De verdad que "madrear" significa "golpear a alguien" o "destruir algo a golpes?" ¿Qué hicimos nosotras las madres para merecer esto? :confused: :)
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De verdad que "madrear" significa "golpear a alguien" o "destruir algo a golpes?" ¿Qué hicimos nosotras las madres para merecer esto? :confused: :)
¡Qué poca madre tenemos!
Thomas, are you still there?Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas
I don't know what that means.
Tener poca madre, No tener madre = To have no class, to have no manners, to have no breeding, to be "chusma".
Speaking of "madrear", you'll also hear "Te voy a partir la madre" (I'm going to mess you up, I'm going to bust your head open like a pumkin, I'm going to kick the posterior opening of your alimentary canal, etc.)
And a "desmadre" is something really bad that happens to people.
And how about "Me importa madre"? (I don't give a damn)
Ah. Very useful stuff.
I'm reading La República de East L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez and there's all sorts of slang in there that I'm sure you could help me with.
Thank you so much.
Maria
There are at least two Chicano slang dictionaries available. You want something from ELA, not from elsewhere. I think there is a decent one with a title something like "Barrio Dictionary". I memorized two dictionaries for an interview I had back in 1974. Yes, I said "memorized". The funny part is that I was so proficient I was able to answer the questions in slang, and the "experts" couldn't follow me.
What's a ranflas?
A carrucha.
And...what's that?
A car, homes.
Oh, yeah.
And chante?
Un cantón.
A what?
Un cantón, ese. You know, a pad, a house.
Oh.
After several questions, the "experts" thought they had me.
What is the meaning of "calo"?
Calo means a penny, a cent.
And the experts smiled.
But if you pronounce it caló, then it's slang, a combination of Spanish...
One of the "experts" finished the definition and shook my hand, saying I was the first person to get it right. They were missing the point: they had been mispronouncing the word.
Big deal. I had a knowledge of Chicano caló for a few years, but I rarely used it. I was a probation officer, and mostly I used words related to crimes, drugs, gangs, etc. Now, if you want to talk maras (gangs), salvatruchos (Salvadorans), catrachos (Hondurans), chapines (Guatemalans), filos (knives), cohetes (handguns), pollos (illegals crossing the border), etc., let's talk, homegirl.
Hola Maria, solo decirte que es un término que en España no se entendería. Puro argot.Quote:
Originally Posted by mariaklec
Ex, Mariaklec is aware that she is talking about the argot, caló, caliche, etc. spoken in the general area of East Los Angeles, California.
Wow, thanks Thomas. I'm sure to have more questions as I work my way through my book, and clearly, you are the one to ask. I'll look for the dictionary, too.
Ex: Thanks for your input, too. It's good to know that these words are not known in Spain.
Thomas: Did you see my post about the title of one of the short stories:
"Pas, cuas, pas"? What does that mean? Or do I have to keep reading to find out?
Maria
En Argentina tampoco María...Quote:
Originally Posted by mariaklec
I saw it... sounds like a pun on words, as someone suggested. Please tell us more about the book. I've never read this author :)Quote:
Originally Posted by mariaklec
El libro se llama La República de East L.A. y el autor se llama Luis J. Rodriguez. Hay más información aquí: http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9..._La/index.aspx
Me gusta su estilo de escribir, pero es un poco difícil para mí, una estudiante de español, porque usa "chicano caló." (Thomas, did I use that phrase right?)
A proposito: En españa, compré una playera para mi hijo que dice "Qué caló." Creía (me lo dijeron) que tiene algo que ver con el tiempo, el calor. Es un juego de palabras? ¿Tiene algo que ver con el significado de caló que nos explicó Thomas?
Also, I meant to tell you, Thomas, that your posts are very entertaining. Great story and lots of fun information.
Maria, if you merely say "Chicano". the meaning should be clear.
It can be argued that even "Chicano" has variants. Years ago I visited some cousins in Southern Colorado. ("Chicano", by the way, is merely slang for "Mexicano". For non-believers reading this, how else would you explain that the Caló/Chicano word for Mexicali is "Chicali"?) Anyway, I was amazed at the difference in terminology for animals and plants between California and Colorado. The only one that comes to mind at the moment is "guajalote". In Mexico, a guajalote is a turkey, but that's what my cousins were calling a water snake. Around here (I live in Costa Rica), a turkey is a "chompipe". Oh, let me add something else. Caló here (I've heard Costa Ricans pronounce it "Calo") is called "Pachuco". And a pachuco here is someone of limited education, more or less what is also called a "polo". In Chicano Caló, a pachuco is someone from El Pachuco (also called El Pasiente), better known to most as El Paso. Many associate the work "pachuco" with "batos locos".
Sometime around 1970-1980, I believe Natonal Geographic had a piece on Hispanics in New Mexico/Colorado. A Spanish priest said that the Spanish spoken in Northern New Mexico had changed little from the language of Spain of about 1600. Remember, that area was populated by the Spanish before the Pilgrims decided to land near that big rock. Should this surprise us? I believe pockets of Irish dialects have been found in the South of the USA that have changed little over the past two hundred years or so.
Do you know East Los Angeles? Prior to World War II, it seems to have been home to large Jewish and Japanese communities. Remnants can still be found in the Boyle Heights area. In the 1970s I took kempo and kendo (Japanese martial arts) classes at the Rafu Chuo Gakuen, a Japanese language school in that area. The aunt of a friend taught koto (Japanese harp) in the same area. And I recall seeing a Jewish retirement home on South Boyle, near the International Institute. I wonder if the book you are reading goes into that. Today you can get along quite well there without knowing one word of English, if you speak Spanish.
Get your hands on a DVD of "Born in East L.A." You'll find several snapshots of East L.A. in the film. You'll cringe at some of the stereotypes, but, when the DVD ends and you turn the lights back on, I bet you're going to tell your friends to watch it too. Great film!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mariaklec
Hola María, ¿a qué te refieres con una playera? Zapatillas?
Mis estudiantes usan "playera" para camiseta (T-shirt).
Hola Maria: Pues no lo entendía y a que por aquí se dice camiseta.Quote:
Originally Posted by mariaklec
Playeras son zapatillas por aquí.
http://img.icnea.net/Forum/E6001/fot...illascebek.jpg
Y en efecto, "qué caló" es qué calor, eso se pronuncia así en la zona de Andalucia.
Gracias por la informacíon, Exxcéntrica.
Espero que estés bien (y tambien todos los miembros del foro por supuesto), con lo de la gripe y todo eso.
Maria