Hey Cher! How y'all are? How's yer Mama 'nem? You lookin' good, yeah! An' I ain't lyin', no!

Ya wanna learn to talk like dem Cajuns down de bayou? Mais, yeah, cher! Well, here's some dem words dey use all de time, I gah-ron-tee!

ALL Y'ALL

Everyone

ANDOUILLE (ahn doo' e)

Spicy country sausage

AX

to inquire. "Lemme ax you sumtin', cher."

BALL

A method of cooking. Pass by de house, Chér, and we gone ball some dem mudbugs, yeah. Talk bout gooood, I gah-ron-tee!"

BANQUETTE (ban' ket)

Sidewalk

BAYOU (by' you)

Slow stream, or body of water running through a marsh or swamp.

BEIGNET (ben yay')

Lighter than a doughnut, and square (no holes), sprinkled with powdered sugar. Great with Cafe au Lait!

BIG EASY

Nickname for New Orleans

BOUDIN (boo dan')

Hot, spicy pork mixed with onions, cooked rice, herbs--a white sausage

CAFÉ au LAIT (caf ay' oh lay')

Coffee and chicory with milk

CAJUN (kay' jun)

French Acadians that settled in South Louisiana from Canada

CARNIVAL

The party season before Mardi Gras, starts on January 6 (the Twelfth Night) (Celebrated with Balls, Parades, and Kingcakes at Mardi Gras parties.)

CHEE-WEE

A crunchy cheese flavored corn snack. Cheetos.

CHÉR

An expression many use when greeting another..."Dear, Love"

CHICKORY (chick' ory)

Ground-up, roasted roots from the herb; used to flavor coffee

CITY THAT CARE FORGOT

Another nickname for N'awlins

COME SEE

Come here.

COON ASS

Cajun. Non-derogatory term Cajuns use when speaking of themselves and fellow Cajuns.

COUCHON D'LAIT

Outdoor pig roast

COURTBOUILLION (coo' bee yon)

A rich, spicy fish soup

CRAWFISH (craw' fish)

"Mudbugs" from the bayous!

CREOLE (cree' ole)

Descendents of French, Spanish, and Carribean slaves and natives; also come to mean any person whose ancestry derives from the mixed nationalities in the Carribean.

"DEEZ, DEN, DAT, DEY, DEM, DOZE"

These, then, that, they, them, those

DIRTY RICE

rice fried with green peppers, onions, celery, stock and giblets; a common side dish

DO-DO (dough dough--not du-du!)

It's a cute word children use when tired, sleepy

DRESSED

Sandwiches served with "the works"

ERSTERS (Er' stirs)

Oysters--served topless, baked, fried, in soup and po-boys--delicious!

ÉTOUFFÉE (ay' too fay)

"Smothered" and made with a dark roux

FILÉ (fee' lay)

Ground sassafras leaves used to season gumbo and other dishes

FAIS DO DO (Fay' dough dough)

A Cajun dance party, after the children have gone to sleep

FIXIN' TO

Getting ready to

FLAMBEAUX (flam' bo)

Lit torches historically carried during night parades

GRILLADES (gree' yahdz)

Broiled beef or veal squares

GRIS GRIS (gree gree)

Voo Doo good luck charm ('dem Saints football guys be need'n dat, yeah!)

GUMBO

Calling gumbo soup is like calling a Rolls Royce a car.

HICKEY

A bump on the head, NOT the thing on your neck!

JAMBALAYA (jum buh lie' yah)

Everything that can be cooked together Tomatoes and cooked rice, ham, shrimp, chicken, celery, onions and just about every seasoning

KING CAKE

Extra-large oval doughnut-shaped, coffee cake-like pastry dusted with colored candied sugar. A tiny plastic baby doll is hidden inside the cake--the lucky person who gets the piece of cake with the doll inside (and doesn't break a tooth or swallow it in the process!) buys the next cake for the next party throughout the Mardi Gras season.

LAGNIAPPE (lan' yap)

A little something extra that you didn't pay for--thrown in to sweeten the deal--like a baker's dozen.

LAISEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULLER (Lay zay lay bon tom ru-lay)

Let the good times roll!

MAKIN' GROCERIES

Buying food

MAMA 'NEM

Your mother and the rest of your immediate family.

How's yer Mama 'nem? An inquiry as to the health and well being of your family.

MARDI GRAS

Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins....the day to celebrate before the traditional Catholic tradition of sacrificing and fasting during the 40 days of Lent. Mardi Gras comes to a screeching halt at the stroke of Midnight as Ash Wednesday begins.

MUDBUGS

Crawfish from the bayou!

MUFULETTAS (Moo Fa' letta)

Super-large, round, fat sandwich filled with salami-type meats, mozzarella cheese, pickles, and olive salad

MY-NEZ

Mayonnaise to the rest of the country, pronounced MY-nez by Cajuns

N'AWLINS

"New Orleans"--Only tourists say New Or-LEENZ.

NEUTRAL GROUND

Median or grassy area between the paved areas on a boulevard

PASS A GOOD TIME

To have fun

PASS BY

Drop by for a visit

PIROUGE (Pee' row)

Flat-bottom canoe --perfect in the bayous

PRALINE (praw - leen')

Brown sugar, pecan-filled, candy patty.

PO-BOY

French Bread sandwich split open and served with oysters, shrimp, ham, roast beef and gravy, soft shelled crabs-- the list goes on....A Cajun sub.

RED BEANS AND RICE

Monday night tradition, cuz it's laundry day and who has de time?--Kidney beans served with rice, seasonings, spices-- and chunks of hot sausage

RODAY

To take a drive

SNO-BALL

Shaved ice served with flavored syrups. Those of you in the north might throw 'em.....we eat 'em!

ROUX (roo)

Browned sauce base made with oil and flour.

VIEUX CARRÉ (View ca ray')

The French Quarter including world-famous Bourbon Street....

"YEAH, YOU RIGHT!"

"Yes, you are correct!"

ZYDECO

Cajun music. (Fiddles, accordians, etc.)