1. Explaining What An Edible Horseshoe Is
When it comes to American sandwiches, this Illinois variety is really one of a kind. It’s an open faced sandwich that consists of hamburger, cheese sauce, and a pile of fries on a bed of thick Texas toast. If you want one of these, start looking in the Springfield area.
2. Saying The “S” In Illinois
It’s pronounced like Des Moines, the “s” is silent. Saying “El-Eh-Noise” is a sure way to stick out as someone that doesn’t belong in this state.
3. Putting Ketchup On A Hot Dog
The closer you get to the Chicago region, the more taboo putting ketchup on a hot dog gets. It’s said that this sugary condiment masks the flavor of the meat. Most Chicagoans would probably agree.
4. Waiting For The Bears To Start Dominating Again
According to Bears fans, they’re always the best team in the league come preseason. According the Packers fans, the “Bears still suck.” Regardless of what their last season looked like and what people are predicting in the preseason reports, Illinoisans will always back their Bears…unless they’re down south cheering on the Rams.
5. Extremely Long Waits For Their Deep Dish Pizza
While places like Pizzeria Uno, Giordano’s, and Lou Malnati’s all have great pies, true Illinoisans would rather not deal with all the tourists that flock there and the huge waits that come with them. The tiny pizza shop down the street will do just fine. It’s even better if they serve up fresh pies by the slice.
6. Explaining To Outsiders That Chicagoland And The Rest Of Illinois Are Basically Different Worlds
Just because Chicagoland is technically in Illinois doesn’t mean that it’s anything like the rest of the state. A major metropolitan in a very rural region of the country, Illinoisans from outside of the Chicago area are surely sick of explaining that’s not where they’re from to every out-of-staters they meet.
7. Picking A Single Baseball Team For The Whole State
With both the Chicago Cubs and the White Sox hailing from the Windy City, that makes it hard enough to pick a single Illinois team. Add in the fact that the lower half of the state would rather cheer for the nearby St. Louis Cardinals and you’ve got quite the collection of in-state rivalries brewing.
8. Illini Haters
It’s impossible not to love the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. A team full of energy and usually in the running for a good season, not cheering for the orange and blue at least a little bit in this state is basically a sin.
var googletag = googletag || {};
googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];
(function() {
var gads = document.createElement(‘script’);
gads.async = true;
gads.type = ‘text/javascript’;
var useSSL = ‘https:’ == document.location.protocol;
gads.src = (useSSL ? ‘https:’ : ‘http:’) +
‘//www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js’;
var node = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0];
node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node);
})();
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
googletag.defineSlot(‘/1014900/M_Blog_300x250_Inline’, [300, 250], ‘div-gpt-ad-1425403311834-0’).addService(googletag.pubads());
googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
googletag.enableServices();
});
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1425403311834-0’); });
9. Working On Casimir Pulaski Day
Illinois is unique in that they get a day off of for someone that most Americans have never heard of. Taking place on the first Monday of every March, people all around this state won’t have to go to work or school in memoriam of Casimir Pulaski, a Polish officer that was a leader in the American cavalry during the Revolutionary War.
10. All That Road Construction
A state that’s seemingly under constant construction, it doesn’t take long for Illinoisans to start pulling their hair out while they’re stuck in half speed traffic and countless detours during a long drive day after day.
11. Seeking Cover During Storm Sirens
Obviously seeking cover when the storm sirens go off is what you should do. However, it seems like more Illinoisans would rather step out on the front porch and watch the storm roll in, beer in hand. It might not be the smartest thing to do, but it’s pretty darn exciting.
12. Going To An Actual Ocean
Illinois is home to tons of natural water that does just fine when it comes to cooling off on a hot day. Instead of making the long drive to an actual ocean, people around here are more likely to take a dip in a lake, go tubing down a creek, or even stick their toes in the sand on one of Chicagoland’s many beaches.
13. Leaving The State To Buy Fireworks
While Illinois and Indiana both have strict firework laws, a huge variety of fireworks are for sale in Indiana that aren’t available in Illinois. Of course, crossing state lines with fireworks in your car is illegal at the federal level and can result in a 1 year prison sentence. Still, every year thousands of Illinoisans will drive a state over to get the fuel for their 4th of July fix.
14. Explaining To Outsiders Why Abe Lincoln Was Our Best President
He helped abolish slavery. He was known for his honesty. He looks darn good in a full beard and giant top hat. If these things don’t make him the best president we’ve ever had, I don’t know what will. Plus, he grew up in Illinois, so he’ll always get some love around the “Land of Lincoln.”
15. Waiting For The Weather To Make Up Its Mind
Home to the temperamental weather that the Midwest is famous for, sun one hour in Illinois can mean that hail is coming the next. Illinoisans have perfected the art of preparing for any possible scenario before they leave the house. They’re totally used to experiencing four seasons in a single day.
16. For All That Snow To Melt
Aside from having moody storms, Illinois is also notorious for its extremely harsh winters, especially the closer you get to the Chicago lake effects. Unfortunately, the government here is also known by its residents for taking quite some time to clear the roads. However, regardless of what’s on the ground, Illinoisans will still usually be able to go about their day completely normal.
var googletag = googletag || {};
googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];
(function() {
var gads = document.createElement(‘script’);
gads.async = true;
gads.type = ‘text/javascript’;
var useSSL = ‘https:’ == document.location.protocol;
gads.src = (useSSL ? ‘https:’ : ‘http:’) +
‘//www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js’;
var node = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0];
node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node);
})();
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
googletag.defineSlot(‘/1014900/M_Blog_300x250_Inline2’, [300, 250], ‘div-gpt-ad-1425403275176-0’).addService(googletag.pubads());
googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
googletag.enableServices();
});
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1425403275176-0’); });
17. Waiting In Line At Six Flags Great America
Home to 50 rides, including 12 roller coasters, it’s no surprise that Great America draws nearly 3 million people every year. Of course, with all those park-goers, it means there will be huge lines. Most Illinoisans know exactly when to go to avoid the biggest crowds.
18. Determining If Springfield Is Actually The Simpsons’ Springfield
Widely debated through the years, this Illinois town shares the same name as the town home to everyone’s favorite yellow cartoon family. Unfortunately, Simpsons creator Matt Groening has ended this debate recently in interviews. The city is based off of his hometown of Portland and the name probably comes from an executive producer’s hometown, Springfield, Mass.
19. Calling Things By Their Real Names
According to people in Illinois, it’s not the Willis Tower, it’s the Sears Tower…it’s not the Cloud Gate, it’s the Bean. Regardless of what name something is given, people in this state just kind of call things what they want.
20. Following Basic Traffic Laws
It doesn’t take much driving around this state before you come to the realization that passing a driver’s license test means nothing when it comes to your skill at actually operating a vehicle on the road.
Drivers here are extremely unpredictable, as simple rules like turn signals, single lane changes, and speed limits simply seem to not apply, especially in the Chicago region.
21. Taking LSD During Rush Hour
Everyone from Chicagoland knows what roads should be avoided during the busiest times of the day, including Lake Shore Drive. There’s nothing worse than Chicago traffic, where one wrong turn can make you hours late.
22. Hunting Down The Perfect Pork Tenderloin
While Indiana is better known for creating the deep-fried pork tenderloin sandwich, Illinois has perfected it. Huge in the Southern half of this state, pretty much anywhere you go to get one will deliver one of the best sandwiches you’ve ever had to your plate.
23. Making It All The Way Up To Chicago
While most outsiders seem to assume that everyone in Illinois lives most of their life in Chicago, Illinoisans from down south rarely make the long drive to the northeastern corner of their state. Instead they’ll just go to another nearby place for their big city fix, St. Louis.
24. Justifying Why Life In Illinois Is So Awesome
Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, most outsiders seem to skip over Illinois when it comes to listing their favorite places to visit. The further you get from the Land of Lincoln, you’ll start to realize that most people haven’t even been to Chicago.
However, with the perfect mix of rural communities in the south and a huge metropolitan area up north, Illinois is one state that you can explore for a lifetime and still not see it all.
Like This Post? You’ll Definitely Love These:
