiers Field
Soldiers Field /sol jers fee uhld/ n. What Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears since 1971, is called everywhere but in Chicago. The lakefront stadium originally opened in 1924 and was called Grant Park Stadium before being renamed -- in the singular -- in honor of soldiers -- plural -- killed in World War I.