Common New Orleans Words & Phrases

We say a few things differently here - take a look

We talk different here in New Orleans. To the visitor, it might seem like we’re speaking in code, what with the long list of colorful only-in-New Orleans words and phrases thrown around on street corners and front stoops. And don’t even get us started on pronunciation. We say the street name bur-GUN-dee, not burgundy, just because that’s the way it is. As for Calliope, say KAL-e-ope and you’ll pass for a local. Informed by centuries of Technicolor culture and a simmering stew of ethnicities, New Orleans speak is as individual as the city that inspires it.

Where y'at? Shotgun house. Parrain. Flying horses ... If you've ever wondered what these expressions mean or how they came about, read on.

Paul Broussard

Dirty Coast Clothing - Magazine Street

Back o' Town

This is the section of New Orleans that developed around the former New Basin Canal, roughly near the present-day Caesars Superdome. The area was in "back of" the natural levees along which the city first developed.

Boo

A term of endearment a parent or grandparent would call a small child, presumably Cajun in origin. Sometimes refers to your sweetheart, too.

Boo-coo

A lot. Origin in Haitian Creole and French (beaucoup).

Brah

A shortened form of "brother," used between men to address one another.

By my house

Means "at my house." This is just like the French expression "chez moi."

Cher/Sha

This term of endearment is Cajun in origin.

Cold drink

Soda or soft drink.

Zack Smith

Dressed Parkway Po-Boy

Dressed

When you order a po-boy, "dressed" means you want lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayo on it.

Faubourg

The French word for suburb, this refers to areas now in the city that would have been outside the original city limits, such as Faubourg Marigny or Faubourg Tremé.

Fais Do Do

A Cajun dance party. Lots of good food, lots of good music.

Flying horses

Any merry-go-round or carousel, but specifically the antique carousel in City Park's Carousel Gardens.

Gris-Gris

Pronounced gree-gree, it refers to a Voodoo good luck charm that protects the wearer from evil.

Krewe

A carnival organization, as in Krewe of Rex or Krewe of Zulu and variation of the word “crew.” Members privately put on the balls and parades that make up Mardi Gras. Discover the many faces of Mardi Gras with our list of New Orleans Krewes.

Lagniappe

A little something extra (pronounced LAN-yap). This could be a free dessert at the restaurant or a treat on the pillow at your hotel.

Laissez les bon temps rouler

French for let the good times roll, our motto here in New Orleans.

Make dodo

(Pronounced doe-doe.) Go to sleep. Comes from the French faire dodo, which is from faire dormir.

Rebecca Todd

Dryades Public Market

Making Groceries

Old-timers in New Orleans "make groceries" at the store. This is another one that has French origins, as a rough translation from "faire son marché," which means to do one's grocery shopping. Since "faire" means both "to do" and "to make," making groceries came from a slight error in translation from French to English.

Marraine/Parrain

Godmother/godfather.

Neutral ground

The median or grassy strip in the middle of a road. The term is said to have originally referred to the wide median on Canal Street, which separated the residents of the French and Creole part of town from the more newly settled American sector.

Parish

The equivalent of a county in the other 49 states. Louisiana has parishes instead because it was originally ruled by the Roman Catholic nations of France and Spain. From the French paroisse.

Picayune

An old Spanish coin that was 1/8 of a dollar. Connotes something small or petty.

Rebecca Todd

Shotgun House

Shotgun houses

One of New Orleans' most distinctive architectural symbols, these are the long, narrow houses you see with rooms all lined up in a row. The design is thought to be an evolution of the African "long house" style brought to Louisiana via Haiti. The name is thought to come from the West African word shogon, or "God's house,” although some historians also say it refers to a house where you can fire a shotgun and the bullet goes through every room – also the shape generally, of a shotgun.

Where y'at?

This standard New Orleans greeting means simply "How are you?" or "What's going on?" So don't tell the asker where you are. Just say you're doing alright.

Who dat?

Official cheer of New Orleans Saints fans everywhere, shortened from "Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?" Saints fans are also called “who dats.”

Ya mom'n'em

Your immediate family. "How's ya mom'n'em?"

Yeah you right!

Expression of agreement or happiness.