Speak Carnival

The words you'll hear on the route, explained - so you sound less like a tourist by Fat Tuesday.

Krewe: A private organization that stages a parade and/or ball. Krewes are member-funded; the city only provides permits and safety.
Neutral ground: The local word for a street median. On St. Charles it is prime family parade-watching territory.
Throws: Beads, doubloons, cups, and trinkets tossed from floats to the crowd. They are gifts, never bought.
Doubloon: An aluminum coin throw stamped with a krewe's emblem. The tradition began with Rex in 1960.
Zulu coconut: A hand-painted coconut from the Zulu krewe - the single most coveted throw of Carnival.
Lundi Gras: "Fat Monday," the day before Fat Tuesday. Orpheus and Proteus roll this night.
Fat Tuesday: Mardi Gras Day itself - the last day before Lent. February 9 in 2027.
Twelfth Night: January 6, when Carnival season officially begins (Joan of Arc parade, Phunny Phorty Phellows streetcar).
Super krewe: A very large modern krewe (e.g. Endymion, Bacchus, Orpheus) known for huge floats and celebrity riders.
Old-line krewe: A historic 19th/early-20th-century krewe such as Rex, Proteus, or Comus.
Flambeaux: Torch-carriers who light night parades - a tradition dating to the era before street lighting.
King cake: A ring of cinnamon-rich dough in purple/green/gold sugar, with a tiny baby hidden inside; whoever finds it buys the next cake.
Lagniappe: A New Orleans word for "a little something extra," given for free.
Laissez les bons temps rouler: Cajun French for "let the good times roll" - the unofficial motto of Carnival.