Street
by my house
What does by my house mean?
In New Orleans, 'by' takes the place of 'at' when talking about somebody's home — 'come by my house,' 'we ate by my mama's.' It's a direct translation from the French 'chez,' baked into local English by generations of bilingual NOLA families. Outside Louisiana it sounds wrong; inside, it's the only way.
"Pass by my house round seven and we'll head to the second line."
Origin
A calque (loan-translation) from French 'chez moi,' carried into New Orleans English by French- and Creole-speaking communities.
Frequently asked questions
What does "by my house" mean in New Orleans?
In New Orleans, "by my house" means "at my house" — it's calqued from French usage of the word for "at."
How do you use "by my house" in a sentence?
"Come by my house later and we'll cook something." — meaning come over to my place.
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