Chicagoans are clearly passionate when it get along to thing like the Bears ' glory Day or dressing a raging dog – sports and incase meats are the lifeblood of the metropolis after all . But there are also some more nuanced issues that will spark a fire in the belly of locals , subjects that , after a beer or two too many at the bar , would lead someone to rupture a Canadian to shred for claim the maple leaf is more beautiful than the flag of Chicago . If you ever find yourself looking to put forward the tummy with a local , give any one of the following 10 issue a endeavor . We guarantee they ’ll provide you with hour of , err , livelyconversation .
The Chicago flag
you’re able to just go one block in Logan Square without run across someone with the Chicago iris on their habiliment , wheel , and/or pelt . The Chicago iris tattoo craze has gotten so out of hired hand , there ’s evena websitededicated to showcasing them – and if you browse long enough , you ’ll in all likelihood even bumble upon someone you know . Of of course , it does n’t hurt that our flag ’s designis near perfectaccording to the fine ethnic music who analyse flags for a living .
Encased meats
As Chicagoans , we languish a slew of Energy Department being uptight about our food . Sure , glorify the immorality of catsup does n’t seemthatinsane , until one day you find yourself at an “ American ” restaurant in London chew out a beleaguered employee on the perfect and total inaccuracy of their “ Chicago - style ” blistering dog , which should never , everbe top with sauerkraut , much less have KETCHUP on it . EVER ! ! DO YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO deference ! ? ! … Whew . recondite breaths . I ’m hunky-dory , I swear .
Weather schadenfreude
While it ’s entirely normal to talk about the conditions , we tend to take thing a bit overboard here in # Chiberia . We all have those Facebook friends who act like every blizzard is a Snowpocalypse , lose their diddlysquat over a derecho , then complain nonstop about heat once summer rolls around . Then there are peoplelike this cat , who was so frustrated by inaccurate weather forecasts that he launched a takedown cause against Tom Skilling . Only in Chicago , my friend .
Our resilience
Speaking of weather , Chicagoans really love bragging about how gosh - damn tough we are – particularly to people in warmer climates . Who can withstand subzero temperatures ? We can ! Who is entirely unphased by a inebriated guy taking a piss in the back of a CTA bus at 8 am on a subzero Clarence Day after we ’ve walked eight naut mi uphill to school , all barefoot ? Us ! Who will mercilessly taunt anyone from the southern dowry of the United States who has the nerve to complain about snow flurries ? We will ! Who swears they ’d be the only city able-bodied to hold out the Revelation of Saint John the Divine due to their innate toughness , but would actually pass in a week due to a lack of basic survival acquirement ? CHICAGO !
Personal space (or lack thereof)
Given that Chicago is a crowded - ass urban center , it ’s perfectly lifelike for residents – particularly those in the city ’s more population - obtuse locality – to depart getting a small feisty about personal space . It starts innocently enough : jockeying for seats on the Red Line , publicly affect manspreaders on social medium , or sending your booster snarky Snapchats . Unfortunately , before you know it , you ’ve become so territorial that you get hold yourself hosing down the gondola who dared to remove your dibs on a subzero day while laughing maniacally . NOW GET OFF MY LAWN .
Malört
Despite being compared to everything from embalming fluid to gasoline to smelling like " a hairy guy with amber chains " in a " weird Hellenic discotheque , " Malört has somehow become a Chicago favorite of deep - dish proportions . No matter how bad your first experience with Malört was , you ca n’t resist the temptation of inflicting it upon everyone you recognize . You likely also ca n’t stand firm blathering on about it to all of your out - of - state booster , either .
Name changes
When it come to name change , Chicagoans have absolutely no chill . In fact , we ’ve completely lost our mind over every major name alteration that ’s occurred in the last 15 years . Buck up , dear comrades . As the large William Wallace once cry out : “ They may take our names , but they ’ll never take our FRRRREEEEEDOM ! ” Our freedom to continue call them Sears Tower , Marshall Field ’s , and Comiskey , that is .
Hating on the City of Chicago
For as much as we pull on those that bemock our metropolis , we ’re twice as bad when it comes to ripping on the City of Chicago . From privatized parking metre to fishy red - light cameras to thatlittle FBI probe in the ' 90sand our all - aroundlegendary political putrefaction , they ’ve given us a lot of stuff to work with . Can you blame us if we ’re still cackling overDaleyismsdecades afterwards , or ca n’t stop laughing our little head teacher off over that video ofRahm Emanuel dancingto “ Blurred Lines ” ?
Also, defending Chicago to the death
Nelson Algren once said that lie with Chicago is “ like loving a woman with a broken nose ” – and he ’s right . We ’re well aware of our metropolis ’s imperfections , but should an foreigner make bold insult our urban center , we ’ll joyously rip them to iota – and we ’ll do so in the most creative way possible . Here ’s to you , Brianna and Jaelin !
The Chicago vs. New York rivalry
Chicagoans have been trading poking with New Yorkers for as long as anyone can recollect . leave that both city have more in common than any other urban center in America , there ’s quite a little to duke it out over . Most of the metre , it’sall in skilful fun … until it ’s not . Like , you have intercourse , that sentence Jon Stewart called Chicago - trend pizza pie " an above - primer coat marinara swim pond for rat . " Rahm clapped back in the most Chicago of means : he sentThe Daily Showdeep - dish pizzascovered in dead fish . Rahm : 1 , NY : 0 . We apologize for ever mocking your gratifying dancing moves , Mr. Mayor .
Sign up herefor our casual Chicago email and be the first to get all the food / drunkenness / sport in town .
Courtesy of Portillo’s
Flickr/Francesco Villa
Flickr/vonderauvisuals
Flickr/Scott L
James.Pintar/Shutterstock