Mike calls from Bloomsberg, Pennsylvania to ask about the word picayune, meaning “petty.” Why would a New Orleans newspaper call itself The Times-Picayune? The adjective picayune, meaning “trifling” or “insignificant,” derives from French picaillon, the name of a small coin of little value. In the 19th century, when the newspaper was first established, it was sold for just a picayune, or around six cents. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Picayune”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, I’m Mike from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
Hi, Mike. Welcome to the show.
Okay, I’ve only heard one person ever use this word before, and that was my mom.
Growing up, she would say you’re being picky-unish.
If you’re trying to make an argument, it would be a reach for the most minutest example.
And sometimes like they’re being spiteful.
And then with Hurricane Katrina and in the wake of the hurricane, on the news they had mentioned that there is a newspaper in New Orleans called the Picayune.
And I was just wondering what if there’s a relationship between the two and like what’s the history behind the word?
Because like I said, I’ve never heard anyone else use that before.
Yeah, it is the same word.
There is a relationship between those usages, but it may surprise you.
I mean, you’re right that Picayune, it means little, insignificant.
If somebody’s criticizing you, they may do it in a petty way, a Picayune way.
But what’s really interesting about the history of this word is that it goes back to a southern French regional term for a small coin.
And the name sounded like Picayune.
It was like Picayune or something like that that was used in Louisiana in the early 1800s.
And it referred to a Spanish coin that was worth a little bit more than six cents.
And so that coin was referred to by speakers of French in that area as Picayon.
And so we get Picayune from that.
You may be wondering, well, why would you call a newspaper Picayune?
That doesn’t sound very complimentary.
But the fact is that this newspaper is really old.
And back in 1837, when it was founded, the Picayune cost guess how much?
A little less than $6.
Yeah, just one of those little coins.
Is it like a regional?
Because like I said, I mean, I grew up in southern Maryland.
And like I said, my mom was the only one that I’ve ever known to use that word.
Well, now it’s pretty well distributed all over the country.
But it had its origins in this country down in Louisiana.
Okay.
Well, thank you very much.
All right.
Take care.
Be well.
You too.
Thanks.
All right.
Bye-bye.
Thanks, Mike.
Bye.
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