Chicago pre-trip #8: Da Chicago slanguage

Talk about the Windy City.

Like Winnipeg, the Chicago of the North, Chicago, the Winnipeg of the South, has a vocabulary all its own.

There are similarities. In Chicago, like Winnipeg, they drink "pop" and "brewskis," say "bogus," and have two seasons, one is often told: "winter and construction."

Have you yet wiped the tears of delight from your eyes? Good - here are some of the other terms you'll need to know when visiting the Windy City:

• The Loop: the Chicago central business district, surrounded by the rapid-transit "L" train. Winnipeg equivalent: "Downtown."

• The Magnificent Mile: Michigan Ave, the heart of the Chicago shopping district, one block from our hotel.

• The Lake: That would be...Michigan! Winnipeg equivalent: any lake.

• Chicagoland: The all-encompassing name for the Chicago Metropolitan area.

• Downtown: anywhere south of Lincoln Park Zoo and north of Soldier Field.

• Gold Coast: ritzy Chicago neighborhood and a great place to go for a walk.

• The "L" or "el": Chicago's elevated-train, rapid-transit system.

• Da: The. Da Bears. Da Bullz. Da Sox. Etc.

• Jewels: The name of the Chicago grocery-store chain, Jewel-Osco. Winnipeg equivalent: "Safeways."

• Field's: Macy's replaced the Marshall Field department store ages ago, but Chicagoans still sometimes call it "Field's." Winnipeg equivalent: calling MTS Centre "Eatons."

• Brat/Sassage/Beef/Polish/Char-dog/Sammich: bratwurst, sausage, Italian beef sandwich, Polish sausage, grilled-wiener dog, and sandwich, respectively. Mix and match and place your order by saying, "Gimme a ____."

• Goes: "So then, I goes, Margie, I goes." Winnipeg equivalent, "So then, I says, Margie, I says."

• Over by dere: Roger Ebert suggests this one from his own list of Chicago slanguage. It means, "Over there."

• Jaggoff: Ya cut me off, ya jaggoff!

• Da Ryan/Kennedy/Stevenson/Ike/Edens: the expressways around the city.

• Kaminsky Park/da Cell: the oft-mispronounced Comiskey Park, or U.S. Cellular Field, where Da Sox play.

• Willis Tower: Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Sears Tower?

• Ketchum Pee Air: Ketchum PR agency, where we will tour on our trip.

• Youse: "Hey youse guys, where youse goin'?"

• Kankakee: Another Ebert entry. The state mental health facility. Winnipeg equivalent: "Are you from Selkirk or something?"

See youse dere, youse jaggoffs!