[Dixielandjazz] Origin of "Big Easy"

[David Richoux]

As far as I have been able to figure it out - the term could have been 
coined by the title of a movie that was done in the 1980s.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092654/plotsummary

it was pretty bad but the lead character's "house" was actually owned 
by someone I knew and it had her copy of the poster of the 1977 
JazzFest hanging in the kitchen. I have seen that same poster in about 
10 kitchens, including mine. ( http://www.art4now.com/jpost77.htm )

I do find this - possibly/probably true - 
http://www.crescentcity.com/dictionary.htm
> This is an euphemism for New Orleans, like the "Crescent City," that 
> is attributed to Betty Guillaud, a gossip columnist for the Times 
> Picayune, in the '70s as a term of endearment and an answer to the 
> then I Love New York City hype. If it's the "Big Apple" then New 
> Orleans is the "Big Easy," where everything is slower, simpler and 
> easy-going.

and http://www.barrypopik.com/article/582/big-easy

David Richoux  (and my father grew up just outside new Orleans in the 
'30s and the local term for the city back then was "stay away from 
there - nothin' but trouble! )

On Sep 24, 2005, at 4:47 PM, Schnabbels at aol.com wrote:

> Listmates,
>
> As I am writing this, I am also listening to the night program of Dutch
> radio. It is a call-in program where people can ask any question they 
> want in the
> hope that someone will come up with the answer.
>
> One question related to the origin of "Big Easy" as a nickname for New
> Orleans.
> Does anyone know. I'd like to e-mail the radio station with, 
> hopefully, the
> correct answer.
>
> Robert van der Plas
> Scottdale, AZ
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