Learn How to Pronounce Po' boy | YouPronounce.it
How to Pronounce Po' boy
(Listen to the audio below for the stress and intonation)
Meaning and Context
The Po' boy is a quintessential sandwich hailing from the culinary heart of Louisiana, specifically New Orleans, where it stands as a pillar of Creole and Cajun food culture. This iconic meal, also commonly spelled "po-boy" or "poor boy," is traditionally built upon a distinctive New Orleans French bread, characterized by its crisp, flaky crust and airy, fluffy interior, which is crucial for containing the generous fillings without becoming soggy. Classic versions are lavishly stuffed with either slow-cooked roast beef and gravy or an array of golden-fried seafood such as shrimp, oysters, or crawfish, often "dressed" with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise. Its origins are deeply rooted in local history, famously said to have been created by Benny and Clovis Martin, former streetcar conductors, who provided free sandwiches to striking "poor boy" workers in 1929. Today, enjoying an authentic Po' boy from a legendary New Orleans restaurant or a local sandwich shop is considered a fundamental foodie experience and a must-try example of Southern cuisine.
Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings
The term's most accepted and traditional spelling is Po' boy, utilizing an apostrophe to indicate the contraction of "poor." However, the hyphenated form po-boy is equally prevalent and widely accepted, often seen on modern menus and in culinary writing. A common misspelling omits the apostrophe or space entirely, resulting in poboy, which, while sometimes used informally, is generally considered incorrect. Another frequent error is capitalizing the entire term as PO' BOY outside of stylistic titles. It is also occasionally misspelled phonetically as po' boy (with a lowercase 'p') or, more rarely, as poorboy as a single word, though the latter is more commonly associated with a type of wrench or a style of car rather than the sandwich. Confusion sometimes arises with similar submarine-style sandwiches, but the specific bread and Louisiana origin are key identifiers.
Example Sentences
After exploring the French Quarter all morning, we stopped for a classic fried shrimp Po' boy, fully dressed with lettuce and remoulade.
The debate over whether a roast beef or a fried oyster Po' boy is the superior version is a favorite pastime among New Orleans locals.
He claimed you haven't truly experienced the city's food scene until you've had a hot, messy Po' boy from a corner store on paper-lined tray.
Many family-owned restaurants guard their recipe for the perfect roast beef gravy, which soaks into the bread and defines their Po' boy.
For a lighter take, she ordered a half-and-half, sampling both the catfish and the shrimp on the iconic New Orleans French bread.