How ta tawk rite
After weeks of national hurricane coverage, I have heard New Orleans pronounced in every way imaginable. (The only one that really grates on me is the one that rhymes with beans - I hate that.) Anyway, that got me thinking about a website I found years ago, Chuck Taggart's Yatspeak Lexicon. Here's a sample.
I highly recommend checking out the entire Lexicon; it's hilarious, and is just a small part of Chuck's huge website, The Gumbo Pages. Anything and everything Louisiana can be found there.
DRESSED - When ordering a po-boy, "dressed" indicates lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and MYNEZ, on it. See NUTTINONIT.
EARL, ERL -
1. A vegetable product used for cooking, making roux, etc.
2. A petroleum product used to lubricate the engine of your car.
3. Your Uncle Earl. (Most New Orleanians have an Uncle Earl; I do.)ELLESHYEW - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Occasionally preceded by the term, "Go ta hell ..."
ERNGE, URNGE - An orange-colored citrus fruit.
ERSTERS, ERSTAS - Oysters.
I highly recommend checking out the entire Lexicon; it's hilarious, and is just a small part of Chuck's huge website, The Gumbo Pages. Anything and everything Louisiana can be found there.
