What My Momanthem* Say
Apr 1st, 2008 by Nola
My family says some weird things. We in my family are all “born and raised” New Orleanians. So in addition to having the NOLA accent, and saying things that are only said IN New Orleans, my family just plain says funny things. I need to start writing them down because I have already forgotten some of the gems. Here’s the latest:
- My aunt said of my grandfather contemplating the death of my grandfather’s lady-friend: He’ll be like a lost ball in tall weeds.
- My uncle said of a recent crab boil family fiasco: Shit follows shit; you start with shit and nothing but shit will follow.
- My grandfather said of his beloved 25 year old (!) Cadillac after having been driving his lady-friend’s car for a week: It drives like a Cadillac.
That last one reminds me of something else my grandfather once told me. He owns rental property, and when he goes to the house, he takes his “old car,” his 1969 Bobcat, because he doesn’t want to take his “new” car and let folks think he has money. He’s serious. So he drives the 38 year old car instead of the “new” 25 year old Caddy.
I love these people!
* If this word makes no sense to you, you are NOT a Yat. It’s a NOLA expression to ask “How’s your momanthem?” Translation: How is your mother and family? You know, your mom and them.
nothing drives quite like a Cadillac. I would never buy one, but there’s just something special about them.
that said, i enjoy my 22-year old jeep.
Where y’at?
My favorite yat-ism was overheard at da zoo, where dey all axe fo’ you.
It was a cold day. We were watching the keepers give the elephants a bath. There was a yat family standing next to us, and the little yat kid said, as the leviathans were being hosed down with water, “Daddy, don’t dem elephants get cold?” “No, son. Naytcha provides.”
We laughed and laughed.
I think Pete saw relatives of Vic & Natly at the zoo!
Did you know that people all over the US don’t refer to certain shades of purple as K&B purple? I said it one day, and people looked at me like I had three eyes. Who knew?
Lanny, the saddest thing was when I was in the Rite Aid on Jefferson Hwy. and commented to the girl behind the counter that it was neat they still had the K&B purple trim over the shelves behind the counter. She didn’t know what I was talking about.
Ok. What the hell is K&B purple. And please someone tell me what the damn fascination with purple is down here. LSU, Mardi Gras. Has anyone told ya’ll it is a very tacky color? It goes with nothing but that damn gold and that is even tackier!
Oh, Bayou Belle! There really needs to be a class for newbies! K&B was a beloved NOLA drugstore. Many had little restaurants in them, and even little jukeboxes at each table. The K&B (Katz and Bestoff) used a very distinct purple on its signs, buildings, bags, logo, even pens. It became the “K&B purple.”
Re: LSU and Mardi Gras and the color purple, that is no mistake. Apparently (LSU fans, correct me if I am wrong), LSU came to NOLA to play Tulane early in its life; it was close to Mardi Gras. Tulane’s color was Green (thus the Green Wave). LSU fans went to stores to buy things to back LSU. Being MG, only things purple, green and gold were really available in bulk. So LSU fans bought all the purple and gold. The rest, as they say, is history.
Here’s my favorite Yat story:
Asking “How’s ya momanthem?” was so common that I had no idea it was even an odd thing. I thought it was just something folks everywhere said. One day, my parents and I were watching the news and there was a local piece done by Frank Davis or the likes about the expression. And the three of us had a good laugh.
Well, a few days later I was visiting an aunt for the holidays. Soon enough, she was asking how was my momanthem. I chuckled and said, “Funny you should ask that! We just saw on the news a story about ‘ya momanthem!’” My aunt responded, “They were on the news? For what?” “No, no,” I said, “my parents weren’t on the news. The expression “ya momanthem” was on the news.” “What they’d say about them on the news?” she asked. I tried again, “No; they were not on the news. Just the way we say “how’s ya momanthem,” that was on the news.” My aunts brow was furrowing and I knew she still wasn’t following me. She asked again, “Are ya momanthem okay? What were they on the news for?” I gave up and responded, “Oh, they are fine. Just fine.”
I believe it was Huey P. Long that introduced the colors to the band in the early 30′s. GEAUX TIGERS!!!! We love that purple, living in Texas everything is burnt orange or maroon! YUK!
And I remember buying my K&B pencils for school!!!!
Purple is the color of royalty. And we are the jewel in the crown of America. No one forget that, kay?
As soon as you said K&B purple I knew exactly what you were talking about…
First time I heard ‘momanthem’ was when my hub’s great-aunt said it to his mother. Being a Tennesseean she pronounced it ‘mommernem.’ I love these expressions… it reminds me of home.
[...] It seems to be Yat week at our little corner of the NOLA (the city) blogosphere. Nola (the blogger) tells her Yat family story. [...]
Damn I really thought that Confucius came up with Shit follows Shit. Either way, it’s worth teaching to my kid when he turns 6.
One of Jeff Foxworthy’s Southernisms is ‘momonym’, which has the same meaning.