A little humor. You might be from Illinois if...

Selke · Apr 30, 2006

...
You know what the phone number is to Empire Carpet. (588-2300 E M P I R E!!)

Connecticut also has Empire Carpet. Seeing the commercials and hearing the jingles makes me so homesick!

suebird3 · Apr 30, 2006

One minor problem....I lived "just a bit south"of I 80 for 24 years, and we "are" still "North East" Illinois. Especially during severe weather.

You also forgot the 2 seasons we have....Winter, and Road Construction (or is that "destruction"?)

Suebird

Trauma Columnist · Apr 30, 2006

Oh oh - I live in southern IL? Yikes...I actually live just a little south of Peoria right in the middle of the state. I'll add another:

- You know you live in IL because your governor lives in Chicago instead of the Governor's Mansion in Springfield!

Jolie, BSN · Apr 30, 2006

OMG! Someone understands!

There are (at least) 4 of us on this BB who actually know what a tenderloin is :) My family is coming to visit me in Omaha next week, and they have strict orders to bring some with. I'll supply the pop!

Selke · Apr 30, 2006

5{\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0]OMG! Someone understands!

There are (at least) 4 of us on this BB who actually know what a tenderloin is :) My family is coming to visit me in Omaha next week, and they have strict orders to bring some with. I'll supply the pop!

Oh yeah, farm raised, corn fed beef from the midwest (not from factory farms!) or grass or range fed (as in Texas)!!! My relatives are farmers in Iowa and we used to get the best beef from them, including tenderloin.

You know you are from Chicago if you end sentences with "with" as you just did .... LOL!

Jolie, BSN · Apr 30, 2006

Sorry Anon Nurse. You are referring to the "traditional", delicious meaning of tenderloin.

We are referring to a bad cut of pork, hammered to 1/4 inch thickness and the size of a dinner plate, breaded, deep fried to golden perfection, and eaten on a bun with dill pickle. Some of the best junk food you'll ever have, and you'll be full for days afterward! Try "R Place Restaurant" in Morris, or stop in Frank Polancic's Butcher Shop in Ottawa for frozen tenderloins to take home.

I've probably grossed you out.

Selke · Apr 30, 2006

Sorry Anon Nurse. You are referring to the "traditional", delicious meaning of tenderloin.
We are referring to a bad cut of pork, hammered to 1/4 inch thickness and the size of a dinner plate, breaded, deep fried to golden perfection, and eaten on a bun with dill pickle. Some of the best junk food you'll ever have, and you'll be full for days afterward! Try "R Place Restaurant" in Morris, or stop in Frank Polancic's Butcher Shop in Ottawa for frozen tenderloins to take home.
I've probably grossed you out.

My bad. It sounds delicious! Do they sell these in Chicago or anywhere driving north towards WI?

PS "The Blues Brothers" is on TV right now. There's nothing like Chicago radio out in New England ... am missing WXRT.

Jolie, BSN · May 1, 2006

You know you are from Chicago if you end sentences with "with" as you just did .... LOL!

I moved from Chicago to Omaha a year ago, and became fast friends with a neighbor who arrived at the same time from Boston. She's lived her entire life on the East Coast. We were discussing local oddities one day and she mentioned how everyone seemed to cut off their sentences saying, for example, "Would you like to go with?" instead of "Would you like to go with us?" I told her that is just how we midwesterners talk. That's OK, I love to laugh at her accent, "Pahk the cahr." "Castro is the ruler of Cuber." "The keys are in the drawha."

Sorry that you are so homesick. I can relate. I spent 7 (of the longest) years of my life in Philadelphia. Not exactly New England, but it's the closest I would ever want to go! I like Omaha (at least it's in the Midwest), but can't wait for my trips home this summer. We'll be taking the girls to see King Tut at the Field Museum, Leonardo DaVinci at the Museum of Science and Industry, Wicked at the Oriental Theater, eat some REAL pizza, Garrett's popcorn, play in the fountain at Millenium Park. I could go on and on!

Dink75 · May 1, 2006

You don't pronounce the "s" at the end of Illinois.

You become irate at people who do.

You measure distance in minutes. (SO?)

You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Des >Plaines," (You got it!)

Your school classes were canceled because of the cold.

Your school classes were canceled because of the heat.

You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

Stores don't have sacks, they have bags. (DUH!)

You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: Where's my coat at?" or "If you go to the mall I wanna go with," (is there something wrong with this)?

You can locate Illinois on the United States map.

Your idea of a great tenderloin is when the meat is twice as big as the bun and accompanied only by ketchup and a dill pickle slice. (YEAH!)

When asked how your trip was to any foreign, exotic place, you say "It was different."

You carry jumper cables in your car.

You drink "pop." (Exactly)

You realize that I-290, I-90, I-94, and I-294 are all different roads.

You refer to any interstate highway as "the Tollway."

You know the names of the intestates: Stevenson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, Dan Ryan.

You refer to anything South of I-80 as "Southern Illinois."

You refer to Lake Michigan as "The Lake."

You refer to Chicago as "The City."

No matter where you are, when you hear the term "Downtown" you immediately assume they're talking about Downtown Chicago.

You have two favorite football teams: The Bears, and anyone who beats the Packers.

You buy "The Trib."

You know what goes on a Chicago Style Hot Dog.

You know what Chicago Style Pizza REALLY is.

You know why they call Chicago "The Windy City."

You understand what "lake-effect" means.

You know the difference between Amtrak and Metra, and know which station they end up at.

You have ridden the "L."

You can distinguish between the following area codes: 847, 630, 773, 708, 312, & 815.

You know what the phone number is to Empire Carpet. (588-2300 E M P I R E!!)

Those are so funny. My dad is from Illinois. He moved to Kentucky where he met my mom and lived here ever since. I remember as kids going to grandma's and everyone staring at us on the playground because we talked "funny." Same thing happens now with my own kids. Somethings never change. Ha ha! When I was little, it took me forever to figure out that "pop" was "coke." I spent most of my time saying "huh?".

prinsessa · May 5, 2006

Those are so funny. My dad is from Illinois. He moved to Kentucky where he met my mom and lived here ever since. I remember as kids going to grandma's and everyone staring at us on the playground because we talked "funny." Same thing happens now with my own kids. Somethings never change. Ha ha! When I was little, it took me forever to figure out that "pop" was "coke." I spent most of my time saying "huh?".

It took me a while to realize that people in other parts of the country call pop "soda". When I used to waitress, people would ask for soda and I would say "do you mean club soda?" :lol2: And I say "Do you want to come with?" I never knew there was anything strange about it .

pickledpepperRN · May 5, 2006

It took me a while to realize that people in other parts of the country call pop "soda". When I used to waitress, people would ask for soda and I would say "do you mean club soda?" And I say "Do you want to come with?" I never knew there was anything strange about it .

My Dad and husband grew up in Chicago. DH once brought a hot dog home for me on the plane.

My kids say, "Want to come with?"

Years ago I worked at a Kosher hot dog place in Hollywood, California frequented by Eastern European immigrants who lined up to pay two cents for a glass of "Seltzer" (carbonated water)