Chef Menteur

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For the band, see also Chef Menteur (band).

Chef Menteur is associated with several place names in eastern New Orleans and South Louisiana, including:

The literal meaning of "Chef Menteur" is "Chief Liar" in the French language, and probably derives from the Choctaw phrase "oulabe mingo."

According to one account[1], it was the name that the indigenous tribe of Choctaw Indians gave to the colonial French governor (Kerlerec) after the Frenchman had reneged on a treaty. Another account claims that the Choctaw had originally assigned the name to the Mississippi River, due to the many twists and turns in the Mississippi River Delta region as it wound its way to the sea, splitting into bayous and swampland before the levees were built to regulate its flow, made its path untrustworthy despite its might.

  1. ^ Welcome to the Best of New Orleans! Blake Pontchartrain 12 23 03