NEW ORLEANS FEATURES - Louisiana Lingo

Louisiana Lingo: Say What? Where Y'at?

Where y'at? In New Orleans that's the same as asking, "How are you doing?" It's also the reason some people are described, affectionately though not always flatteringly, as "Y'ats."

Anyone can be yatty in character or in speech. Simply put, in New Orleans, people have their own way of expressing themselves. Y'at words and accents are among the distinct flavors mixed into the local jargon. There are also Cajun words and inflections, the patois French of the Creoles and all sorts of slang from the raucous early days of jazz.

Unfortunately for those trying to blend in, there's no simple trick or key. Some local accents follow a pattern, like saying ersters, erl and berl instead of oysters, oil and boil. Other pronunciations defy convention. No one really knows why the locals say bur-GUN-dy instead of BUR-gun-dy. But we do. And who would have guessed that some people would call Clio Street "C.L.-Ten." But that's another story.

More often though, we just use different words. Calling the streetcar a trolley, or a crawfish a crayfish is a great way to prove you're just visiting. It may take many visits to establish your street credibility. In the meantime, the glossary below will help you figure out what the locals are saying to you.

Beignets. Beignets are donuts with corners and no holes. The coffee shop Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter made them world famous. At Cafe du Monde the beignets come two ways, sugared or plain.

Big Easy. It's difficult to say where this nickname originated. Reportedly, it's a nick name early jazz musicians gave to the city. It was repopularized in the early 1970s. The Times-Picayune's gossip columnist of the times, Betty Guillaud, championed its use in response to New York becoming the Big Apple. At the same time, James Calloway, another Picayune reporter, published a novel called The Big Easy. That novel was the basis for the 1984 film starring Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin and John Goodman.

Cajun. Cajun is short for the French pronunciation of Acadian. It refers to the people and culture descended from Acadian refugees forced out of what is now Nova Scotia in the 1750s. Many settled in South Louisiana. Eventually many Cajuns moved to New Orleans, bringing their food, music and joie de vivre with them.

Cher. French word traditionally used by both Cajuns and French speaking Creoles as a term of endearment. Generally sounds like "shaw" or "share."

Court Bouillon. Creole cooking this is a tomato enhanced fish stew with innumerable recipes and spellings. In his autobiography Louis Armstrong called it "cubie yon." That's a pronunciation that tends to work even in more distinguished Creole restaurants.

Creole. Originally referred to the generations of children born in the colony to parents from Europe or Africa. Now everything pertaining to their culture and cuisine is referred to as Creole. Depending on who you talk to, Creole can mean many different things.

Crescent City. The city gets this nickname from the way it is nestled in a swooping bend of the river, from the Uptown Riverbend area to the heart of the French Quarter.

Dirty Rice. A soul food recipe adding liver and spices to rice. Served in Creole restaurants as well.

Dressed. Sandwiches in New Orleans either come dressed - with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise - or they come undressed. See po' boys.

Etouffee. French for smothered. It's a Creole and Cajun cooking technique often used with shellfish, like shrimp or crawfish, or even duck. The main ingredient is cooked in a brown sauce with tomatoes, onions and seasonings. Pronounced eh-TO-fay. See roux.

Fais Do Do. Cajun term for a dance party. It literally means "to make sleep." These large parties were originally held for family and friends in people's homes. As the music and dancing went late into the night children would eventually tire themselves out and go off to sleep without being told. Hence the name. Pronounced "fay dough dough."

Faubourg. French for neighborhood. The areas outside the original city limits were given names like Foubourg Marigny, Foubourg St. John, Foubourg Tremé. They are still called that.

Gris Gris. Something magic or a good luck charm. Gris gris bags and little totems are often the symbols of cast voodoo spells. Pronounced gree-gree. See voodoo.

Gumbo. New Orleans' most famous soup. Comes from the African term for okra, which slaves used to thicken the soups. Gumbos are now thickened in different ways and can include everything (a gumbo ya-ya) or be predominantly seafood, fowl and sausage, or vegetarian (gumbo z'herbes).

Hurricane. Pat O'Brien's invented and popularized New Orleans' most famous cocktail. The rum drink is served in a tall glass with passion fruit juice and an orange and cherry.

Jambalaya. A well seasoned rice dish cooked with sausage and usually chicken. It's a rustic dish meant to be cooked in a large pot to feed many.

Lagniappe. French for a little extra or a bonus. As in "They threw in a little lagniappe." Pronounced lan-yap.

Laissez les bon Temps Roulez. French for "let the good times roll." Never taken lightly in New Orleans.

Making Groceries. Y'at-speak for shopping for food.

Muffaletta. An Italian sandwich originally created at the central Grocery. It stacks ham, salami and provelone cheese on a special round loaf of bread and then stuffs it with olive salad. Pronounced "mu-fa-latta."

Mymomenem. Y'at for "my mom and them" or my family or my mom's place. When one goes to visit one's mother, one can say "I'mgoinbymymomenem's."

Neutral Ground. In the early 1800s the French and American populations of the city didn't get along particularly well. Some major streets had a French and an American side. The middle was referred to as the "Neutral Ground" taken from Napoleon's term for the space between opposing armies.

Parish. Louisiana has parishes instead of counties. New Orleans is in Orleans Parish.

Po' Boy. A sandwich of anything from roast beef to sausage to shrimp to oysters served on french bread. With tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise it is "dressed."

Praline. A super sweet cookie made from melted sugar. Originally a French recipe with almonds, the locals have generally preferred the more readily available pecan.

Roux. The basis for much Cajun and Creole cooking, including gumbos, soups, sauces and other dishes. A roux is simply flour and oil cooked in a pan till it browns. Depending on what it will be used for it can be blond or dark brown for richer, smokier flavors.

Second Line. As a noun or verb, the second line is the funky walking/dancing part of a parade just behind the band, which is the first line. Second lines always include marching brass bands. The tradition comes from jazz funerals.

Shotgun. This is the term for New Orleans' style of long thin houses. Usually they stretch four or five rooms in a row with the doors lined up. A house adjoining two such homes is a "shotgun double." And a shotgun double with a second floor added in the back is a "Camelback shotgun.' Camelbacks came about when the city based taxes on how many floors a building had on the street.

Streetcar. New Orleans has had the streetcar railroads since the 1830s. The St. Charles line is the only original line left. The Riverfront has a restored streetcar line. They are not called trolleys or cable cars. You'll find those in San Francisco.

Vieux Carré. French for Old Square. This is the old term for the French Quarter.

Voodoo. New Orleans has its own brand of voodoo. It is a fusion of the voudun religion of Senegambian slaves and the Catholicism of the European colonists. Marie Laveau was the city's most famous practitioner. From the 1830s-1870s she attended mass at the St Louis Cathedral every day.

Zydeco. The accordion and rub board led sound of South Louisiana's Creoles. Zydeco was forged by luminaries such as Clifton Chenier, Rockin' Dopsie, Sr., Boozoo Chavis. A sort of twin to Cajun music but with a rhythm and blues sound.