Don't get me wrong. New Orleans has an economy based heavily on tourism. According to New Orleans Online, tourism is the city's second-largest industry (just behind shipping) and brings millions of tourists into the city each year. In 2012, for example, 9.01 million visitors entered the city according a study conducted by the University of New Orleans. The city and locals are well aware of the city's touristy appeal and are always willing to help out foreigners who have lost there way.
But still, do you really want to come off as one of those people running around in I HEART New York T-shirts and American flag shutter shades? The following bits of advice are a few simple ways to cover up your inner tourist (even just a little) so as to not appear completely oblivious when trying to make first impressions.
It's Pronounced "New OR-LUHNS"
First and foremost, pronouncing the city's name correctly is a simple way to not instantly paint a "I'M NOT FROM HERE" target on the back of your shirt. There's numerous pronunciations out there such as "New OR-LEENS" as well as as the infamous "N'awlins" that will instantly blow your cover. If you want to pronounce the city name like a true local, you may attempt to pull off the "New AW-LEONS" infused with the heavy local accent. Attempting this however requires great caution and confidence. A seal of approval by a long time Louisiana native is highly recommended.
Mardi Gras Beads are for Carnival Season
Look, I'm not going to lie. Mardi Gras beads are great and there's no doubt they're richly embedded into New Orleans culture. What's important to realize is that they are called "Mardi Gras" beads for a very specific reason.
I really don't want to sound like a guy who runs around grabbing beads from people who "shouldn't be wearing them" because after all, that'd be a real strange thing to do. In real life, no one will actually call you out on wearing beads outside of Carnival but the locals will instinctively know your true identity.
If you insist on wearing some beads during the ten months out of the year that it's not Carnival (which many people do), you can tastefully get away with wearing a couple of beads that were thrown to you from a balcony. Wear anymore than that and well, imagine running around New York donning a Santa Claus hat in the middle of July.
It's Pronounced "STREET CAR"
It's not a trolley. Built in 1835, the St. Charles line is the world's oldest public street rail system and is called a streetcar. When referring to the streetcar, it's appropriate to say "We will take the St. Charles streetcar to Uptown" or "Let's go check out some cemetaries. We can take the Canal Street streetcar".
It is absolutely not okay to use the phrase "Let's take the trolly!" West Coast natives are especially prone to this mistake given the popularity of taking a trolley in San Francisco.
If you're in New Orleans it's called the streetcar. You're not in California.
If you have managed to dish out a few hard-earned bucks for a visit to New Orleans, enjoy it the best you can. Seriously, people here are incredibly friendly and will not hold you to standard judgement as is common everywhere else in the world. Just be sure to balance unless you want to show yourself off as a caped New Orleans super fanboy.