After our chat about tongue twisters, a Chicago, Illinois, listener shares one that looks much easier than it sounds: Irish wristwatch. This is part of a complete episode.
Michael from Jones, Michigan, says he was stationed on a U.S. Army base in Germany in the early 1960s. If there was a gust of cold wind, a fellow soldier would say the hawk’s out. This expression is largely associated with Chicago, Illinois...
rivet n.— «An apprentice ironworker who does jobs such as running for coffee and getting tools for the journeymen. Rivet: Another nickname for an apprentice.Rivet: Another nickname for an apprentice.» —“Chicago Speak” by...
hospital side n.— «The hospital side: The location of someone standing in the path of a beam being raised by cable.» —“Chicago Speak” by Anne Keegan Chicago Tribune Feb. 3, 1994. (source: Double-Tongued...
come-along
n.— «Come along: A ratchet tool that ironworkers use to clamp onto a beam and pull it into place.» —“Chicago Speak” by Anne Keegan Chicago Tribune Feb. 3, 1994. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
do-si-do
n.— «Doing a do-si-do: Swinging a large steel beam 180 degrees from the direction it’s going.» —“Chicago Speak” by Anne Keegan Chicago Tribune Feb. 3, 1994. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)