Illinois

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JL21
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Re: Illinois

Post by JL21 »

clevername wrote:4. Alaska (6.06)
Eskimos are fiendishly devious. Who knew that Machiavelli's "Prince" was named Nanook?

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thrill
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Re: Illinois

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Popeye_Card wrote:
Jocephus wrote:just be glad you dont live in kansas and have to hear "oh, where's toto?!?!" everytime you tell someone yer from kansas
Being from Southern Illinois is pretty bad in it's own way. If you tell someone you're from Illinois, they'll immediately say something about Chicago, or otherwise assume you are from Chicago. I grew up on the opposite corner of the state from Chicago--like 6 hours away. Like I give a flying flip about Chicago.
Well it is the only thing about Illinois that actually matters.

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jim
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Re: Illinois

Post by jim »

I love when you talk to people from Europe and tell them you live near Chicago. Even if they don't speak English, they will inevitably say something about Al Capone.

The other little thing that irritates me about the IPASS system that when your account falls below like $20 they automatically charge your credit card. So they basically have all of this cash in their system, and if you are like us you can go months without spending the $20. Why do they get the interest on that money and not me?

Just another bend over moment brought to you by the land of Lincoln.

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Radbird
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Re: Illinois

Post by Radbird »

JL21 wrote:
Popeye_Card wrote: Huh. I never thought North Dakota would be so corrupt. Good thing I have no plans of even stepping foot in that state, much less living there.
You're not living until you've been to Fargo-Moorhead.
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Michael
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Re: Illinois

Post by Michael »

jim wrote:I love when you talk to people from Europe and tell them you live near Chicago. Even if they don't speak English, they will inevitably say something about Al Capone.
Yep, they also mention Michael Jordan.

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thrill
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Re: Illinois

Post by thrill »

Michael wrote:
jim wrote:I love when you talk to people from Europe and tell them you live near Chicago. Even if they don't speak English, they will inevitably say something about Al Capone.
Yep, they also mention Michael Jordan.
Is it very windy there, yes?
Kinda.
It is called Windy City!
Yeah but that name is derived more from early 20th century city politicians being called "bags of wind." Ironically there is some pretty nasty lake-effect wind from time-to-time.
It is very windy, yes?
Yes. Very windy. That's where the name came from.

tscards
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Re: Illinois

Post by tscards »

We moved to S.Dakota almost 4 yrs ago from Chicago. There are roads out here, but no toll-roads. And, no state income tax -- it's actually a very nice state & where we are, great for raising kids - no 3 hour chicago commute!

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Re: Illinois

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thrill wrote:Yeah but that name is derived more from early 20th century city politicians being called "bags of wind." Ironically there is some pretty nasty lake-effect wind from time-to-time.
Nit pick - that's not true:
The average mope believes Chicago was so dubbed because it's windy, meteorologically speaking. The more sophisticated set (including, till recently, your columnist) thinks the term originated in a comment by Charles Dana, editor of the New York Sun in the 1890s. Annoyed by the vocal (and ultimately successful) efforts of Chicago civic leaders to land the world's fair celebrating Columbus's discovery of America, Dana urged his readers to ignore "the nonsensical claims of that windy city"--windy meaning excessively talkative.

But that may not be the true explanation either. Scouring the magazines and newspapers of the day, Popik found that the nickname commonly used for Chicago switched from the Garden City to the Windy City in 1886, several years before Dana's comment. The earliest citation was from the Louisville Courier-Journal in early January, 1886, when it was used in reference to the wind off Lake Michigan. In other words, the average mope was right all along! However, when Popik attempted to notify former Chicagoan but soon-to-be New Yorker Hillary Rodham Clinton of his findings, she blew him off with a form letter--and this from a woman facing a campaign for the Senate. Come on, Hill, quit worrying about the Puerto Ricans and pay attention here. You want to lose the etymologist vote?
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990917.html

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thrill
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Re: Illinois

Post by thrill »

Michael wrote:
thrill wrote:Yeah but that name is derived more from early 20th century city politicians being called "bags of wind." Ironically there is some pretty nasty lake-effect wind from time-to-time.
Nit pick - that's not true:
The average mope believes Chicago was so dubbed because it's windy, meteorologically speaking. The more sophisticated set (including, till recently, your columnist) thinks the term originated in a comment by Charles Dana, editor of the New York Sun in the 1890s. Annoyed by the vocal (and ultimately successful) efforts of Chicago civic leaders to land the world's fair celebrating Columbus's discovery of America, Dana urged his readers to ignore "the nonsensical claims of that windy city"--windy meaning excessively talkative.

But that may not be the true explanation either. Scouring the magazines and newspapers of the day, Popik found that the nickname commonly used for Chicago switched from the Garden City to the Windy City in 1886, several years before Dana's comment. The earliest citation was from the Louisville Courier-Journal in early January, 1886, when it was used in reference to the wind off Lake Michigan. In other words, the average mope was right all along! However, when Popik attempted to notify former Chicagoan but soon-to-be New Yorker Hillary Rodham Clinton of his findings, she blew him off with a form letter--and this from a woman facing a campaign for the Senate. Come on, Hill, quit worrying about the Puerto Ricans and pay attention here. You want to lose the etymologist vote?
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990917.html
The only origin of the term that matters is not the first recorded use of the term, but the use of the term that caught on. You etymology nerds can suck it.

jim
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Re: Illinois

Post by jim »

Windy or not, the weather sucks in Illinois. Reason #8,400,398 for not liking it.

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