Re my post Coonass:
I’ve gotten a few emails about the term coonass–one pointed out that Barry Jean Ancelet rejects the theory that the word comes from “conasse”: “Folklorist Barry Jean Ancelet rejects this theory, however, calling it “shaky linguistics at best.” He suggests that the word originated in South Louisiana, and that it derived from the belief that Cajuns frequently ate raccoons. He also proposes that the term contains a negative racial connotation: namely, that Cajuns were”beneath” or “under” blacks (or coons, as blacks were often called by racists).”
Who knows. Hey, this is a cool little history of Cajuns.
9:50 am on August 29, 2003
