That Language We Speak

In New Orleans theirs a long history as it relates to our accents, Annunciation of words, Phrases and things that make up our Verbal Identity as a New Orleanian. Many of these words are not registered in the dictionaries of American language. Those that are, Don't have the same definition as the way we use them.

For example, People don't understand why we say "Make /Making)" to describe an action that is taking place such as "Make Groceries" "Making Babies" "Making 7" (or what ever age they are becoming)

Many Think It's Slang, But it can't be Slang when The whole city practically says and knows what the words are.

For more of That ....You Can Check Out (How Ta Tawk Rite) .. Many of the words are Written how they Sound...

With That said...From Our Normal Vernacular, We as New Orleanians Have Lots of Unofficial words and Phrases that have been coined on a mainstream level. that I have Heard Since I was Young.

Here's A List of Words and Meanings That I've Heard All My Life. ..many of them are Onomatopoeia's. Why? because they have No Official Spelling Form. others are just Speech Disfluencies .. Some of Them are Southern Terms though

Here are a few of Them..

Ha / Han / - This word is basically the same as "Huh" instead of being used after a Question Miss-understood. It's Used in a Demanding way to get an answer Without Necessarily Asking a Question.. Like The Person what They're Doing or Have Done to get a "Yes" or "No" ( I used an N in the other spelling because yo're using your Nose to give off the sound)

Juvenile - HA


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Yehh/Yeah - . Used similarly to "Ha" .. This words are Assurances or Approval of something.
Basically "Yes" .. (yes I understand/agree) .and depending how long u extend it its ... (Yes, I am Enjoying The Moment) Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhh.. (both sound the same)

Example of "Yehh" in the Lyrics of Juvenile's "Back That Thing Up" .. (even tho he's saying Yeh in between unnecessary lyrics ..lol)
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Oh /O' - We ain't Scottish but O is always Used in front of Someones name when You're trying to get their attention. While at the same time You're Extending each Syllable of the persons name. (especially when calling them from a distance) same as someone would call and say "Hey or Eh or Say" to get someones attention .

Example: "O Kee-SHUH" (Oh' Keisha)
Keisha Responds "Ha?"
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Kno/Know/No as for the word It's mainly To Inform someone of something to "Make sure they Know" .. Most of the time used in the Negative Rather than Positive sense ..lol

Here's an example of Both Yehh 'O and Kno in a Convo..

John: O'Mike,
Mike: Yehh
John: You Remember Rob?
Mike: Yeah
John: He To Mississippi Yehh
Mike: Yeah I Heard, But His Momma Ain't want'em To Go, Kno..
John: Fa'True?
Mike: Yeah Bruh
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In there I Brought On another Term..

Fa'True/Fa Real - "Are You Telling The Truth" "Are You Serious" (Fa'True is used by women mostly) .. "Fa' Real" is more of a Common Term through out the US now

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U -Lyin - Not that you're Telling somebody they're lying.. But If You Assume somebody is Lying.. you'd say "U Lyin" .. (used in the sam e way as "Fa'Real") .. It's like Both asking and Telling"Are You Laying and "You are Lying". at the same time.. because you want confirmation
By the way .. Lying Sound like "LINE"

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On The Real / On The Real Side - Although "Side" was dropped from the phrase long ago.. It's Basically Means "I'm About to tell the Truth" .. or " Are You Telling The Truth" Depending On How It's Used in a sentence .. This is more of a Hood Term ..lol

Example of both Fa'Real, On The Real & U'Lyin

John: Mann, Joe Got Hit By A Bus and Broke his Leg...
Mike: U LYIN!!?
John: On The Real Though, He Fell off his motorbike...
Mike: OH! Boy, I Though you wa' Serious ...
John. Either way, It's Still Messed Up Though...
Mike: I Know, Rite...
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Here are some Other Things people may not understand

YEO!!! / Yoo!- I Believe it started off and a Drug Call. But You would Hear It As Call and Responce Through out the hood yelling from a Mile away

Man A: Yooo!!
Man B: YEEEOOO!
Man C: YOO!
Man A: Yooo!!
Man C: YEEEOO!!
Man A: Yooo!!
Man B: YEEEOOO!
Man C: YOO!
Man A: Yooo!!
Man C: YEEEOO!!
Man B: Yooooo!

It Could Go On For Nearly 30 Minutes Depending On How Many People are Around ..LOL..
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There's Also The "Bird Call" A High Pitched AwwAHHHHWW!!..
More Crow, and a goose but high pitched

There was once a Monkey Call (like a Chimpanzee ) didn't really get over as the Bird Call Though

They Both were Used in the same sense as "Yoo"...
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Wardie/ Wodie / - Person From your ward (neighborhood / Term of endearment like saying "whats Happenin Neighbor" .. Whats Happenin Wodie!
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Whoa/ Woah/ Whoa'Nah/ Whoa Now/ Wah/Wan (sound like Juan)- its a Greeting .. ..


Man A: Whoaaaaaa!
Man B: What's Happenin Wodie
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Shive/Shibe/ Sharp/ (Shahhb) - Good, Nice, "Man, That Car is Shive" ... (not to many people say it anymore) ..

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Buck/ Bucked / Bucked Up / - and accelerated level of interest ..LOL
She's Gettin' All Bucked Up About that Party
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As Cheese - To Describe something in a good way ..

"Man That Was Cold as Cheese"
"That Was Ugly as Cheese"

Like My Brother Says "Cheese can Be Many things, Hot, Cold, Ugly, Warm, Good, Nasty, Bad, Stinky, " ... see what i mean ..lol
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Round - Friend/wodie/ podna - same thing (i don't say that junk)
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Twerk / Twirk/ Twurk - Females Gyrating their hips while dancing would be Twirkin'
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People, Things & Places

Frozen Cup Lady - Neighborhood Lady That Sells Frozen Cups/Huck-a-Bucks

Shrimp Man - Like The Ice Cream Man, He Sells Seafood and Vegetables from His Van
Johnny Plug - Fire Hydrant

Pie Man - Man That Sells Pies Around The Hood in a Bucket .. he yells & Sings "Fresh Hot Pies, Get'em While They Hot" .. and then Name The pies back to back ..LOL

The Homes - Juvenile Detention Facilities

The Nolia - Magnolia Projects (No longer Exists)

Brake Tag - Car Inspection Sticker .. It Gets Inspected at a Brake Tag Station

DMV - Department of Motor Vehicles (in other places they have a DPS - Department Public Safety) - SAME THING

Project Pops - There was a Sucker Candy on a Sold in every hood .. For Every Hood The Name Changed "Calliope Pops" .. "St. Bernard Pops" and so on and so on...

The Parish - although every city in Louisiana is in a Parish.. . Due to St. Bernard also being a Well known area in the 7th ward. of New Orleans. people refer to St. Bernard Parish as "The Parish" .. ..lol I personally Like to call it, 9th Ward Extension ..LOL

JP's - The Jefferson Parish Police

The Quarters - The French Quarters of course

Bo-Bo - Sore / Scar that may be Bleeding at the time (can be pronounced as BOW BOW or BOO BOO)

Carrolton -It was it's own City in Jefferson Parish before New Orleans Bought it and made it Orleans Parish and Part of the Uptown area. Area's In Carrolton are Hollygrove, Gert Town, Pigeon Town, Marlyville ( Leonidas is the proper name for the full area though)

..lol..

1.5 / (One Point Five) - The 15th Ward. which is on Across The River. LOL

Bywater.. It's BY THE WATER in 9th ward ..lol (on the river)


That's Enough for now. I'll Post a few more Unlisted ones laters

How Ta Tawk Rite has Common terms Some have Faded away some Changed.. .. LOL but yeah. I'm Really Mentioning Those Uncommon ones that go unlisted as New Orleans Terms..

..lol I don't know How some of them words came along but LOL

Note From The Book