Helpful Phrases for New Orleans Travelers

By Rachel Diebel

Although New Orleans is located right in the heart of the Deep South, you won’t hear the stereotypical southern twang around The Big Easy. The city has been influenced by many different cultures throughout the years, from French to Cajun, and so has developed its own unique accent and phrases, making it sometimes difficult for outsiders to understand what is being said. Prior knowledge of even a few phrases will make your trip a much easier (and more fun) experience.

You might hear a few different accents around NOLA if you listen carefully, but knowing a few of the common local phrases can help you jump into the local culture (and, most importantly, can help you order the yummy local food the right way)!

Now laissez les bons temps rouler, everyone!

More about New Orleans: New Orleans Culinary Tour | Haunted New Orleans | New Orleans Cocktails

Locations and Directions

Bayou
A marsh or swamp with slow-moving water

Back o’ Town
Refers to a specific location in New Orleans, near the Superdome

Crescent City
Nickname for New Orleans

Shotgun houses
Name for the long, narrow houses in New Orleans, where you could shoot a gun from the front door through all the rooms and it would just go out the back door

Common Phrases

Make dodo
Go to sleep

Who dat?
Team cheer for fans of the New Orleans Saints

Gris gris (gree gree)
Voodoo good luck charm

Ya mom’n’em
Your immediate family

Parish
New Orleans has parishes instead of counties

Where y’at?
A general local greeting that more or less means, “How are you doing?”

Yeah you right/F’sure
Phrases of agreement often used in conversation.

Food

Dressed
Means that you want lettuce, pickles, tomato and mayo on your sandwich (most likely a po-boy).

King Cake
Large oval cake with a doll hidden inside. Whoever gets the piece with the doll buys the cake for the next party.

Snowball
Shaved ice dessert

Alligator pear
Avocado

Boocoo
A lot! Comes from the French beaucoup and is a good word to know when ordering food!

Lagniappe (lan yap)
A little something extra thrown in to sweeten the deal, often when a person is buying something (think getting an extra cookie when you buy food to go).

Mardi Gras Phrases

Maskers
Anyone in costume.

Laissez les bons temps rouler (lazay lay bon tom roulay)
Literally, “let the good times roll.” A common expression of Mardi Gras partiers.

Krewe
The groups that organize Mardi Gras parades.

Super krewe
Groups that host the much larger parades.

Throws
Free trinkets thrown from parade floats, such as beads or toys.

Lundi Gras
The day before Mardi Gras.

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Photo credits:
New Orleans: Britt Reints via Flickr
French Quarter: Phil Roeder via Flickr
King Cake: yvetteSoler via Flickr
Mardi Gras Trinkets: Brad Coy via Flickr