New Orleans History -- Lake Pontchartrain
Thursday, November 21, 2024
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Units of Measure, Money, & Time

One New Orleanian's view of the world map:

The Marigny was the center of our universe, with the only outside perspective being "back of the quarter". We went "up" to the French Market for food, and up to Canal Street for everything else. We went down to da Parish - when it was virtually nothing but swamp - to shot nutria, net crawfish and buy shrimp.

(I personally netted the shrimp - early 1950's - on the sea wall at West End by throwing punctured cans of dog and cat food into the water, and swooping my net out when the schools approached. As they anticipated dinner, they bacame mine.)

Other than that, we related everything to the river. If one visualizes the shape of the river, particularly as it nestles the Quarter and Marigny, and the mapping/fanning out of the streets from there - as was necessary, one's perspective of the direction one must travel is greatly improved.

To this day, I map out my city travels knowing that the shortest route will be through the tightest part of the "fan". Of course, these days, the shortest in distance does not necessarily mean shortest in time.
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Heighth = Height, as in "Da girl at da beauty pawlah put too much heighth in my hair do. Do yah think it's too much heighth?

Sadday = Saturday

Eight bits = one dollar because 2 bits = 25 cents.

umpteen = much or many, as in "I seen ya mama "umpteen" toms (times) yesteday."

Tom = Time. To Say "Tom" ya hadda open the mouth sorta wide, then put a kinda crease in the bottom lip and say "TOM".