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Joe pod sidevokiem.
Posted by:
b.a.hoarder
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: March 26, 2011 01:47PM
Having a Polish heritage I remember a saying that go's like this- "Where's Joe?" and the answer is "Joe pod sidevokiem."(sp.) By now you are all thinking that I must have gone daft, but there is a reason for that saying.
In looking at the latest posts in the Time Capsule thread I saw that the side yard to the Horejsi property is lower than the sidewalk, street, and alley. In Frank's second picture from the 25th of March it is evident by looking at the color of the brick that the building was raised. I'm aware that the reason for raising streets was to provide proper sewerage disposal in the city and as a result buildings had to be raised, but I never really thought about the vast area that must have covered. I was born near 25th and Washtenaw and we had a sunken front yard. You went from the sidewalk, down some stairs, across the front yard and then up more stairs to the side entrance. That house, as well as many thousands in the city, had been raised and a basement added.
In '54 we moved to 54th & Rutherford. That house was new construction and at grade level, as were all the others for miles around, but along Archer Ave. it was a different story. At some point Archer's elevation had been changed. Buildings were at grade and none (to my knowledge) had to be raised probably because they came about long after the street raising. Empty lots were called prairies BITD and those lots along Archer were lower than the street. When the McDonald's was built near 6720 W. that lot had to be filled up to grade level.
OK, back to Joe. When the streets were raised some homes kept the old outhouse and that would have been lower than the street and sidewalk. In a saying unique to Chicago, if you inquired about someone and they happened to be in the washroom the response might be "Joe pod sidevokiem", literally "Joe's under the sidewalk." If anybody knows the correct spelling I'd be interested to find out, I did Google it but came up with nothing.
In looking at the latest posts in the Time Capsule thread I saw that the side yard to the Horejsi property is lower than the sidewalk, street, and alley. In Frank's second picture from the 25th of March it is evident by looking at the color of the brick that the building was raised. I'm aware that the reason for raising streets was to provide proper sewerage disposal in the city and as a result buildings had to be raised, but I never really thought about the vast area that must have covered. I was born near 25th and Washtenaw and we had a sunken front yard. You went from the sidewalk, down some stairs, across the front yard and then up more stairs to the side entrance. That house, as well as many thousands in the city, had been raised and a basement added.
In '54 we moved to 54th & Rutherford. That house was new construction and at grade level, as were all the others for miles around, but along Archer Ave. it was a different story. At some point Archer's elevation had been changed. Buildings were at grade and none (to my knowledge) had to be raised probably because they came about long after the street raising. Empty lots were called prairies BITD and those lots along Archer were lower than the street. When the McDonald's was built near 6720 W. that lot had to be filled up to grade level.
OK, back to Joe. When the streets were raised some homes kept the old outhouse and that would have been lower than the street and sidewalk. In a saying unique to Chicago, if you inquired about someone and they happened to be in the washroom the response might be "Joe pod sidevokiem", literally "Joe's under the sidewalk." If anybody knows the correct spelling I'd be interested to find out, I did Google it but came up with nothing.
Re: Joe pod sidevokiem.
Posted by:
daveg
(---.lightspeed.joltil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: March 26, 2011 03:58PM
During the FC Pilsen tour last year, we heard a similar "under the sidewalk" story. I recall my mom and dad using that phrase every once in awhile. We lived in one of those below grade Pilsen houses until I was 6 years old.
I recall hearing that certain beverages were kept under the sidewalk during the prohibition era. I don't think it was apple juice.
I recall hearing that certain beverages were kept under the sidewalk during the prohibition era. I don't think it was apple juice.
Re: Joe pod sidevokiem.
Posted by:
Berwyn Frank
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: March 26, 2011 05:46PM
B.A., great topic! This is interesting because when I was working with Maylynne Sternstein, the author of [i]Czechs of Chicagoland[/i], I told her a great "under the sidewalk " story. I have an old Bohemian lady named Doris in my neighborhood that has become a surrogate grandmother to me and she told me a story of her father who grew up in Pilsen. When Doris' daughter (who is now 65 years old) was a child, her grandfather used to scare her when she was bad and tell her that he would put her "under the sidewalk," but say it to her in Czech. It actually sounds close to the way you spelled it. This would scare the heck out of the little girl because she thought there were monsters under the sidewalk! Malynne used a version of this story in her book when describing the vaulted sidewalks of Pilsen.
Re: Joe pod sidevokiem.
Posted by:
nancybc
(---.va.shawcable.net)
Date: March 26, 2011 06:01PM
Thanks, for a wonderful storytelling topic.
Just great!
Cheers,
nancy
Just great!
Cheers,
nancy
Re: Joe pod sidevokiem.
Posted by:
PKDickman
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: March 26, 2011 06:35PM
b.a.hoarder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Having a Polish heritage I remember a saying that
> go's like this- "Where's Joe?" and the answer is
> "Joe pod sidevokiem."(sp.) By now you are all
> thinking that I must have gone daft, but there is
> a reason for that saying.
> OK, back to Joe. When the streets were raised some
> homes kept the old outhouse and that would have
> been lower than the street and sidewalk. In a
> saying unique to Chicago, if you inquired about
> someone and they happened to be in the washroom
> the response might be "Joe pod sidevokiem",
> literally "Joe's under the sidewalk." If anybody
> knows the correct spelling I'd be interested to
> find out, I did Google it but came up with
> nothing.
As another Pole, I too am familar with the phrase. But it does not refer to outhouses in the classic sense,
The sewer lines were laid in the street, but connections to the house weren't run.
A standard flush toilet was installed under the sidewalk.
The people next door to me when I lived on Wood st. actually still had a toilet in there (not in use).
I was amazed when I saw it. My mother had told me about "Joe pod sidevokiem" when I saw ship in a bottle type carved miniature of a sidewalk toilet scene in my uncle Tony's basement. I just thought it was an old Polish wives tale until I actually saw the toilet.
Paul K. Dickman
-------------------------------------------------------
> Having a Polish heritage I remember a saying that
> go's like this- "Where's Joe?" and the answer is
> "Joe pod sidevokiem."(sp.) By now you are all
> thinking that I must have gone daft, but there is
> a reason for that saying.
> OK, back to Joe. When the streets were raised some
> homes kept the old outhouse and that would have
> been lower than the street and sidewalk. In a
> saying unique to Chicago, if you inquired about
> someone and they happened to be in the washroom
> the response might be "Joe pod sidevokiem",
> literally "Joe's under the sidewalk." If anybody
> knows the correct spelling I'd be interested to
> find out, I did Google it but came up with
> nothing.
As another Pole, I too am familar with the phrase. But it does not refer to outhouses in the classic sense,
The sewer lines were laid in the street, but connections to the house weren't run.
A standard flush toilet was installed under the sidewalk.
The people next door to me when I lived on Wood st. actually still had a toilet in there (not in use).
I was amazed when I saw it. My mother had told me about "Joe pod sidevokiem" when I saw ship in a bottle type carved miniature of a sidewalk toilet scene in my uncle Tony's basement. I just thought it was an old Polish wives tale until I actually saw the toilet.
Paul K. Dickman
Re: Joe pod sidevokiem.
Posted by:
bowler
(---.chipublib.org)
Date: March 26, 2011 07:35PM
My father used to say that all the time. To me, a non polish speaker it always sounded like "Joe Putts-eye-vuck-ya". Only later did I learn the "under the sidewalk" connection.
I found a few articles that touch upon the topic:
"JOE PUDZIEWALKIEM"
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-03-01/features/8701170189_1_chicago-river-treaty-raising/2
http://www.chicagoofficeoftourism.org/volunteer/resources/documents/Bridgeport_Glossary.pdf
Also see these Google results:
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=%22joe+under+the+sidewalk%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=f&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=3dc68c33d52cb0cc
I found a few articles that touch upon the topic:
"JOE PUDZIEWALKIEM"
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-03-01/features/8701170189_1_chicago-river-treaty-raising/2
http://www.chicagoofficeoftourism.org/volunteer/resources/documents/Bridgeport_Glossary.pdf
Also see these Google results:
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=%22joe+under+the+sidewalk%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=f&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=3dc68c33d52cb0cc
Re: Joe pod sidevokiem.
Posted by:
b.a.hoarder
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: March 26, 2011 11:17PM
Thanks Rob, that is exactly what I was looking for.
Re: Joe pod sidevokiem.
Posted by:
222psm
(---.br.br.cox.net)
Date: March 27, 2011 12:01AM
Wow, That explains a memory I have of Pilsen, my aunt and uncle lived on 19th St and one of the buildings on the same block had a door that lead under the sidewalk. It also had a window like the ones you find in a bathroom, the type where the glass is distorted so you cannot see through. The door was aways locked but one day it was open, and being curious kids we went in. They used to store junk, but there was a sink to wash your hands and next to it, an outline on the floor of what appeared to be a toilet. I always wondered why or how a bathroom was under the sidewalk, now I know!
