New Orleans Fun Facts

[Xander]

CEMETERIES

It's all about the water table. Like when you're at the beach, digging a moat for your sand castle: You dig about a foot down, and your moat's already magically got water. That's what all of New Orleans is like. The French Quarter itself is only about above sea level... and that's high ground.

Burying the dead in New Orleans was a serious business. Weighing down the caskets with stones and sandbags didn’t work, nor did drilling holes in them. Eventually, people gave up trying to bury anything at all. Graves were created aboveground, in the form of tombs, crypts, and vaults. Cemeteries are literally called the "Cities of the Dead" because of their massive acreage. There are rules as to how many family members can be put inside a vault, and how long a time period must pass before a new family member can be put on top of, or in place of another.

The cemeteries of New Orleans are beautiful and haunting... and dangerous. It is wise not to travel through them alone, and I'm not saying that just because of the Daimons—Nick Gautier's infamous father once ran with a gang who used to rob tourists who were stupid enough to enter cemeteries alone.

There are more than forty cemeteries in New Orleans, and most of them offer guided tours.

In every cemetery you visit, always remember to respect the monuments to the departed. There are groups who help try and protect New Orleans' historic cemeteries from the ravages of time, neglect, vandalism, theft, and that pesky little hurricane named Katrina. Yes, there are people who are actually trained in the art of tomb restoration. Nifty, huh?

[Xander]

MULES

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Romantic couples visiting New Orleans will certainly want to take a carriage ride around the French Quarter. Those who do will notice that a large percentage of the carriages are drawn not by horses, but by mules. It's survival of the fittest—mules are apparently much heartier animals than their equine cousins. Although for a time, horses were used, mules have since replaced them. They can withstand the humidity and much higher temperatures of the New Orleans climate. Like you've seen so many times in movies, horses will continue to work for their owners until they drop dead. Mules, on the other hand, will simply stop as soon as they become tired.
There are, of course, rules that all carriage operators must follow. Mules can only work if the outside temperature is at or less than ninety degrees. They are not allowed to pull more than nine people, including the driver of the carriage. They are required to have a fifteen-minute rest between each ride. In the summer, that break increases to thirty minutes, and mules are not permitted to work more than six hours a day.

[Xander]

ROMEO SPIKES

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No, they're not named after Romeo Pontis (but it is funny to watch his face when you mention it... right before he kicks your butt). These are the wrought-iron or steel spikes you will see decorating balconies and their supporting pillars all over the French Quarter. The Romeo moniker came into use when the story got around about how their existence was due to well-to-do fathers who wanted to keep their daughters safe from unworthy male callers.

They look lethal because they are—the spikes have claimed the lives of various suitors over the years. Many a not-so-surefooted Romeo has met his maker after a tryst with his beloved. The clever trick to conquering the spikes was to throw a horse blanket over them and use them as support to aid the climb. The more difficult task was getting down again, especially if the blanket had fallen away or been stolen. The standard joke is that a young man would ascend a Romeo, but come back down a Juliet.

[Xander]

Cajun Dictionary

Boy, I'm backwoods Cajun, I ain't ever got no class, cher.
—Nick Gautier

It's not quite French, it's not quite English, and most of it has to do with food. More so than most cities, New Orleans has a vernacular all its own.
Don't fret, boo; here's a quick reference guide to help you out with all the li'l things, so you can relax and have your cafe au lait in peace.

Andouille (ahn-DO-wee) A spicy pork sausage used in most gumbos and jambalaya dishes.
Bayou (BI-yoo) The streams and swampy regions across Louisiana.
Beignet (ben-YAY) A square of deep-fried dough served with a generous helping of powdered sugar. Essentially, a French doughnut.
Boo A term of endearment.
Boudin (boo-DAN) Spicy pork, rice, onions, and spices stuffed in a sausage casing. It's fantabulous, and you must try it.
Bourre (BOO-ray) A Cajun card game.
Café au lait (kah-fay-oh-LAY) A drink consisting of half chicory coffee and half steamed milk. Goes great with a beignet.
Cajun (KAY-jun) Refers to the Acadians, French-speaking people who migrated to South Louisiana from Nova Scotia in the eighteenth century.
Cher (sha) From the French, meaning "dear", a term of endearment.
Chew (choo) From the French, slang meaning "rear end", this is often used to refer to an undesirable person. Especially when you're speaking directly to them.
Chock a block Packed full.
Couche couche (koosh koosh) Fried cornmeal topped with milk and/or cane syrup. Served at breakfast.
Creole (KREE-ole) This term originally described those of mixed Spanish and French blood who were born in southeast Louisiana. Creole is now used to describe both cuisine and architecture.
Crescent City Another nickname for New Orleans, because it is located in a crescent-shaped bend of the Mississippi.
Envie (ahn-VEE) Your heart's desire.
Fais do do (fay-do-do) A traditional southern Louisiana dance party. Fais do do literally means "to make sleep".
Filé (FEE-lay) Ground sassafras leaves used to season gumbo (and other dishes).
Garry (GE-ree) Porch.
Gris gris (gree gree) A voodoo spell.
King Cake Traditional Mardi Gras ring-shaped cake decorated in green, gold, and purple, with a small plastic baby baked inside it. Traditions vary, but it is most often said that whoever gets the baby has to buy next year's King Cake. Others think the recipient will have a year's worth of luck, or will become pregnant by year's end.
Lagniappe (LAN-yap) A little something extra. The residents of New Orleans always do all they can to add that small bonus that makes their guests feel special.
Levee (leh-VEE) An embankment constructed to keep a river from flooding the surrounding area.
Moodee (moo-DEE) Cursed.
Muffuletta This sandwich is named after the bread used to make it, of course, and is well known in New Orleans. It was invented in 1906 at the Italian-American-owned Central Grocery on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. Other than the bread, the sandwich consists of an olive salad, capicola, salami, provolone, mortadella (a pork sausage), and Emmentaler (a cheese).
Nonc (nonk) Uncle. Much shortened from the French "mon oncle" meaning "my uncle".
Ovadaddy Over there.
Pain Perdu (pan pair-DUE) French toast; literally "lost bread".
Parish (PEAR-ish) Louisiana state district or county.
Po'Boy (POE boy) Once five-cent meals for the poor boys, a po'boy is any sandwich served on French bread and often "dressed" with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. A fried oyster po'boy is definitely a treat to be experienced. A fried oyster po'boy with Tabitha Devereaux is an experience.
Praline (PRAW-leen) New Orleans candy made with pecans, brown sugar, and cream. According to Selena Laurens, eating pralines is like putting a little piece of heaven in your mouth.
Remoulade (REM-oo-lad) A spicy sauce served on or with most seafood.
Roux (roo) A roux is undoubtedly the hardest thing to properly make in Cajun cuisine. Unfortunately, étouffées, gumbos, everything starts with a roux, so it's something you just have to master. It's just a mixture of flour and oil... but if you're anything like me, you'll burn it at least the first five times you try to make it.
T Used in front of any name, T means "petite" or "little".
Tasso (TAH-so) Cajun pepperoni; smoked strips of spiced pork or beef used to flavor dishes.
Trinity Cooking slang that refers to celery, onions, and bell pepper: the staples of Cajun cuisine.
Turducken It is as bizarre as it sounds. In fact, probably more so. Invented in Louisiana, a turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck, and that duck is in turn stuffed with a small chicken. (All are deboned.) In every other possible place, even in between the meats, there is a breadcrumb and/or sausage stuffing. After it's slowly roasted, and all the juices have mingled, then you get to stuff yourself with it. (That's a lot of stuffing.) I hear there's even a vegetarian version made with tofu. I'm going to let you figure out the spelling of that one on your own.
Zydeco (ZIE-de-ko) Cajun country music; a combination of traditional Cajun music and Afro-Caribbean blues. The name comes from the Cajun pronunciation of les haricots (snap beans), a phrase used in one of the earliest songs of this genre.