Cajun Justice |

Cajun Glossary

VIDEO

• BONUS SCENE | 2:12

  

  Lizard Man

• BONUS SCENE | 2:35

  

  Speaking Cajun

• BONUS SCENE | 2:33

  

  Voodoo

• BONUS SCENE | 1:29

  

  What It Means To Be Cajun

• BONUS SCENE | 1:48

  

  Cajun Folklore and Ghost...

• PROFILE | 1:52

  

  Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois

• BONUS SCENE | 1:22

  

  Definition of Cajun Justice

• PROFILE | 1:56

  

  Deputy 'Catfish' Quintal

• PROFILE | 1:35

  

  Jacob 'Gator Man' Lirrette

• PROFILE | 1:46

  

  Deputy 'Highlights'...

If you want to chat it up with the folks in Terrebonne Parish, there’s some local lingo you’re going to want to pick up. Delve deeper into Cajun culture with this handy guide to Cajun conversation.

Années passées [a-nee pass-ay]

Years gone by.

Bayou [bi-yoo]

A slow moving stream.

Beignet [bin-yay]

A fried square French donut coated with powdered sugar.

Bon ami [bon ah-mee]

Good friend.

Boolye

Bright light used to blind prey while hunting.

Buster

A crab that has recently shed its shell – a soft shell crab.

Ca c’est bon!

It’s GOOD!

Camp

A vacation home.

Catch me

“Get for me” or “Bring to me.”

Come see

A verbal command, instructing or request asking someone to come near to “check this out.” A command to “come here.”

Crawfish

“Mudbug” – Crustacean served boiled or fried.

Étouffée [ay too fay]

Smothered seafood, Cajun stew.

Fifolet [fee fo lay]

According to Cajun folklore, it is a bright light seen in swamp areas that is said to misdirect or disorient those who try to follow it as a perceived point of safety.

Gris-gris

A spell using physical items, like a charm or talisman.

Gumbo

African word for okra, which is used as a thickening agent in a dark stew of seafood or meat, served over rice.

Jambalaya [jum-buh-ly-ah]

Well-seasoned mixture of rice, meat and vegetables cooked in one pot.

King Cake

Circular yeast cake decorated with purple, yellow and green sugars and containing a plastic baby (to represent baby Jesus) served throughout the Mardi Gras season. The person who gets the baby provides the next king cake.

Laissez les bon temps rouler! [lay-zay lay bon tom roo-lay]

Let the good times roll!

Lutin [loo-tan]

According to Cajun folklore, it is the spirit of a baby who died before it was baptized and engages in mischievous trick and pranks on the living.

Make a Grocery Bill

Go shopping.

Mardi Gras [mar-dee graw]

Fat Tuesday, the season that begins the twelfth night after Christmas and ends the day before Lent

Me

“Me” is often used as a secondary possessive to reinforce the primary possessive noun. E.g., “I’m gone to town, me” – meaning “I’m going to town.”

Nanny

Godmother.

Parish

A political division resembling counties in other states. Louisiana is the only state with parishes (dating back to Napoleon and a strong Catholic influence).

Pa-ran

Godfather.

Pirogue [pee row]

A small, canoe-like boat.

Po po

The police.

Pope yaire

Butterfly shrimp nets.

Push/Pushing

The process of a shrimp boat navigating up and down a bayou or waterway with its nets dropped into the water.

Rougarou [roo-gah-roo]

According to Cajun legend, it is a creature that physically transforms from a man into a wolf or dog or even a bird.

Rougarouin’

Getting into trouble; causing trouble.

Sauce piquante [saws pee-kaw(n)]

Tomato base; rich stew.

Skiff

Small boat for crabbing or shrimping.

Who dat?

Who is that? Who goes there?