Memorial Day Archives - Lagniappe (LAN-yap) = A little bit extra

A Helmet Full of Flowers

Marion Owen / May 26, 2020

I spend many hours at my home computer, writing articles, and processing images. I’m not fussy about dress codes (I draw the line at bathrobes and bunny slippers) but I am fussy about

People are saying

I love the way you write about your garden, gardening, and general goodness, Marion. Nourishing, on so many levels. Thank you for brightening my day. -- Leslie
What a lovely piece, it brought a smile to my face and warmed my heart. – Lorena
Marion, you absolutely amaze me capturing these beautiful snowflakes. Thank you so very much for what you do! -- Linda
Marion, thank you for sharing your recipe for Chocolate Chews! I enjoy all your posts about Kodiak, including your beautiful photos. -- Candy
Thank you for sharing your story and beautiful photos Marion. So inspiring and the importance of the “big quiet” — being at peace in nature. --Diana
Thank you for your posts over the years, and especially this positive entry. I needed to hear your kind and thoughtful words. -- Rich

What is Lagniappe?

Lagniappe (pronounced LAN-yap) is defined as an unexpected gift given to a customer as a bonus, a compliment, or simply for good measure. Mark Twain wrote about lagniappe in Life on the Mississippi (1883). Lagnaippe is "a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get; a nice limber, expressive, handy word--'lagniappe'..." English speakers learned the word from French-speaking Louisianians, but they in turn had adapted it from the American Spanish word la ñapa.

Twain went on to describe how New Orleanians completed shop transactions by saying "Give me something for lagniappe," to which the shopkeeper would respond with "a bit of liquorice-root, ... a cigar or a spool of thread." It took a while for "lagniappe" to catch on throughout the country, but by the mid-20th century, New Yorkers and New Orleanians alike were familiar with this "excellent word."

So, there you have it!