Lagniappe for Learning

Fascinated by a colleague’s business card some twenty five years ago, I queried the addition of the word “lagniappe” to his contact information. His response, “like the baker’s dozen, there’s an extra little bonus,” was a great conversation-starter. It continued to tickle me as I pondered continuous improvement cycles in my work and the act of going beyond expectations in my life.

The term was new to me, though it is grounded in New Orleans and the gulf coasts of Mississipi, Alabama and Texas. Though a French term, lagniappe derives from American Spanish la ñapa, the gift and ultimately from Quechua yapay, “to give more” (American Heritage Dictionary). Interestingly, Mark Twain wrote about lagniappe (pronounced lanny-yap) as a “nice limber, expressive, handy word” in the late 1800s (Wikipedia).

So I strive to provide a little lagniappe for learning…and other musings and reflections!

Photo credit to tanakawho, after the rain1 at flickr

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