Bayou State
Preserved but no longer current.
The State of Missis- sippi; so called from its numerous bayous. A bayou is a creek, or sluggish and marshy over- flow of a river or lake. The word may be of native American origin, but is probably a corruption of Fr. boyau, gut.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Bayou State” mean?
The State of Missis- sippi; so called from its numerous bayous. A bayou is a creek, or sluggish and marshy over- flow of a river or lake. The word may be of native American origin, but is probably a corruption of Fr. boyau, gut.
Is “Bayou State” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.