Religion

Cat lick = Catholic, as in "I wenta (went to) Catlick schools".

f'gawd's sake! = For God’s sake, usually said in frustration

Have moicy = Have mercy, as in “Gawd have moicy, usually said surprize or frustration

Gawd = God

Gawd love it! = a term of endearment--used for particularly sweet, cute babies/toddlers/young children, usually uttered by a doting grandmother, aunt, etc: "Gawd love it!" It is said that some children were actually NICKNAMED "Gawd love it!"

"Gawd don't like ugly" = God does not like ugliness". Used in any situation where misfortune befell someone who had been mean or spiteful or hurtful to someone else. Divine retribution, New Orleans-style!


Gawd Don't Sleep = God does not sleep = God sees all/God is omnipresent. This term was used (usually by a mother) to emphasize the fact that evil deeds will not go un-noticed.

Gawd is Good = God is Good.

Jesus Gawd! = Jesus

Jesus H. Christ! = usually not said in prayer

J.M.J. = Requisite at the top of your test papers and homework in the Catholic schools. Short for "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Some teachers required the "J" to be "crossed" to form a crucifix like icon.

Little Flower School - on Monroe Street and the Airline Hiway . A story: When I was in the seventh and eighth grades at Little Flower School on Monroe Street and the Airline Hiway I was an alter boy. Usually I said the 6:00 AM mass during the week with Father Routen and once in a while with Father Raines, the Pastor of Little Flower. Since I recieved communion every morning I did not eat breakfast at home. Sister Xavier, the principal, allowed us to bring something to eat in the cafeteria after mass. My mom and dad would pick up donuts (beignets sp?)the night before from the French Quarter usually and that's what I would eat for breakfast with milk after mass . I graduated from Little Flower in 1953.

Moicy = mercy

Mon Dieu!!! = My God!

Mon Dieu de Dieu! = "My God of Gods!"

Oh Lawd have Moicy!!! = Oh, Lord, Have Mercy!

Poily Gates = The Pearly Gates of Heaven

St. Ann, St. Ann, send me a man = exactly what it says.

St. Ant'ny = St. Anthony, Patron St. of the Poor
A story:
My Mama and her friends helped keep the "poah" afloat with all their donations to St. Ant'ny in gratitude for him helping them find their lost articles. In fairness, though, they would donate the money even if they didn't find the thing - but it seems more often than not, they DID find it!

One of Mama's dear friends was very devout (a wonderful person, really). Well, I seem to recall one time that she lost something, promised the money, didn't find it, promised a higher sum, and then found the thing. She then said to my mom, "Ann - he upped his price!"...How I'd love for those two to still be with us. Well, at least if they're losing things in heaven, they're nearer St. Ant'ny!

St. Expedite -- Legendary Yat Saint. Not much factual information is on record about about him/her? But here's a great story..."Mizz Inez told me (in all seriousness) that St Expedite was St Jude's special helper and lived with him right there at Our Lady of Guadolupe on N Rampart. However, Miss (never Mizz!) Carrie, my neighbour in the Carrollton area, said that this was just stuff and nonsense, that there was no St Expedite at all. "When the French church shipped some religious goods to the nuns in the new colony in the early 1700's some of the crates were stamped 'EXPEDITE'. Upon opening the crates the nuns found statues which they could not identify. Since communciation from France took many months the nuns assumed that this was a soon to be advised new saint whose name was on the crate. Viola! St Expedite!" Miss Carrie went on to say that, later, the Church authorities tried to de-saint the statues but a small but fervent "cult" which was already established, protested vigorously, citing quite few miracles, so they had to let it be. Miss Carrie assured me (when she noticed that dropped jawed look on my face) that since she was 94 she knew ALL about these things. By the way, she had two big fine fig trees.