Tag Archives: New Orleans

“Parrain and Marraine”

Parrain and Marraine
Informant info: Erin Fell, age 21, New Orleans, Louisiana
Verbal Lore: Slang
Language: French, Cajun French
Country of Origin: France
Social / Cultural Context: The term is used particularly in Cajun families in a everyday context to refer to their godfathers and godmothers.

 

Transcript:

“I have a few New Orleans slang words that I want to share with you today. The first one is Parrain and Marraine, um those come from the French words Parrain and Marraine and they mean Godfather and Godmother. For example, I’m going to go see my Parrain and Marraine for the crawfish boil.”

Collector’s Comment: This term is used like Auntie, but in reference to godparents.  So in Cajun families who are particularly close to their roots they use the phrase in an everyday environment.  The word itself is another pronunciation of French Words and the change in pronunciation is what makes it slang.

Key words:Parraine, Marraine, New Orleans, God Parents

 

“Chicory”

Chicory
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 via iPhone.
Verbal Lore: Slang/ Material Lore: Drink
Language: English, French
Country of Origin: The Caribbean, France
Social / Cultural Context: This is a caffeinated root which is ground up and added to coffee for a stronger flavor and increase the amount of caffeine in the beverage.  It is one of the many French influences in New Orleans.

 

 

Transcript:

“Sadhana: Chicory

Jessoca: I was about to say Coffee and chicory.  Is a thing.

Sadhana: What exactly is chicory.

Jessica: Chicory-

Alex: Is it a root?

Sadhana: Yeah it’s like a root.

Jessica: Yeah it’s like a root.  The myth is that the reason we started using chicory is because during the civil war during the union blockade when the union soldiers came and blocked New Orleans off so we couldn’t trade or whatever anymore.  People could grow chicory in new Orleans even though we couldn’t really grow coffee beans, I guess.  So people started using chicory because it has caffeine and it kinda tastes like coffee so they use that to make coffee.  But in reality what it was, was like French people even in the 1700s and 1800s were also using chicory, like I don’t know from- it grew in the Caribbean and stuff so they brought it back to France which brought it to New Orleans.  New Orleans people were already drinking chicory with their coffee before the civil war.  But during the civil war when it was harder to get coffee they drank even more chicory with their coffee. I think that’s it, I remember reading that somewhere.  Cause that’s like a misconception.  But the point is we still make, like some places still put chicory in their coffee, like Café Dumont which is where everyone goes to get beignets.  And it’s super famous.

Sadhana: Alex you have chicory blocks in your room right.

Jessica: Well it’s coffee and chicory.  You can’t get just chicory by itself.

Alex:  Well it’s coffee.  So like the coffee from Café- Well I think maybe you can (get chicory itself), I don’t think you could just make coffee with that.

Jessica: I feel it would taste gross.

Alex:  Yeah that’d be really gross.

Sadhana: It’s pretty bitter.

Jessica:  It’s extremely bold.

Alex: It’s super strong.

Sadhana: it’s an acquired taste.

Alex:  Like for me it’s really funny because I can drink like black regular coffee, because I am so used to drinking CDM which is Café Dumont coffee with Chicory ad um it’s super strong.

Sadhana: How much chicory do they put in it, do you think?  Like probably just.

Alex: *shrugs*

Sadhana: I like it.

Alex:  I don’t know it’s just ground up, it looks like regular coffee grinds I put in my thing.

Katelyn: So you drink pure chicory?

Sadhana: Sorry I was confusing.

Alex: No, no it has coffee and chicory the chicory just makes it a stronger coffee.

Sadhana:  Yeah it give s it a slightly bitter.

Jessica: Yeah like a super strong flavor.

Alex: It’s like dark dark, like probably the darkest roast coffee you could have.

Sadhana: It’s not real coffee though.

Aex: The chicory isn’t.

Sadhana: Oh no, but the taste is of coffee”

Collector’s comments:  This word again shows off New Orleans French roots while also giving the chance to tell a myth about the origins of Chicory.  The word can be considered slang because of it’s specific use in New Orleans and this one item that is not used much elsewhere.  It is also most likely that the French pronunciation of the word is different which adds to the slang aspects of the word.

Tags/Keywords: Chicory, caffeine, food, material lore, verbal lore, café du monde, New Orleans.

 

Link

Yat

Informant: Libby Flint, age 59, New Orleans resident of 36 years, originally from Upstate New York and Vermont. Collected May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Verbal Lore: folk speech, slang

English

United States of America

Context: a term to describe a New Orleans Accent, also used to describe native New Orleanians, especially those from St. Bernard parish. derives from the Phrase “Where Y’at?”

Transcript:

“The people that live in ‘The Parish’ are commonly referred to as ‘yats’ people calld yats are native New  Orleanieans, Usually more blue collar Neighborhoods and  the term derives from  ‘Where Y’at’- Wjere are you going; what are you doing; ‘Where Y’at.’”

Collectors Commentary: (are there other informants for this?)

Key words: Yat, where Y’at?, St. Bernard Parish, New Orleans, accent

 

“Who Dat”

Who Dat

Informant:Libby Flint, age 59, New Orleans resident of 36 years, originally from Upstate New York and Vermont. Collected May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Verbal Lore: folk speech, slang, chants, cheers

English

United States of America

Context: a phrase used by Saints (The New Orleans Football team) fans and often used to describe those same fans

Transcript:

“‘who dat’  are saints fans  the cheer is ‘who dat say dey gonna beat dem saints’”

 

Informant: Erin Fell, age 21, New Orleans, LA. Collected on May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Transcript: “Next, “Who Dat?” That is the, uh, rallying cry of (New Orleans) Saints fans everywhere. It comes from “who is that” or “who is that that says they can beat the Saints?” Right so the chant goes Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints?”

 

Collectors commentary:

Keywords: Who Dat, Saints, Football, New Orleans

“Where Y’at”

Where Y’at?

Informant: Brian Flint, age 23, Metairie, LA. Collected on May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Verbal Lore: folk speech, slang

English

United States of America

Context- a phrase which means both where are you going/ where are you and how are you doing?

Transcript:

“ The next one is the Expression ‘Where y’at?’ that’s ‘where Y-‘-A-T ‘ as in ‘where are you?’ and it evolved more from a expression for where your location is to  how you are doing as a person and it’s so prevalent that the term ‘Yat’ became synonymous with a New Orleans Accent. Even more so, there is a Christmas album called the twelve yats of Christmas which are indicative of – it’s a parody of the twelve nights of Christmas. It’s a popular cd around.”

Collectors commentary: The phrase is slang because it is a common phrase that has developed into a new orleans slang word because of the accent in the region and a tendancy of exxagerating interesting characteristics, like accents, when pronouncing words. It is unique to new orleans because it is a product of the New Orleans accent. See Yat for more on the accent and the people who have the accent.

Keywords: Where y’at?, how are you?, New Orleans

“Throws”

Throws

Informant: Libby Flint, age 59, New Orleans resident of 36 years, originally from Upstate New York and Vermont. Collected May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Verbal Lore: folk speech, slang- associated material Lore

English

United States of America

Context:the objects thrown to spectators at New Orleans parades

Transcript:

“ New Orleanians are crazy about their parades,  the parade participants throw items to the spectators these items are called ‘throws.’”

 

Informant: Erin Fell, age 21, New Orleans, LA. Collected on May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Transcript: The next up is “throws.” These are um, the trinkets that can be thrown during a Mardi Gras parade. They could be stuffed animals. They could be sparkly shoes, in the case of the Muses parade. For example, the throws tonight at Baccus were amazing.

collectors commentary:

Key words: Mardi Gras, New Orleans, throws, beads, doubloons, go cups

Link

The Parish

Informant: Libby Flint, age 59, New Orleans resident of 36 years, originally from Upstate New York and Vermont. Collected May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Verbal Lore: Folk Speech, slang

English

United States of America

Context: St. Bernard Parish

Transcript:

“and ‘The Parish’ usually refers to St. Bernard parish.”

Collectors commentary: This is afurther bit of folkspeech tha tis very much dependent on the geographical markers that are parishes, which are unique to Louisiana. It is unique to new orleans slang because is is specifically referring to a different parish from Orleans parish (where the city is actually located) and is connected instead to part of the new orleans metropolitan area, specifically a region where many of the blue collar workers live. The oral tradition of the transmission of the slang may be stronger in this particular parish becaiusethere tends to be less higher education and emphasis on literature and literary culture, which would allow for much easier transmission of folk lore and folk speech.

Keywords: The Parish, St. Bernard parish, Orleans parish, New Orleans

Link

The Interstate

Informant: Caitlin Flint, age 21, Metairie, LA. Collected May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Verbal Lore: Folk Speech, slang

English

United States of America

context: Interstate 10, which runs east-west across the Southers United States and is the only interstate to run through the actual city of New Orleans

Transcript:

“ The next bit of slang is a little but different, it is more of a phrasing thing. Calling it ‘the interstate’. In  New Orleans there is one interstate that runs through the city , it is  Interstate 10, it runs east- west across the southern United states from Florida to Texas. It bisects the city, pretty completely, and because it is the only actual interstate in New Orleans, it is referred to as ‘the interstate.’ This is one particular thing that I have noted while I have been away from New Orleans. I don’t refer to it as interstate 10 particularly often, I have always called it ‘the interstate’, and whenever I say that to my out of town friends, the majority of them are entirely confused, because they are from places where there are multiple interstates and that it makes much more sense to  refer to it by the route name.  so this is just one particular quirks about the city. Using it in a sentence would be something along the lines of, ‘ Oh, do you live on the north side or the south side of the interstate.’ And that would be about it.”

Collectors commentary: This slang is uniqie to New Orleans because it is dependent on the geographical feature that is Interstate 10.

Keywords: The Interstate, interstate, I10, New Orleans

“Snowball”

Snowball

Infromant: Brian Flint, age 23, Metairie, LA. Collected on May 22, 2016 and recorded on an iphone

Verbal Lore: Folk Speech, slang- associated: material, food lore

English

United States of America

Context: a sweet treat made with finely shaved ice and sugary syrup served in a cup and popular in the summer, very similar to a snow cone

Transcript:

Infromant: Erin Fell, age 21, New Orleans,LA. colleceted on May 22, 2016 and recorded on an iphone.

Transcript:

Next is “Snowball”, not the snowball that use in a snowball fight, but um, shaved ice. You put um, flavored syrups on top. It is a staple during the summer time.

Collectors Commentary:

Keywords: Snowball, New Orleans, shaved Ice, syrup, snow cone

“Stand in the Wedding”

Stand in the Wedding

Informant: Libby Flint, age 59, New Orleans resident of 36 years, originally from Upstate New York and Vermont. Collected May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Verbal Lore: folk Speech, slang

English

United States of America

context: to be a member of a wedding party.

Transcript:

“If you ae going to be in a wedding party, you ‘Stand in the wedding.’

Collectors commentary: The origins of this term are unclear, but it only seems to exist in New orleans and the surrounding areas, as such, it is a slang phrase that is unique to NO and has been included in this list.

Keywords: New Orleans, stand in a wedding, wedding, wedding party