A capitan, on nutra-back, stands in front of a camelback. Nutra musta been scared by dem mudbugs.
Yatspeak 101
In this update:
Words
[A-K]
[L-R]
[S-Z]
Common Phrases
Practical Usage
First of all, let’s get one thing straight: Hollywood doesn’t portray New Orleanians as they really sound. While we do have our own language and heavy accents, it is far from the “twangy” Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia accents Hollywood often presents. As a matter of fact, most visitors often say that we sound more like New Yorkers, only with a Cajun flair added to the words.
With Spanish, Creole, French, as well as modern-day eubonic influence, some of the talk can be quite confusing to visitors. While many of these words and phrases are used in everyday conversation in New Orleans, others such as “making groceries” seem more to be a gimmick for tourists (like Mexicans that wear sombreros only when gringos are around.) Furthermore, our bad English and creation of words is just part of the culture. Everyone from high school dropouts to lawyers and the governor uses the word “ain’t”.
You ain’t gonna hava good time in Nawlins widout nowin a little bitta yatspeak!
Nawlins/English Dictionary
Aints: nickname for the Saints
Andouille: a spicy sausage
Bayou (by-you): a slow-moving body of water running through a swamp
Beads: plastic necklaces thrown from floats and balconies during Mardi Gras. Tourists can often be seen wearing them out of season (the equivalent of putting up a Christmas tree in August.
Beignet (ben-yay): a French-style donut covered in powdered sugar
Big Easy: coined by a columnist for the Times Picayune in the 70s, it is New Orleans answer to New York’s “Big Apple” phrase. In the Big Easy (New Orleans), everything is slower, simpler, and more easy-going.
Camelback: a single row house with the back half made into a two-story
Camp: a small house in the woods for weekend retreats
Capitan: leader of a Mardi Gras Krewe
Chicory: a root that is ground and roasted to add flavor to coffee (You won’t find this at Starbucks!)
“The Chinaman”: Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee (known for his war against the nutria rats in Metree)
Crescent City: another nickname for New Orleans, originating from the shape of the Miss as it bends around the city
Crawfish: also known as “mudbugs”. Sort of like a miniature lobster. Saying the word “crayfish” might get you funny looks.
Dem: them
Dixie: a New Orleans beer; the term was used by rivermen and merchants who earned pay in ten-dollar bank notes when the French word for “ten” was “Dix”.
Dome: the New Orleans Superdome
Doubloons: aluminum coins thrown from krewes at Mardi Gras
Ershters: oysters
Earl: oil
Fais do-do (fay-dow-dow): a Cajun dance party
Farm, The: Angola, Louisiana’s State Penitentiary
Fat City: a Metairie party place
Fixin: getting ready to do something (“I’m fixin to go to the store!”)
GNO: Greater New Orleans
Geaux: Pronounced “go”. “eaux” is often used in place of the letter “o” to transform words into Yatspeak. Derived from the common local names of Boudreaux and Thibodeaux.
Gris Gris (gree-gree): a voodoo good luck charm
Grillades (gry-ads): also sounds like “biatch”. Broiled meat served in gravy with grits.
Hand Grenade: famous drinks from the Tropical Isle Club on Bourbon Street
High-Rise: a skyscraper or elevated highway
Hurricane Party: what many locals do after securing their house and planning to ride out a storm
Huey P.: a bridge connecting the east and west bank
Krewe: an organization that parades during Mardi Gras
Kenner (Kenna): a suburb near the airport
Lagniappe (lan-yap): something that you get for free. If beers at a bar are two-for-one, then the second one is lagniappe.
LSU (actually pronounced “El-esh-you”): Louisiana State University
Makin Groceries: buying groceries
Manshac: a marshy area outside of the city where murder victims are often found
Maynez: mayonnaise
Metairie (metree): a suburb between New Orleans and the airport
Miss: the Mississippi River
Nawlins: short for New Orleans, although the local pronunciation is more “New Awlins”
Neutral Ground: what most cities call a “median; the strip of ground in the middle of the road.
Nutra Rat: nickname for Nutria, a giant rodent that infests the canals and marshes of Louisiana
NOLA: New Orleans, Louisiana
Nowthshow: the northshore of Lake Pontchatrain
Pirogue (pee-row): a flat-bottom canoe used in the bayous
Po’Boy: any sandwich made with a loaf of french bread
Projects: ghettos
Riva: the Mississippi River
Roux (rue): a thick paste used to make gumbo
RTA: Regional Transit Authority (city bus system)
Shithouse: nasty Port-o-Lets (portable toilets) that can be found around the city during Mardi Gras and festivals
Shindig: a party
Shotgun: a single row house in which all rooms on one side are connected by a long hallway; you can open up the front door and shoot a shotgun all the way through the back door without hitting a wall!
Silver Fox: notoriously corrupt former Governor Edwin Edwards
Slave Quarters: small houses behind a main building
Sticks: the woods; swamps; boonies; out in the middle of nowhere
Tchoupitoulas Street (Chop a two’ les): famous for Tipatinas
Terlet: a toilet
Throw: anything thrown during a Mardi Gras parade
Two-Step: a fast Cajun dance
Parish: Louisianian for “county”
Pawdy: a party
West Bank: actually to the east, but it is the part of the city that is on the West Bank of the Mississippi River
West Bank Reeboks: shrimp boots
Yall: you all
Yat: a standard greeting: “Whereyat?” (“How’s it going?”)
Yatspeak: Name of the local New Orleans language. Partly derived from “whereyat?” (see above), the term Yatspeak caught on as the identification of the New Orleans accent and syntax.
Zydeco: a Cajun style of music
“Id don madda”: It doesn’t matter; or, it is not important.
“Yea, you right”: You are right. A phrase that implies agreement.
“Ova deah”: Over there. Often mumbled when pointing in a direction.
“Watchyadoin?”: What are you doing? (Drinkin’ a dixie, watchin’ the Aints.)
“Yall be good now”: a common goodbye phrase when leaving a gathering
“Who’dat?”: Who’s that? Made famous with “Who’dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?”
“Wowdee”: a relatively new word which young black men often refer to each other with; homeboy; “g”
“Lassiez le bom temps roule!”: French for “Let the good times roll!”
“Catchalayta”: See you later
“Mawnin”: good morning; or, come on in
“Ah-ee”: the Cajun version of “yee-ha”
“Aint nuttin gonna change!”: Louisiana will always be a corrupt, poor hellhole.
Example #1:
Yatspeak: “I left da pirouge back ada shotgun on Tchoupitoulas. Iz da one across da neutral ground from da high-rise. When u go ova deh, deh’s a sack a ershters behind da shithouse. I hope dem nutra rats ain’t ben messing wit em. I’ll meechu in Metree tonight. Make sho u pick up sum maynez fo da poboys tonight. Yu be good now!”
English Translation: “I left the canoe at the house on Tchoupitoulas Street. It’s the one across the median from the bridge. When you get there, you’ll see a sack of oysters behind the restroom. I hope the nutrias haven’t been messing with them. I will meet you in Metairie tonight. Make sure you pick up some mayo for the sandwiches tonight. I’ll see you later.”
Example #2:
Yatspeak: “Id don madda who be fixin to put a gris-gris on me at da fais-do-do cuz afta a put sum earl in ma truck, I’m goin to Fat City to watch da Eleshyou game an drink sum Dixie wit ma krewe.”
English Translation: “It doesn’t matter who is planning to put a curse on me at the party because after I put some oil in my truck, I’m going to Fat City to watch the LSU game and drink some beer with my Mardi Gras organization.”
Example #3 (from index page):
Yatspeak: Yall best learn the Yatspeak when fixin t’see Crescent City and to lassiez le bom temps roule. Catchalayta!
English Translation: You should endeavor to understand the local dialect, when making your plans to visit New Orleans and to let the good times roll. Catch you later!
Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our North America Insiders page.
