CITY OF MANY NAMES

Is Chicago “The Great American City”? Learn 11 Of The City’s Nicknames

Image: Sawyer Bengtson

Chicago is not even that windy. Anyone who’s also been to Amarillo, Texas, or Boston, Massachusetts can tell you that. So, why and when did we start referring to Chicago as "the Windy City"? Or "Second City"? Or Chiberia, Chitown, or the City of Big Shoulders? Chicago is the third largest city in the U.S. and has a long-standing history as a beacon of culture, architecture, industry, and technology. Let’s explore the origin of the many names that journalists, artists, and residents have come up with throughout the decades.

Image: Rezal Scharfe

Did you know that Chicago wasn’t the first "Windy City"? No, the first city to be given that title was Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was called that as early as 1856. However, twenty years later, a great rivalry between Cincinnati and Chicago was unfolding. In an effort to mock the town that was its sports and meatpacking rival, Cincinnati’s press started to repeatedly refer to their neighbor town as "that windy city".

The nickname stuck, even though Chicago isn’t even among the 10 windiest cities in the U.S. The top spot is said to belong to Amarillo, Texas, which has an annual average wind speed of 12.9 miles per hour.

Image: Gautam Krishnan

There is a misconception that Chicago gave itself this nickname after successfully rebuilding and recovering from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Historians insist that this is not where the name originated and that there are no documents to back that story.

"Second City," just like "Windy City," was born out of mockery. Towards the end of the 19th century, after having annexed neighboring suburbs, Chicago had, in fact, become the second-largest city in the U.S. by population. The title fluctuated over time to refer to Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and then back to Chicago. But in 1952, a publication by New Yorker writer A.J. Liebling settled it forever. He had lived in Chicago for a few months, which was long enough for him to decide he hated it. Lebling wrote a humorous recollection called Chicago: The Second City, poking fun at it, and the text became so popular that the moniker stuck.

Image: Sawyer Bengtson

The first recorded use of this term appears in the1890s. Back then, a trend was to call important cities by their first letter or letters and add "town". Thus words like O-Town (for Orlando), H-Town (for Houston), and Chi-Town (for Chicago) were formed.

Chicago’s shortened version can also be found as "Chi-Town" or "Chi-town". Even though some official organizations have adopted the tag and run with it (for events like the Chi-Town Rumble or the Chi-Town Rising), some citizens of Chicago dislike it and cringe at its use.

Image: Josh Howard

In 1914, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sandburg published his poem "Chicago." This one was the first in a long series titled Chicago Poems, which celebrates and praises the industrial and cultural endeavors of Sandburg’s chosen home.

"City of Big Shoulders" appears in the fifth line of the free verse poem, right after describing the city as "Stormy, husky, brawling." That is only one of the names Sandburg uses throughout the text. Another of the nicknames that stuck through time is the one that opens the poem: "Hog Butcher for the World," referring to the city’s iconic meatpacking industry.

Image: Nimisha Mekala

You might have guessed that "Chiberia" is a portmanteau of "Chicago" and "Siberia", and you might have guessed why. Chicago is not the coldest city in the country. However, in 2014, it came close to breaking its cold temperature record which had been in place since 1983, when it had reached −57°F (−49°C).

During that historically low cold wave of 2014, Richard Castro, a National Weather Service meteorologist, coined the term online. On his way to work one February day, Castro came up with that term and tweeted it. The tweet went viral, and other news media picked it up. Soon, "Chiberia" flooded gift shops appearing in sweatshirts and mugs. The nickname has been used since then as a reminder of Chicago’s harsh weather.

Image: Nancy Bourque

This name is a direct translation of the motto adopted by the government of Chicago in the 1830s: Urbs in Horto. In Latin, this means "City in a Garden," and it is written on the city’s seal. In the 19th century, however, the motto did not refer to the present or future, but to the past. It was a nod towards the prairies and beaches that existed in the Chicago area before the expansion of the city.

Nowadays, the green spaces in Chicago have expanded to cover 8,000 acres. That is 8.3% of the city’s size. The largest ones are Lincoln Park and Burnham Park.

Image: Trace Hudson

This name is the reference that appears in the state anthem of Illinois: "...Till upon the inland sea, stands thy great commercial tree." The words were written by Civil War veteran Charles H. Chamberlin in 1890. That year, a campaign was in place to host the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and composing the Illinois State Song was one of their strategies. The campaign was successful and the event is now remembered as the Chicago World’s Fair.

The song features plenty of references to nature, including the prairies, rivers, and wilderness found in the state. Within it, Chicago stands out in the second verse, referenced in the lines "Till upon the inland sea, stands thy great commercial tree, turning all the world to thee, Illinois, Illinois."

Image: Phil

This tagline is beloved by tourism agencies promoting the city. Its origin is in a tune sung by Frank Sinatra in the 1964 movie Robin and the 7 Hoods. In the film, Sinatra’s character, Robin, is greeted by a cheering crowd when he comes out of jail. In celebration and gratitude, he sings, "This is my kind of town, Chicago is."

Interestingly, some years earlier, Sinatra had popularized another song referencing the city: "Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)." The name references Toddle, a dance style that had been famous in the city in the 1920s when the song was first published. Since the release of Sinatra’s version of that song, "That Toddling Town" has become another nickname for Chicago.

Image: Muzammil Soorma

We know that Chicago is not on the East Coast or the West Coast. It is instead on what is sometimes colloquially called the Third Coast of the U.S., referring to the area of the Great Lakes. Even though Michigan is the state with the longest shoreline of the 48 lower states, Chicago has earned this nickname for being the largest city in the Great Lakes region.

What helped further solidify the nickname for Chicago was the book The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream, published by author Thomas Dyja in 2013.

Image: Matt & Chris Pua

This nickname was born from the aforementioned 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (Chicago World’s Fair). The same fair also gave rise to the label "The City Beautiful." That was the name given to an architectural and urban planning movement that sought to beautify the main cities of the countries.

The fair was an opportunity to display some of the principles proposed by this movement. For this purpose, an exposition was directed by architect Daniel Burnham. His team built a modern city showcasing classical uniform buildings, all painted in white, in a style that would become known as monumentalism. This model city was called the "White City." Both this and "The City Beautiful" have become enduring references to Chicago.

Image: Gautam Krishnan

This last nickname comes from the notion shared by some writers that Chicago is the last Great American City. Yes, even greater than New York, they claim. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Norman Mailer made that grand statement in his book Miami and the Siege of Chicago (1968).

Something similar was declared by Robert J. Sampson’s 2012 study Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect. In this study, he proposed that Chicago was "arguably the most quintessential American city." Chicagoans, of course, were proud of these labels, and some have used the term to crown the city ever since.

Lost in time

Ever felt "crapulous"? Check out 10 beautiful words we no longer use

Image: Blaz Photo

Life is always evolving, and because language is a reflection of life, it changes too, sometimes in ways we hardly notice. English is full of beautiful terms that we use every day, but it also holds many other gorgeous words that, unfortunately, we have stopped using over time. Cultural, social, and technological changes shape our vocabulary, causing many words -despite their charm- to fall into disuse. If you want to remember 10 beautiful English words that we don't use much anymore -but definitely should- this article is for you!

Image: Rob Curran

Let's start with a word that might test some people's patience. Well, not the word itself, but what it means.

"Murmuration" is a beautiful word in our language that refers to a soft, continuous sound, like the muttering of a crowd: ever-present but with no distinct voice standing out. A bit unsettling, isn't it? But despite its meaning, this word has a lovely, almost poetic sound. Just give it a try and say it out loud!

This noun comes from the Latin verb murmurare ("to murmur"). In English, the term has been used since the 14th century, and while it has fallen into disuse in recent decades, it can still be found in literary or formal contexts.

Image: Mitchel Lensink

If you want to sound elegant and sophisticated, this is the perfect word for your next conversation. However, be aware that most people might not be familiar with it, as it hasn't been a part of everyday language for a long time.

"Obambulate" means to walk around or wander without a specific direction or destination. For instance, you might say, "My grandfather enjoyed obambulating through the city streets during the evening hours." Quite fancy, right?

This verb in English comes from the Latin obambulare, which has the same meaning. The Latin word combines the prefix ob- ("around") with ambulare ("to walk").

Image: Gary Meulemans

"Crapulous" comes from the Latin crapula, which means "intoxication," and crapulentus, which means "drunk." The word in English has a similar meaning. A very clear example would be: "After the big party last night, the man woke up on the couch feeling crapulous and vowed never to drink again."

The word entered the English language in the 17th and 18th centuries to describe someone suffering from the effects of excessive drinking or eating. Although its use began to decline in the 19th century, this word remains a refined alternative for describing a hangover day. After a fabulous night, a crapulous day probably awaits.

Image: Helena Lopes

If a friend is asking you for advice about a situation or decision, it's wise to suggest they take some time to "recogitate" their conclusions before making a move. But what does this verb actually mean?

"Recogitate" means to think again or reconsider something very carefully. It comes from the Latin recogitare, formed from the prefix re- (again) and cogitare (to think). Its most frequent use in English was seen in formal written contexts beginning in the 18th century, but as early as the 19th century, its use began to decline, and the word was replaced by others, such as "reconsider."

Image: Luca Baggio

This word is related to one of the other terms we have already mentioned in this list. If "obambulate" is the verb that describes the action of wandering without an apparent destination, "solivagant" is the adjective that represents the person who does it.

"Solivagant" thus describes a solitary wanderer. This beautiful word that carries an air of mystery and introspection comes from the Latin solus ("alone") and vagari ("to wander").

A passage in a book might read, for example, "The author rejoiced in his days as a solivagant, wandering the quiet streets of that remote neighborhood." While this word has largely fallen out of everyday use, it's a good reminder of our language's beauty.

Image: Rutger Lanser

While this word continues to appear in formal and informal contexts, its usage has been declining in recent years.

We are talking about the term "ostentatious," an adjective used to describe someone or something that exhibits extravagance with the intention of impressing. Though often used with a touch of criticism, we can't deny the elegance of this word's form.

The term comes from the Latin ostentare, which means "to show off" or "to display." It entered English around the 17th century and was long used in our language, although recently, it has been replaced by other terms such as "showy."

Image: Mukund Shyam

This is one of our favorites! The word "cacography" has an interesting meaning and also a great sound.

This beautiful word entered the English language in the 16th century and was used to describe bad handwriting or misspellings. It doesn't come from Latin but from the combination of the Greek words kakos, meaning "bad," and graphein, meaning "to write." As you probably suspected, it can be thought of as the opposite of "calligraphy," which is beautiful or artistic writing.

If you want to use it in a sentence, you might say, "When I was a kid, the teachers often criticized my cacography in school."

Image: Afif Ramdhasuma

This is one of those words that sounds beautiful but has a not-so-beautiful meaning.

Here, we have another adjective, "contumelious," used to describe someone who is insolent, rude, disdainful, or arrogant. "Contumelious" (we just can't stop pronouncing it) comes from the Latin word contumelia, meaning "insult" or "abuse." The term entered Middle English around the 14th century, and its usage began to decline in the 19th century.

If you want to sound refined, you can say something like, "I won't tolerate their contumelious attitude, as it is a clear sign of disrespect."

Image: Jametlene Reskp

Those who struggle to meet their responsibilities, don't respond as well, or have difficulty accepting and following rules might be described with this word.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "peccable" is an adjective used to describe "someone liable or prone to sin: susceptible to temptation or error." This word in English is derived from the Latin word peccare ("to sin" or "to commit a fault") and the Latin adjective peccabilis ("liable to sin").

Due to the general beliefs of the time, this word was more commonly used during the 17th and 18th centuries, but its usage began to decline in the 19th century.

Image: Jonah Pettrich

No, this word doesn't refer to the big vehicle that carries passengers. It's something a bit different.

Although it's a bit simpler and less melodious than the other words on this list, "buss" still has its own charm. Want to know what it means? "Buss" can be both a noun meaning "a kiss" and a verb meaning "to kiss." Have you ever heard this word or used it in your conversations or letters?

It comes from the Old French word baiser, which also means "to kiss." The Old French term itself comes from the Latin basiāre, which had the same meaning, too.