Brake Tag
Informant 1.Info: Caitlin Flint, age 21, Metairie, Louisiana. Collected May 22, 2016 on Iphone.
Verbal Lore; Folk Speech, slang
English
United States of America
Context: an inspection sticker for a car registered in the state of Louisiana. Needs to be annually renewed to make sure the car is in proper working order.
Transcript (if verbal lore)
“The third slang word is ‘brake tag.’ Brake tag is an inspection sticker that is given to you by the DMV- the Louisiana department of Motor Vehicles. When your car has passed inspection and is able to be drived. You need to get it renewed every year or two. It is the exact same as an inspection sticker in any other state. I do not know why it is called Brake tag, but everyone I know has- everyone I know who is from New Orleans has always called it a brake tag, so to use it in a sentence ‘oh, hey Dale, I noticed that your brake tag was expired, you may want to go stop by the DMV to get a new one.’ That would be about it.
Informant info: (Left to Right) Sadhana Puri, age 20, Jessica Link, age 20, Alex Ledoux, age 21 all from New Orleans, LA. Collected May 15, 2016 on iphone
“Alex: I looked up some things like what’s New Orleans slang, because I wasn’t sure what was slang and what was just normal. Brake tag was on that and I was just surprised that not everyone knows what a brake tag is. It’s something you get on your car you put it in your windshield. You have to get it changed every year, but like I feel like they don’t necessarily check all the time. You know you can get away with it.
Jessica: They don’t but also you can get a ticket. For having-
Alex: Yeah you can get a ticket so it’s like-
Jessica: I think they have them in some other states, but I don’t know what they’re called in other state. But I knew that they were only called a brake tag in New Orleans or Louisiana
Alex: Really I did not
Sadhana: I thought it was all states, I thought it was just all states. I thought it was just a general term. It was surprising to me that it’s a New Orleans term.
Jessica: We have brake tag stations. There will be a sign that says brake tags, and I know what that means, it’s just on your car a sticker.
Jessica: I think other states, at least some have it, but I don’t know what they’re called.
Katelyn: Is it on the upper-
Alex: They check your brakes.
Katelyn: They check your brakes
Alex: Well they’re supposed to, but they usually just give you one
Jessica: Oh yeah this is that spelling of brake.
Alex: They’re supposed to check your car and make sure it’s like up to code or whatever the terminology is.
Jessica: It’s good
Katelyn: So it’s like uhm, shoot I forgot what it is called.
Jessica: y’all have them
Katelyn: We do I forgot what it is called, it’s not called brake tag.
Sadhana: What do you call them.
Alex: What would it be called, I feel like brake tag is self explanatory.
Katelyn: It’s like registration you like update your tags.
Jessica: just a tag.
Katelyn: Tags.
Jessica: I think they might call them something else in like other places too, I’m not sure. Yeah.”
Collector’s comments: The term is so wide spread that most New orleanians don’t realize there is another term for the stickers, as such it is an entirely unique word to the city and a good example of New Orleans.
Tags/Keywords: New, Orleans Brake tag, car, Inspection sticker