Dirty Coast Presents
The NOLA Lexicon
All Things New Orleans & Louisiana
A living, breathing dictionary of the words, phrases, foods, music, places, and traditions that make this city unlike anywhere else on Earth.
🗣️ Yat Speak & Slang
Awrite
The proper response when someone says 'Where y'at.' Also works as a standalone greeting. It means everything's good, or at least good enough.
Ax
How you say 'ask' around here. As in, 'Let me ax you something.' Nobody's confused by it.
Banquette
The sidewalk. Pronounced BANK-it. French holdover that stuck around longer than most. You'll still hear older folks use it.
Berl
To boil. As in, 'We gonna berl some crawfish.' The Yat accent turns a lot of vowels inside out.
Boo
Term of endearment used by parents, grandparents, and anyone who thinks you're cute. Believed to come from Cajun French.
Bra
Short for brother. How you address a guy you don't know yet. 'Hey bra, where the parade at?'
By my house
At my house. From the French 'chez moi.' As in, 'Come by my house and eat.' Nobody says 'at' here.
Cap
Another way to address a guy you don't know. Along with 'bra,' 'podna,' and 'chief,' it covers all bases.
Charmer
The quintessential female Yat. Pronounced CHAW-muh. She's got the accent, the attitude, and the housecoat.
Da
The. As in 'da Quarter,' 'da parade,' 'da Saints.' Three letters that tell you exactly where someone's from.
Dawlin'
Universal term of endearment. Women use it for everyone, men use it for women. Cashiers, bartenders, and strangers all say it.
Dere ya go!
Expression of encouragement. Something between 'that's right' and 'you got it.' Pure positivity.
Dressed
When you order a po-boy dressed, you get lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayo. Anything else is just bread and filling.
Earl
Oil. Whether it's cooking oil for a roux or motor oil for your car, it's all earl around here.
Ersters
Oysters. The Yat pronunciation that immediately identifies you as local. Best served raw with horseradish.
F'sure
Statement of agreement. Stronger than 'yeah' but more casual than a handshake. Also the title of a beloved Bunny Matthews book.
Fixin' to
About to do something. 'I'm fixin' to head to the parade.' Very Southern, very here.
Go cup
Paper or plastic cup for taking your drink outside. Legal here, which blows most visitors' minds. You can walk around with a cocktail like a civilized person.
Grip
A small suitcase or overnight bag. Not the hard-shell kind, more like what you'd throw in the car for a weekend trip.
Gris-gris
Pronounced GREE-gree. A voodoo charm or spell. Can be good or bad depending on who's making it and who wronged them.
Gumbo Ya-Ya
Everybody talking at once. Which is basically every family dinner, every second line, and every conversation at the bar.
Hawt
Term of endearment, primarily from local women. 'Awrite, hawt' is basically 'hey girl, I agree.'
Hickey
In New Orleans, this is a bump on your head from getting hit. The neck thing has a different name here: passion mark.
Huck-a-bucks
Frozen Kool-Aid in a Dixie cup. The original neighborhood frozen treat. Every block had someone selling them in summer.
Inkpen
A pen. Any kind of pen. But you have to put heavy emphasis on the first syllable: INK-pen.
Lagniappe
Pronounced LAN-yap. A little something extra thrown in for free. The 13th donut, the extra scoop, the bonus track. It's a whole philosophy here.
Laissez les bons temps rouler
Let the good times roll. The unofficial motto of the entire state. You'll hear it said sincerely and ironically in equal measure.
Locka
Closet. Where you hang your clothes. 'Go look in da locka.'
Makin' groceries
Going grocery shopping. From the French 'faire le marche.' You don't 'do' groceries or 'get' groceries, you make them.
Mirliton
Pronounced MEL-lee-tawn. A chayote squash that grows like a weed on backyard fences. Every grandma has a recipe for stuffed mirlitons.
Mynez
Mayonnaise. Pronounced MY-nez. Creole pronunciation that's more French than anything.
Neutral ground
The median. The grassy strip in the middle of the road. Called that because Canal Street was literally the neutral ground between the French and American sides of town.
Nuttinonit
A po-boy with nothing on it. Just the meat and the bread. The opposite of dressed.
Or what
Placed at the end of any question for emphasis. 'You comin' to the parade or what?' It's not really optional.
Ova by
At. 'I'm ova by my mama's.' Replaces 'at' and 'to' in basically every sentence involving someone's house.
Pass a good time
Have a good time. From the French. 'We about to pass a good time tonight.'
Pass by
To stop somewhere. 'Pass by the store on your way.' It doesn't mean drive past. It means go there.
Podna
Partner. Another way to address a man you may not know. One of about five acceptable options.
Regulah coffee
Not black coffee. In New Orleans, regular coffee comes with cream and sugar already in it. Ordering 'regular' anywhere else will disappoint you.
Shoot da chute
A playground slide. Say it to anyone from outside Louisiana and watch the confusion.
Skeeta hawk
Dragonfly. Also called a mosquito hawk, because everyone here is at war with mosquitoes and we respect anything that eats them.
Stoop
The front steps of your house, particularly a shotgun. Where you sit to watch the neighborhood go by and catch up on everything.
Sug
Pronounced SHOOG. A term of endearment, mainly from women. Sweet and Southern and impossibly warm.
Where y'at
The greeting that named a whole accent. It means 'how are you' not 'where are you.' Proper response: 'Awrite.'
Where ya stay at?
Where do you live? Not where are you right now. Important distinction.
Who Dat
Rally cry of the Saints faithful. 'Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?' Also just a way of life.
Wrench
To rinse something under running water. 'Wrench off those dishes before you put 'em in the sink.'
Ya mamma'n'em
Your immediate family. One word, one concept. 'How's ya mamma'n'em?'
Yat
A native New Orleanian, named for the greeting. The accent sounds like Brooklyn met the Gulf Coast and they had a baby.
Yeah you right
The ultimate statement of agreement. Emphatic, joyful, final. It means 'absolutely, I'm with you, let's go.'
🍽️ Food & Drink
Abita
Local brewery from across the lake making beer since 1986. Amber and Purple Haze are everywhere.
Andouille
Smoked Cajun sausage with serious spice that shows up in gumbo, jambalaya, and basically everything that needs to taste like Louisiana.
Angelo Brocato's
Italian ice cream shop in Mid-City since 1905. Perfect spumoni, cannoli, and Italian ices. A pilgrimage site.
Antoine's
The Quarter's most famous restaurant since 1840. Invented Oysters Rockefeller. Reservations feel like winning the lottery.
Arnaud's
French Quarter Creole institution since 1918, with a Mardi Gras museum upstairs full of vintage costumes.
Bananas Foster
Bananas flambe'd tableside, invented at Brennan's. All butter, brown sugar, and drama.
Beignet
Square fried dough buried in powdered sugar. Best at 3am at Cafe Du Monde when the night's still going and your shirt is already ruined.
Boudin
Cajun sausage stuffed with pork, rice, and spices. Whole meal in a casing. A serious point of pride in the culture.
Boudin balls
Deep-fried boudin rolled into a ball. Crispy outside, spiced inside. You eat three before you realize what happened.
Bread pudding
Dessert made from day-old French bread soaked in custard, often with whiskey sauce. Better than it has any right to be.
Cafe au lait
Half strong chicory coffee, half hot milk. The drink that powers every morning and tastes like home.
Cafe Du Monde
Coffee stand on Decatur slinging beignets and chicory coffee since the 1860s. Open 24 hours because this city doesn't stop.
Camellia Grill
Counter-service institution in Carrollton. Famous for omelets, pecan pie, and being exactly what a New Orleans diner should be.
Central Grocery
Italian grocery in the Quarter where the muffuletta was born. The sandwich is so massive you'll eat it for two days.
Chicory coffee
Coffee blended with roasted chicory root. Less caffeine, different flavor, completely New Orleans.
Cochon
Restaurant by local chefs doing Cajun food with real technique. Pork-focused, heritage-celebrating, not precious about it.
Commander's Palace
Garden District restaurant in a turquoise Victorian mansion. Special occasions since 1893. Famous for turtle soup and the 25-cent martini lunch.
Coop's Place
Rowdy bar in the Quarter with seriously good gumbo and jambalaya in a dive setting. Everyone's welcome as long as you're cool.
Cracklin
Fried pork skin. Crunchy, salty, shows up as a snack, in cornbread, or crumbled on whatever needs more flavor from the Cajun kitchen.
Crawfish
Small freshwater crustacean that's boiled with corn and potatoes every spring. Season runs roughly March through June and it's basically a religion.
Cush-cush
Old French/Cajun breakfast of browned cornmeal served with sugar and milk. Comfort food from way back.
Debris po-boy
Sandwich made from the loose pieces and gravy that fall off a roast beef, pressed on French bread. Understated perfection.
Dirty rice
Rice cooked with liver, spices, and the 'holy trinity.' Soul food served alongside red beans on Monday.
Domilise's
Po-boy shop in Uptown that's been doing it right for generations. Small, no frills, perfect sandwiches.
Dooky Chase
Creole restaurant in Treme run by the legendary Leah Chase for decades. Civil rights history, serious food, neighborhood pride.
Etouffee
Pronounced eh-too-FAY. Crawfish or shrimp smothered in a rich roux-based sauce, served over rice. French for 'smothered' and it lives up to the name.
Filé
Powdered sassafras leaves used to thicken gumbo. Been used in cooking here since before the city existed.
Galatoire's
French Creole restaurant on Bourbon since 1905. Jackets required, crabmeat always perfect, another era entirely.
Gumbo
The stew that defines Louisiana. Roux base, meat or seafood, okra or file, vegetables. Every family's got their own recipe and they'll all fight about it.
Hansen's Sno-Bliz
Snowball stand in Uptown since 1939. They invented the machine that shaves the ice. The cherry is legendary.
Holy Trinity
Onions, celery, and bell pepper. The three-vegetable foundation of basically every Cajun and Creole dish. Non-negotiable.
Hot sauce
More lifestyle than condiment. Crystal and Louisiana Hot Sauce basically fight for cabinet space in every kitchen.
Hurricane
Fruity rum cocktail in a curved glass from Pat O'Brien's. Tastes way too good for how strong it is.
Jacques-Imo's
Cajun restaurant on Oak Street with creative takes and funky atmosphere. The alligator cheesecake and shrimp and alligator sausage speak for themselves.
Jambalaya
One-pot rice dish with meat, seafood, vegetables, and spices. Endless variations, strong opinions from everyone.
King cake
Oval pastry eaten during Carnival season, decorated in purple, green, and gold. Has a tiny baby inside and whoever finds it throws the next party.
Liuzza's by the Track
Po-boy spot near the Fair Grounds with one of the best roast beef sandwiches in the city.
Muffuletta
Massive round Italian sandwich with cold cuts and olive salad on Sicilian bread. So big you need two hands and two meals.
Oysters Rockefeller
Oysters topped with buttery herb sauce, invented at Antoine's. The fancy way to eat ersters.
Parkway Bakery
Po-boy shop in Mid-City since 1911. Lines out the door. Nothing fancy, just done really well.
Po-boy
Sandwich on crispy New Orleans French bread, usually fried seafood or roast beef. The most important food in the city.
Praline
Pronounced PRAH-leen. Candy made with pecans, brown sugar, and butter. Sweet enough to make your teeth hurt in the best way.
Reveillon
Fancy multi-course dinner tradition around Christmas and New Year's. Restaurants all over town do special Reveillon menus.
Roux
Cooked mixture of fat and flour that thickens soups and sauces. The foundation of Creole cooking. Debates about color and technique get heated.
Sazerac
Rye whiskey, sugar, Peychaud's bitters, a rinse of absinthe. Official cocktail of New Orleans, dating back to the 1800s.
Snowball
Shaved ice with flavored syrup. Not a snow cone. The ice is finer, the syrups are better, and it's a summer institution.
Willie Mae's Scotch House
Soul food restaurant in Treme. The fried chicken is legendary. James Beard Award winner. Neighborhood institution.
🎺 Music & Festivals
Bounce
High-energy hip-hop born in New Orleans with heavy drums and call-and-response. Basically the city's heartbeat in music form.
Brass band
Small ensemble of horns and drums that rolls through streets for second lines, jazz funerals, and any occasion that needs joy. The soundtrack of New Orleans.
Essence Fest
Massive music and culture festival during July 4th weekend celebrating Black music, food, and culture with major national artists.
Fais do-do
Cajun dance party. Literally means 'go to sleep' because the kids get put to bed while the adults eat, drink, and dance all night.
French Quarter Fest
Free music festival in April celebrating traditional New Orleans music in the old streets. Way more authentic than the big tourism fests.
Frenchmen Street
The strip in Marigny lined with live music clubs. Where locals actually go to hear music instead of Bourbon Street.
Grand Marshal
Leader of a parade or second line who sets the pace and energy for the whole procession.
Jazz
Musical form born right here in the early 1900s, blending African rhythms with European harmonies into something that changed the world.
Jazz Fest
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Massive multi-weekend event at the Fair Grounds with music, food, and crafts. Basically a citywide holiday.
Jazz funeral
Procession starting solemn and ending joyful, with a brass band leading mourners through the streets. A New Orleans send-off.
Maple Leaf Bar
Oak Street venue where Rebirth Brass Band plays every Tuesday night and turns the whole block into a dance party.
Preservation Hall
Intimate venue in the Quarter showcasing traditional New Orleans jazz. No amplification, just raw musicianship in a historic room.
Satchmo SummerFest
Festival celebrating Louis Armstrong and New Orleans jazz, held at the Jazz Museum.
Second line
The people dancing behind a brass band parade. Started after jazz funerals, now happens at weddings, block parties, and Sunday afternoons.
Social Aid and Pleasure Club
Community organizations that coordinate second lines, historically providing mutual aid and insurance to members. The backbone of parade culture.
Tipitina's
Live music venue that's hosted everyone from Professor Longhair to modern funk. Kept New Orleans music alive through hard times.
Voodoo Fest
Three-day music festival in October at City Park with rock, hip-hop, and electronic acts.
WWOZ
Community radio station at 90.7 FM. Plays jazz, funk, blues, gospel, and everything New Orleans. The real voice of the city's music.
Zydeco
Music from Cajun country mixing French accordion with blues and rhythm. Gets people dancing and tells stories of rural Louisiana.
🎭 Mardi Gras & Carnival
Baby Dolls
Black women maskers in colorful satin gowns and bonnets who dance in parade lines. Tradition goes back over a century.
Bacchus
Superkrewe that started the mega-float game. Known for massive floats and celebrity monarchs.
Ball
Formal event hosted by a Mardi Gras krewe. Fancy dress, presentations, and serious tradition.
Big Chief
Leader of a Mardi Gras Indian tribe who wears an elaborate beaded and feathered suit that takes all year to build.
Big Queen
Second-in-command in a Mardi Gras Indian tribe, wearing an equally stunning costume with serious craftsmanship and pride.
Carnival
The season from Twelfth Night to Mardi Gras. Weeks of parades, balls, and king cake building to one massive day.
Comus
Oldest krewe still rolling, since 1857. Old-money roots, elaborate themed balls, basically untouchable tradition.
Courir de Mardi Gras
Rural tradition where costumed riders go house to house on horseback asking for ingredients for a communal gumbo. Organized chaos in Cajun country.
Court
A krewe's royalty: King, Queen, Maids, Dukes. Selected by tradition and presented at the ball.
Creole Wild West
One of the most respected Mardi Gras Indian tribes, known for fierce competition and beautiful beadwork.
Den
Where a krewe stores and builds its floats. A warehouse full of magic and secrets.
Doubloon
Aluminum coin stamped with a krewe's insignia and theme, tossed from floats during parades. Collectors go wild for them.
Endymion
Massive superkrewe with enormous floats rolling the Saturday before Mardi Gras.
Favor
Small souvenir given at Mardi Gras balls. Could be anything from a doubloon to a trinket.
Flag Boy
Member of a Mardi Gras Indian tribe who carries the flag and helps lead the procession.
Flambeaux
Torch carriers who walk alongside night parade floats, lighting the way. Beautiful and a little chaotic.
Golden Eagles
Mardi Gras Indian tribe known for powerful chants and stunning beadwork.
Krewe
Organization that puts on a Mardi Gras parade or ball. Can be a massive superkrewe or a tiny neighborhood group.
Krewe du Vieux
Satirical krewe parading through the Marigny with raunchy, political floats. The anti-establishment answer to the fancy krewes.
Lundi Gras
The Monday before Mardi Gras. When King Rex and King Zulu arrive on the riverfront and the city starts losing it.
Mardi Gras
Fat Tuesday. The day before Ash Wednesday. Parades, costumes, throws, and organized chaos. The whole reason.
Mardi Gras Indian
Black masker in elaborate hand-beaded and feathered costumes. Tradition since the 1800s, representing cultural pride and artistic genius.
Masker
Anyone in costume during Carnival. The whole point is anonymity.
Muses
All-female krewe that throws beautifully decorated shoes. Started in 2000 and became instantly iconic.
Nyx
All-female superkrewe with massive throws. Rolled first in 2012 and became a phenomenon.
Proteus
Old krewe rolling since 1882. Elaborate floats and old-school tradition.
Rex
Major krewe that established purple, green, and gold as the official Mardi Gras colors. Rolls on Mardi Gras day.
Skull and Bone Gang
Maskers dressed as skeletons who appear on Mardi Gras morning to wake the neighborhood. Spooky, cool, tradition.
Spy Boy
Scout for a Mardi Gras Indian tribe who moves ahead of the Big Chief looking for rival tribes.
Super Sunday
The third Sunday in March when Mardi Gras Indians come out in full costume. Biggest masking day besides Mardi Gras itself.
Throw
Anything tossed from a parade float: beads, doubloons, cups, toys. The reason you stand on the street for hours.
Throw me somethin', mister!
What every paradegoer shouts at float riders. The universal Mardi Gras request.
Twelfth Night
January 6th. The official start of Carnival season. Time for king cake.
Wild Magnolias
Legendary Mardi Gras Indian tribe known for powerful chants and beautiful regalia.
Zulu
Historic Black krewe rolling on Mardi Gras morning since 1909. Their hand-painted coconuts are the most prized throw in the city.
🗺️ Neighborhoods & Geography
Algiers
Only part of New Orleans on the West Bank. A whole different vibe across the river.
Bayou
Slow-moving water through swamps and marshland. From the Choctaw word for 'small stream.' Defines the landscape.
Bywater
Neighborhood downriver from the Marigny. Artists, musicians, and people who like their neighborhoods a little weird.
Central City
Neighborhood near Uptown with deep cultural roots. Home to Super Sunday at A.L. Davis Park.
City Park
1,300 acres of green in the middle of the city. Sculpture garden, museum, and live oaks older than the country.
Congo Square
Historic gathering place where enslaved people could congregate and make music on Sundays. The birthplace of New Orleans musical culture.
Da Quarter
The French Quarter. Pronounced da QUAW-tah. Technically the oldest part of the city.
Directions
There's no north, south, east, or west in New Orleans. It's lakeside, riverside, uptown, and downtown. The river bends too much for a compass to help.
Faubourg
French for 'suburb.' Now means any neighborhood with its own character. Faubourg Marigny, Faubourg Treme.
Faubourg Marigny
Neighborhood next to the Quarter. Frenchmen Street runs through it. The local's version of going out.
Freret
Uptown neighborhood and street that's been revitalized with local restaurants and bars.
Garden District
Beautiful neighborhood of massive mansions and oak-lined streets. Where the Americans built after they couldn't crack Creole society.
Gentilly
Neighborhood between Mid-City and the lake. Residential, real, and recovering.
Irish Channel
Uptown neighborhood historically home to Irish immigrants. St. Patrick's Day parade throws cabbage here.
Magazine Street
Six miles of shops, restaurants, and bars running from the Quarter through Uptown. The local commercial artery.
Marigny
Shorthand for Faubourg Marigny. Pronounced MAH-uh-nee. Where the music lives.
Metairie
Suburb next to New Orleans. Pronounced MET-uh-ree (or MET-tree if you're hardcore). Safe, suburban, and the butt of many jokes.
Mid-City
Neighborhood right in the middle of everything. Bayou St. John, City Park, and some of the best restaurants in town.
Ninth Ward
Historic neighborhood with deep cultural roots. Hit hardest by Katrina and fought hardest to come back.
Oak Street
Small commercial strip in Carrollton with restaurants, bars, and the Maple Leaf.
Parish
Louisiana's version of a county. Different name, same government unit, every one's got its own character.
Treme
One of the oldest African American neighborhoods in the country. Birthplace of jazz, center of Black culture, and the soul of the city.
Uptown
Everything upriver from the Quarter. Tulane, Audubon Park, Magazine Street, and the streetcar.
West Bank
The other side of the river. You have to look east to see it, which tells you everything about New Orleans geography.
🏠 Architecture & Landmarks
Above-ground cemetery
New Orleans buries people above ground because the water table is too high. The 'Cities of the Dead' are tourist attractions now.
Camelback
House style where the back half goes to two stories while the front stays single. Clever workaround for old property tax rules.
Fleur-de-lis
Three-pointed flower symbol on basically everything in the city. Flag, buildings, tattoos. Represents New Orleans and Louisiana pride.
Gallery
Covered porch or balcony on the second floor. Where you watch parades and wave at neighbors.
Shotgun house
Long narrow house with rooms in a row, front to back. Legend says you could fire a shotgun through the front door and it'd go straight out the back.
Vieux Carré
Pronounced VOO ka-RAY. Means 'old square' in French. The original name for the French Quarter.
🛤️ Street Pronunciations
Burgundy
Pronounced bur-GUN-dee, not like the wine.
Calliope
Pronounced CAL-ee-ope, not ka-LIE-oh-pee. Name a muse street and New Orleans will rename it phonetically.
Carondelet
Pronounced ka-RON-da-LET, not ka-RON-da-LAY.
Chartres
Pronounced CHAW-ters. Nothing like the French city.
Conti
Pronounced CON-tie. Not CON-tee.
Dauphine
Pronounced daw-FEEN. Oddly close to actual French for once.
Decatur
Pronounced da-KAY-ter. Not DECK-a-tur.
Esplanade
Pronounced ES-pla-NADE, with the last syllable rhyming with 'raid.'
Melpomene
Pronounced MEL-po-meen. Another muse, another pronunciation lesson.
New Orleans
Never 'New Or-LEENS.' Locals say new OR-lins or new AW-lins. Some just say NOLA.
Pontchartrain
Pronounced PONCH-a-train. Or just 'da lake.'
Prytania
Pronounced pra-TAN-ya.
Tchoupitoulas
Pronounced chop-a-TOO-las. If you can spell it without looking, you're a real one.
Terpsichore
Pronounced TERP-si-core. The muse streets are a whole crash course.
👥 People & Heritage
Cajun
Descended from Acadian French settlers expelled from Nova Scotia. Their own food, music, and language. A whole culture.
Creole
People of mixed European, African, and Caribbean heritage born in Louisiana. Also a cuisine, a language, and an entire way of life.
Dr. John
Malcolm Rebennack. Piano, funk, voodoo, wild stage presence. Brought Louisiana music to the world.
Fats Domino
Rock and roll pioneer from the Ninth Ward. Boogie-woogie piano that shaped early rock. Basically invented a whole sound.
Hot 8 Brass Band
Brass band playing second lines and jazz funerals with serious energy. Representing the tradition for decades.
Irma Thomas
The Soul Queen of New Orleans. Been recording and performing here for decades. The voice of the city.
Isleños
Spanish settlers from the Canary Islands who came in the 1700s. Now mostly fishermen and trappers in St. Bernard Parish.
Leah Chase
The Queen of Creole Cuisine. Ran Dooky Chase for decades, fed civil rights leaders, and cooked with more love than anyone.
Louis Armstrong
Jazz trumpeter and singer born in New Orleans who invented modern jazz. Changed music forever and put the city on the world map.
Neville Brothers
Art, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril. Four brothers from New Orleans who played everything from R&B to funk to reggae.
Professor Longhair
Piano genius who blended boogie-woogie and funk into something uniquely New Orleans. Influenced everybody.
Rebirth Brass Band
Legendary brass band that kept New Orleans music alive. Tuesday nights at the Maple Leaf are essential.
Trombone Shorty
Troy Andrews. Modern brass band musician born and raised here. Carrying the tradition forward for new audiences.
📜 History & Culture
Be A New Orleanian Wherever You Are
Dirty Coast's motto, sketched on a napkin in a Lafayette coffeehouse during Katrina evacuation. How displaced New Orleanians found each other.
Dirty Coast
New Orleans design and lifestyle brand founded in 2005. Makes shirts that feel like secret handshakes for people who really know this city.
Dixie
Term for the South, possibly from the French 'dix' (ten) on old Louisiana banknotes. The 'Land of Dixie' came from there.
Hurricane party
When a storm's coming, you board up the house and throw a party. Snacks, drinks, friends, and nervous laughter.
Picayune
Old Spanish coin worth a fraction of a dollar. Now means something small or petty. Also the name of the newspaper.
Pigeon Town Steppers
Stepping group doing elaborate choreographed routines as part of the second line tradition.
Voodoo
Spiritual practice rooted in West African traditions blended with Catholicism. Misunderstood by tourists, central to the city's identity.
