09/29/2026
The city of Chicago is one of the most famous places in the United States, but if you do not grow up there, it can feel like a totally different country.
Real Chicagoans do not just follow the regular laws written down in books by the government.
Instead, they grow up learning an entirely unwritten code of conduct that dictates how they talk, drive, eat, and survive the cold winters.
One of the most important rules is that you must never put ketchup on a hot dog.
A true Chicago-style hot dog is dragged through the garden. This means it is loaded with yellow mustard, neon green relish, chopped onions, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt inside a poppy seed bun.
When it comes to drinking, locals share a rite of passage involving a very bitter liquor called Jeppson’s Malört.
It has a harsh, medicine-like taste, and locals love to buy a shot of it just to watch the shocked faces that out-of-town guests make.
If you want to blend in at a neighborhood pub, you can order a Chicago Handshake, which pairs a shot of Malört with a classic can of Old Style beer.The way people talk and live is also unique.
People call their main front living room the front room, but they smash the words together so it sounds like frun-chroom.
Many people live in two-flats, which are traditional two-story brick buildings meant for two separate families.
Locals also love using unnecessary prepositions, naturally asking where are you at instead of just where are you.Navigating the city requires learning its special geography.
Drivers never use interstate numbers like ninety or ninety-four. Instead, they use historical names like the Dan Ryan, the Kennedy, the Eisenhower, and the Edens.
Because of heavy traffic, distance is always measured in minutes rather than miles. To keep from getting lost, locals use massive Lake Michigan as a personal internal compass. Walking toward the water always means you are heading East.
The downtown area is shaped by the loud roaring noise of the overhead L train network, which runs on metal tracks high above the streets. When it is time for dinner, locals skip the famous deep-dish pizza and order thin, crispy tavern-style pizza instead.
This pizza is explicitly cut into small square pieces so people can easily hold a slice in one hand and a drink in the other.
The weather also creates funny traditions. In April, nature tricks everyone with fool’s spring, a week where it reaches seventy-five degrees on Monday before a massive snowstorm hits on Thursday.
When real winter snow piles up, it triggers the unwritten law of dibs. Residents spend hours shoveling a street parking spot and then place an old lawn chair in the empty space to claim ownership of it.
Finally, the giant skyscraper with two white antennas will always be called the Sears Tower by true born-and-raised locals, completely ignoring the official name change to Willis Tower.
All of these funny habits, special words, and proud traditions are what truly bring the community together and make someone feel like a real part of Chicago.
