Chicago, or "Windy City," as it is sometimes called.

The Cleveland Gazette published this article in 1885.

Chicago has been known by many names over the years, but "Windy City" is the one that has stuck.

Green Bay, Wisconsin, is where the term "Windy City" first appeared in print, all the way back in 1856. [1] The Chicago Cubs' rivalry with the Cincinnati Reds dates back to 1876, when the nickname was first used repeatedly. A full 126 years after the final game of the Cincinnati rivalry, the moniker's popularity shows no signs of waning.

Etymology [ edit ]

Chicago's proximity to Lake Michigan and the weather, the city's rivalry with Cincinnati, the World's Fair, and political history are all viable explanations for the city's moniker.

Weather [ edit ]

Chicago may have the nickname "Windy City," but it isn't actually the windiest city in the United States. According to data collected by NOAA and NCDC, the following are some of the windiest cities in the world: 13 years old in Dodge City, Kansas 9 mph (22 Amarillo, Texas, at 13 kilometers per hour (3 5 mph (21 7 miles per hour)[2]; Lubbock, Texas, at 12 A speed of about 4 mph (or 20 km/h) [3] The winds in Chicago are not noticeably more severe than those in any other major U. S city Chicago, for instance, has an annual average wind speed of 10 3 mph (16 6 kilometers per hour; Boston, 12 4 mph (20 New York City's Central Park (at 0 km/h) 3 mph (15 0 knots; and in LA, 7 5 mph (12 1 km/h) [4]

The Freeborn County Standard in Albert Lea, Minnesota, on November 20, 1892, published the following explanation for the "windy city" using the "wind tunnel" effect:[5]

Those from outside of Chicago often use the nickname "windy" to insult the city's residents by implying that they are arrogant. As newcomers became acclimated to the city, they discovered that many of her claims were supported by evidence, and the reputation is beginning to fade. People's usual tendency toward extremes means that one can essentially tell a stranger anything about present-day Chicago and have him believe it.
But in another respect, Chicago deserves to be called the "windy city." Wind is sucked down into the streets as a result of the tall buildings, an effect that engineers and architects apparently did not foresee. Even on the calmest day, if you walk by the Masonic Temple or the Auditorium, you will feel a brisk breeze at the base of the building that will make you want to cover your face with your hand.

Its location on Lake Michigan's shores contributes to the city of Chicago's pleasant breezes. citation neededWhen a citation is required, [it]

Chicago's breezy lakefront has long made it seem like the perfect summer destination. The lake breezes which so nicely tempered the mid-summer heats were touted in an 1873 article from the Boston Globe: "a few years ago, Chicago advertised itself as a summer resort." The people of this city are enjoying cool breezes, refreshing rains, green fields, a grateful sun, and balmy air—winds from the north and east tempered by the coolness of the lake," the Chicago Tribune proudly proclaimed on June 14, 1876, during an extensive discussion of "Chicago as a Summer Resort." the prairie's grass, flowers, wheat, and corn are frequently carried to us from the south and west. "

Chicago was dubbed "the great city of winds and fires" by the Philadelphia Inquirer on February 4, 1873. "[6]

Struggle between two Cincinnati establishments [ edit ]

In the 1860s and 1870s, Cincinnati and Chicago were fierce rivals. From at least 1843 on, Cincinnati was known as "Porkopolis" due to its prominence in the meatpacking industry. Beginning in the 1860s, Chicago dominated this industry, earning the city the same "Porkopolis" moniker as Cincinnati. [7]

Competition between cities in baseball was particularly fierce. Chicago created a team called the White Stockings to compete with and eventually beat the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the baseball world's best team at the time (1869). During the 1870s and 1880s, the term "Windy City" appeared frequently in the Cincinnati sports press.

The term "Windy City" is first documented in print in 1876 with four uses, all referring to Cincinnati.

1. The WINDY CITY Jay-Rollers La-Crosse Team Wins Inaugural Game Against Cincinnati Nannies," read the headline in the Chicago Tribune on April 20, 1876. "
2. A headline from the Cincinnati Enquirer on May 9, 1876, read "THAT WINDY CITY." What Weirdness Did the Last Tornado in Chicago Bring? "
3. Only the plucky nerve of the eating-house keeper saved the useful seats from a trip to the Windy City," reported the Cincinnati Enquirer on May 13, 1876. "
4. As reported by the Chicago Tribune on July 2, 1876: "The Cincinnati Enquirer, like many other papers, has been waiting with great anxiety for the fulfillment of its prophecy: that the Chicago papers would call the Whites hard names when they lost." Evidence from the day after the Whites' loss to the Athletics: a wail to us from Chicago. "

Global Exposition Hoax [ edit ]

It is commonly believed that Charles Dana, editor of The New York Sun, coined the phrase "Windy City" in an 1890s article bemoaning Chicago's victory over New York[8] in the bid to host the World's Fair. While the earliest recorded use of the term is from 1876, it has been in widespread use since at least 1886. Dana could not have coined the phrase because the World's Fair was not awarded to Chicago until 1890.

Politics [ edit ]

When writing about Chicago in the nineteenth century, journalists often used the term "windy city" to refer to the city because they supposedly thought its politicians were only interested in making money. While most of these journalists were based in New York, it is important to remember that the competition was between Chicago and other nineteenth-century metropolises. To rephrase, Chicago did not choose to be known as the "Windy City," but rather, it is a moniker that has grown on the city. [10]

Hawkins's or "The Hawk" wind [ edit ]

Wind in Chicago is commonly referred to as "The Hawk." This phrase has a long history of use in the slang of African Americans. In 1934, a series of columns in the Baltimore Sun attempted to determine where the expression "Hawkins is coming"—meaning a bitter winter wind—originated. And these cold mornings are on us - in other words 'Hawkins' has got us," appeared in the Chicago Defender for the first time on October 20, 1936. "[11]

Lou Rawls, a native of Chicago, sings the following words as the song's introduction in 1967's "Dead End Street"[12]:

They call the city I was born in "The Windy City," and that's where I was born. The city's nickname comes from the nearby Hawk The Mighty Hawk; The Hawk "Mr Wind" Deals with a lot of tasks during the colder months.

In addition, the first line of Steve Goodman's song "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" is "By the shores of old Lake Michigan / Where the Hawk Wind blows so cold." "[13]

Somewhere Else [ edit ]

The moniker "Windy City" has been appropriated by several other locations besides Chicago. Some of them are:

• The capital of Azerbaijan is known as Baku, Külklr şhri ("the City of Winds").
• Scotland's Capital and Largest City, Edinburgh
• The "Wind City of Africa," Essaouira, is in Morocco.
• "Windy" Hsinchu, Taiwan
• Canadian city of Lethbridge, Alberta
• Lule, Sweden, also known as "The Windy City" (Den blsiga staden)
• "the City of Wind" (Mahalengka) in Indonesia on the island of Java.
• La Bella Airosa ('The Beautiful Windy One') is a nickname for the Mexican city of Pachuca, Hidalgo.
• Cape Town, South Africa
• This is Wellington, New Zealand1.
• "The Windy City," also known as Zaragoza, Spain.
• The city of Davao in the Philippines
• A city in Bulgaria called Sliven

Notes [ edit ]

1. ^ Barry Popik (2004-10-11). New York City, the Windy City (Overview) Barrypopik com Retrieved 2011-10-01
2. ^ a b Enloe National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI): "U.S. Climate Extremes" www ncdc noaa gov
3. ^ The Weather Database: A Search Tool wind-speed weatherdb com
4. ^ D. Dellinger, et al. The Typical Monthly Wind Speed in Miles per Hour U.S. Climate Data Center Retrieved 2008-11-25
5. ^ Chicago's Meaningful Namesake chicagology com
6. ^ Professor Barry Popik Barry Popik www barrypopik com
7. ^ It's Popik, Barry It's "Barry Popik"1 www barrypopik com
8. ^ Tribune of Chicago, February 25, 1890, p 1 (reporting the host city's Congressional vote total)
9. ^ According to Adams, Cecil, and Popik, Barry (1999-09-17). "Why doesn't Cecil give credit where credit is due when discussing the Big Apple, and instead mention John J. Fitz Gerald? And what about "Windy City"?" The Real Deal Retrieved 2020-08-10
10. ^ Read "The Windy City's Hidden History," by Meghan Jones (Reader's Digest, 2018) to learn the surprising backstory behind Chicago's nickname.
11. ^ Barry Popik In this case, "Barry Popik"1 www barrypopik com
12. ^ BillyMatt, the Old School Kid (1 December 2011) Download or stream "LOU RAWLS - Dead End Street (The Very Best of LOU RAWLS)" on YouTube dead YouTube linkThe YouTube video you tried to access has been removed.
13. ^ 3 October 2007 - cubbymark A dying Cubs fan's final wish was to see Steve Goodman play one last game. This version was saved from YouTube's archives on December 22, 2021.

• Connection to Chicago

• Barry Popik's scholarly exploration of Chicago slang can be found in the seventh volume of Studies in Slang (2006, pages 50-71). In addition, Popik has a letter published in USA Today.
• Written by Michael Quinion and published at WorldWideWords under the title "Windy City" org
• In Chicago, Here's the Real Story Updates to the origin of the name are ongoing.
• Author Nathan Bierma asks, "Windy City, Where Did It Come From?" in his article "Windy City." Chicago Tribune, 12/29/ 7. (2004), p. Tempo,  1, 5 Published again in 2006's Studies in Slang volume 7 on pages 72-77