A collection of coastal cajun colloquialisms that I have personally gathered from south Louisiana. I make no guarantees regarding the accuracy or universality of the definitions (these are often quite subjective) and certainly none regarding the spelling of the words. This is a (still) living, oral language after all.
Cau/cho - An expression of appreciation.
Jan-ay - When you embarrassed by public displays of affection, nudity, TMI.
Côte - a group of houses or farms.
Boucon - thick smoke, especially tobacco, marijuana, cane smoke, etc.
Gronyons - A growling stomach because that’s the sound it makes. Its not actually French.
Fedan - Bickering.
Floaton - A floating island of vegetation
Biganeuax - Big swamp snail.
Booday - Pout.
Couyon - fool, idiot.
Pas tou la - Not all there.
Na chan - Here! Take it. I’m done!
La - THERE!
Cha maw day - Begging all the time.
Mais presay - Criticizing/talking bad about somebody.
Pecon - Splinter.
Rack-a-cha - Burr.
Fouche - Fork, forked push pole .
Bouche - Float/buoy.
“Are they still together? Mais, is the tide going out? I don’t know, you gotta go look!”
Gep - Wasp.
Boodon - Carpenter bee/bumble bee
Beedan - A fat belly.
Doyo - Idiot.
Delicat - A picky eater, disparaging.
Bianfou - Really crazy.
Foo yee sah - Stick it to them .
Mal de tet - Headache.
Pas bon - No good.
Trainasse - A pirogue portage, pass, or little path.
Hefrons - People of particularly low social and economic status, with implications of inbreeding.
Pouf bete - Poor thing, aka bless your heart.
Yan yan - To whine or complain (as that’s the sounds you make when you do it).
Quanser - To ham fist force or rig into the quan, or corner.
Pancer - To pinch (pancer de fes to pinch the butt).
Chur - A person who is considered an ass ( the harder the R sound the bigger the ass being talked about).
Tet dur - Hard head.
Brulot - Gnat
Fromee - Ant.
Frissons - Goosebumps .
Malguan - Mosquito.
Boo poo dee - Stinky marsh mud.
Poo dee - To rot or spoil, especially in a fragrant way.
Radot - Racket, aggrevation.
Devastayed - Devastated, burnt, blasted: them, they all messed up over there, they devastayed.
Goudmond - Somebody likes to eat a lot. In both respects.
Gonflay/gonf - Unpleasantly over full .
Grudt - Grime/buildup.
Padess - A general state of laziness.
Palon - Block and tackle.
Onguy - Eve or overhang.
Grafayay - Scratch or damage.
Blaysayed - Drunk.
Tchoqayed - Drunk.
Saucéed - Drunk.
Soûléed - Drunk.
Rôdailler (roaday) - Drift, roam.
Degraday - To abandon as in “we’ll go degraday dat cat at the boat launch.”
Bossienne, bosanne - A little bag with your kit.
Confidant - The will to do something.
Maliss - Practical joking.
Making the fou - Joking, causing trouble.
Rocreaux - An indention or rut, especially in a bank.
Lache pas la patate - Don’t drop the potato, i.e. hang in there, don’t give up.
Moisee - Nasty mold.
Peeshuank - Tiny.
Degries or greemon - random things, little pieces fried on the bottom of the pan.
Gratee - To fry up.
Graveetayed - Heavy with weight, either philosophically or physically.
Bebete - A monster.
Bahbeuax - A bum, a good for nothing.
Madreille - A big slab of wood.
Misspilusse - Japanese plum tree.
Voluers - People who ride around looking for stuff to steal after a hurricane.
Ramassis - Pile of debris and marsh grass deposited on the leveee by floods or waves, especially due to a hurricane.
Pas tu yonage - I shit you not.
Chaleur - An attractive person.
Tremblage - A shiver, tremble, even a feeling.
Chadron - Thistle.
Mailloche - Unsuccessful biscuit
Macro(eaux) - Older pervy man who flirts with younger girls, but is only kind of skeevy, not totally creepy.
Potan - An interpersonal conflict.
Shawz - An unspecified thing or action, as in “go grab the shawz dere," “shawz the shawz dere”
Gradou - The burned bits in the bottom of the pan.
Cüt büt - A little flip or tumble.
Meesza - (making) trouble.