New Orleans Slang

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Like any port city, New Orleans is a confluence of cultures. With deep-south and Cajun roots, those many cultures combine to produce a set of dialects so distinctive that even native New Orleans residents can't always agree on the name of the street they're traveling. The real New Orleans sounds nothing like the Hollywood version (for one thing, no one really says "N'awlins"). However, there are some bits of New Orleans slang that may interest you. Learn how to "make groceries" and order crawfish Monica like a local, and you may even get some lagniappe.