It’s not a chain-link fence, it’s a hurricane fence.
If you want to understand Louisiana culture and life, it helps to stay in a historic Louisiana home — like The Stockade. Once a Civil War stockade, our six-room B&B gives guests a feel for the timeless, untouched Southern lifestyle … with the exception of flat screen TVs and air conditioning, of course!
In addition to staying in the right place when you’re visiting Louisiana, it’s important that you understand the slang, too. Here is a list of a few common phrases you’ll hear in the Pelican State:
- Neutral ground is a term from New Orleans that describes the median that divides the two sides of the street. Call it a median, and you’ve just outed yourself as a tourist.
- You don’t drive on interstates, you drive on highways.
- In New Orleans, people don’t shop for groceries; they make groceries. (The expression derives from the French faire son marché, meaning, “to do one’s market shopping,” with faire translating either as “to do” or “to make.”)
- Teenagers in Jena go around “making loops,” which is just what it sounds like — driving around town aimlessly.
- Anyone who isn’t from the South is a Yankee.
- We don’t use shopping carts. We use buggies.
- We don’t have soft drinks, colas, or pop. We have Coke. As in, “What kind of Coke do you want?” “I’ll take a Sprite.” Pepsi is Coke. Root beer is Coke. Simple.
- In Louisiana, we don’t call them “chain-link fences,” we call them hurricane fences.
- In South Louisiana, you’re not about to do anything — you’re fixin’ to do it.
- And of course the ever famous Y’all! Don’t you dare say “you guys.” Don’t even think about it.