Meanings
grabowski1
plural grabowskis
- slangChicago; often complimentary; Chicago; often complimentaryA determined and hardworking person.
A true grabowski has no time for your linguistic squabbles.
2015 September 2, Matthew J.X. Malady, “The United Slang of America”, in Slate2 more examples
If Ditka called you a grabowski, it was a high compliment. It meant you were a good guy, you worked hard and you were loyal.
2015 September 2, “If Every State Had Its Own Word, Illinois' Would Be... Grabowski?”, in CBS News"Grabowski" is still a word used to describe the idea of the white, ethnic, lunch-pail worker, a relic of Chicago's past[…]
2019 September 4, Jon Greenberg, “Chicago is still full of Grabowskis, but only one roots for the Bears and the Packers”, in The New York Times
Grabowski2
Origin
grabowski · noun
- PolishGrabowski
- Englishgrabowski
From Grabowski, which is borrowed from Polish Grabowski. The slang word grabowski was popularized by Mike Ditka calling the Chicago Bears "Grabowskis", combined with Chicago's large working-class Polish population.
More words from Polish
Full word history & related roots →Grabowski · proper noun
- PolishGrabowski
- EnglishGrabowski
Borrowed from Polish Grabowski.
More words from Polish
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
grabowski. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grabowski
“grabowski.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grabowski. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “grabowski,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grabowski.
Source: grabowski on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.