Thibodaux, Louisiana
In South Louisiana, the word chu-chut just means a little “thing.” It can be used by anyone in any situation. In the kitchen, it can be used to refer to a measuring spoon, chip clip, or even a crumb on a countertop. In the car, a chu-chut can be anything from a key chain to a loose hair tie. In a conversation between friends, the word may be used to replace the clasp of a necklace or a zipper.
What it is???
A Chu-Chut is a thing. What thing you might wonder? It’s anything you want it to be. A Chu-Chut is the thing that you can’t remember the name of in the middle of a conversation. It is a southern Louisiana saying that, as a transplant, I have come to love. It’s one of my favorite new words and I think it needs to be spread to the rest of the country. It keeps the conversation flowing, and somehow everyone knows what you’re talking about even though you never said.
Let me give you an example:
Girl: “Today I taught my nephew how to tie his shoes.”
Friend: “How old is he?”
Girl: “He’s 6, but you know that chu-chut on the end of the laces?”
Friend: “Oh yea! The little plastic thing.”
Girl: “Yes! That thing.”
When the “chu-chut” came into use I don’t know, but whoever came up with it I want to shake their hand. I think it is such a clever word.