NOW YOU’RE TALKIN’ - Everything about Louisiana is unique - including our language. This handy Louisiana dictionary  will help you get around.

Beignets - little square donuts covered with powdered sugar, sometimes served with café au lait (coffee with chicory and milk).

Boudin - a Cajun sausage.

Cajun - descendants of the people of Nova Scotia who settled in Louisiana.

Calle - the Spanish word for street.

Calliope - a musical instrument found on a steamboat consisting of a set of steam whistles played from a keyboard.

Cayenne - a hot pepper that is dried and used to season many Louisiana dishes.

Cher - Cajun word for "dear."

Creole - several definitions exist: in Louisiana, a Creole is a white person descended from French or Spanish settlers or a person of mixed European and African blood. It's also a style of cooking and architecture.

Étouffée - spicy cajun stew prepared with rice and, usually, crawfish or shrimp.

Fais Do-Do - Cajun party with music, dancing and plenty of food.

Garçonnière - the bachelor's quarters on a plantation, usually located behind the kitchen.

Gris-Gris - good luck charm.

Gumbo - thick, spicy soup prepared with ingredients such as rice, sausage, chicken, and okra.

Gumbo Ya Ya - when everybody talks at once.

Jambalaya - spicy dish always made with rice and combinations of seafood, chicken, turkey, sausage, peppers and onions.

Jazz - swinging Louisiana music made popular by Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong and others.

Lagniappe - a little something extra.

Levee - an embankment built to keep a river from overflowing; a landing place on the river.

Muffuletta - a round Italian sandwich as big as your head, made with a variety of meats and olive salad.

Neutral Ground - median.

Oyster Bar - place to find raw oysters on the half shell.

Parish - county.

Po-boy - a hoagie, a sub, a grinder...a long sandwich on French bread usually stuffed with oysters, shrimp or roast beef. A "dressed" po-boy comes with mayo, lettuce and tomato.

Pirogue - Cajun canoe.

Prayer Beads - garlic braids that hang in the French Market.

Roux - flour and oil mixture used to start almost all Louisiana dishes.

Rue - the French word for street.

Second Line - a celebratory dance accompanied by jazz and decorated umbrellas; a New Orleans tradition at weddings, jazz funerals and other festive occasions.

Shotgun - style of house that got its name because you can shoot from the front door straight through the back door of the house without hitting anything.

Voodoo - mysterious religion involving charms and spells that came to Louisiana via the Caribbean.

Where Y'at - in some neighborhoods in New Orleans this is how you say "How are you doing?"

Zydeco - a blend of African and Cajun music.