|
Allons
|
ah-lahn
|
Let's go!
|
|
Ami
|
ah-me
|
Friend, buddy
|
|
Amoureux
|
a-mu-rue
|
In love with
|
|
Bayou
|
bi-yoo
|
The streams/swamps crisscrossing Louisiana
|
|
Beignet
|
ben-yea
|
Sweet doughnuts, square-shaped and minus the hole, lavishly sprinkled
with powdered sugar.
|
|
Bien
|
bjen
|
Good, well
|
|
Beaucoup
|
bow-coo
|
Lots or plenty, used a lot with merci
|
|
Bete
|
bet
|
Beast, animal
|
|
Bon Appetite!
|
bon a-pet-tite
|
Good appetite (literal) or "Enjoy!" when talking of food.
|
|
Bourre
|
boo-ray
|
Name of a Cajun card game which requires the loser of a hand to stuff
the pot with chips.
|
|
Ca c'est bon
|
sa say bohn
|
That's good.
|
|
Café au Lait
|
kah-fay oh lay
|
Coffee with steamed milk
|
|
Cajun
|
cay-jun
|
Slang for Acadians, the French-speaking people who migrated to South
Louisiana from Nova Scotia.
|
|
Cayenne
|
ki-yan
|
A hot pepper that is dried and used to season many Louisiana dishes.
|
|
C'est la vie
|
say la vee
|
That's life, oh well
|
|
Chat
|
chat
|
Cat
|
|
Cher(e)
|
sha
|
Honey or dear when speaking to the opposite sex, buddy or pal when
addressing the same sex
|
|
Crawfish
|
craw-fish
|
Seafood that resemble small lobsters that live and grow in the mud
of freshwater bayous.
|
|
Creole
|
cree-ol
|
People of mixed French and Spanish blood who migrated to or were born
in Southeast Louisiana.
|
|
D'accord
|
da-cor
|
Ok, alright, agreed, understand
|
|
Da
|
da
|
The
|
|
Dare
|
dare
|
There
|
|
Dat
|
dat
|
That
|
|
Dem
|
dem
|
Them
|
|
Derriere
|
dare-y-air
|
Bottom, buttocks, ass
|
|
Dis
|
dis
|
This
|
|
Etoufee
|
ay-too-fay
|
A tangy tomato-based sauce that usually made with crawfish or shrimp.
|
|
Fais do do
|
fay doe doe
|
A party where traditional Cajun dance is performed.
|
|
Fille
|
fij
|
girl
|
|
Fumer
|
fuma
|
to smoke somthing like a cigar, cigarettes, pipes, etc.
|
|
Gris Gris
|
gree gree
|
A spell, normally voodoo or hoodoo in nature
|
|
Gumbo
|
gum-boe
|
A robust roux-based soup thickened with okra or file'. There are thousands
of variations.
|
|
Jambalaya
|
jum-bo-lie-yah
|
A rice dish with any combination of beef, pork, fowl, sausage, ham,
seafood and vegetables.
|
|
Joie de Vivre
|
zhwa d veev
|
An attitude of happiness, ebullience, zest for life.
|
|
Lache pas la patate
|
losh pa la pa-tot
|
"Don't let go of the potato" which is slang for "don't
give up".
|
|
Laissez les bon temps rouler
|
lay-zay lay bon ton rule-ay
|
Let the good times roll
|
|
Loup
|
lu
|
Wolf
|
|
Loupgarou
|
lu-garu
|
Werewolf
|
|
Mal-pris
|
mal-pri
|
In a bad situation.
|
|
Merci
|
mare-see
|
Thank you
|
|
Merde
|
merd
|
Shit!
|
|
Mes amis
|
mes amees
|
My friends
|
|
Mardi Gras
|
mardi graw
|
It's the Biggest Party on Earth!
|
|
Moi
|
mwa
|
Me
|
|
Mon Dieu
|
mon dew
|
My God!
|
|
Mort
|
more
|
Death
|
|
N'est-ce pas
|
nes-pa
|
Isn't it?
|
|
Non
|
non
|
No
|
|
Oui
|
we
|
Yes
|
|
Pauve ti bete
|
pove tee bet
|
Poor little thing
|
|
Pere
|
pear
|
Father
|
|
Petit(e)
|
peti
|
Small. Used as slang for a small child.
|
|
Pourquoi
|
pur-kwa
|
Why?
|
|
Qui
|
ki
|
Who
|
|
Quoi
|
kwa
|
What
|
|
Tante
|
tant
|
Aunt
|
|
Tête-à-tête
|
tat e tat
|
"Head to head"; an intimate get-together or private conversation
between two people.
|
|
Vive
|
vev
|
Long live
|
|
Voilà
|
wa-la
|
A compound word formed from voir (to see) and là (there), translated
literally as "see there".
|
|
Zydeco
|
zi-de-co
|
Kind of Cajun dance music that is a combination of traditional Cajun,
R&B and African blues.
|
