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ElNota · Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 123 Location: Buenos Aires

very useful information... thanks yall

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

In Mexico, "cola" is the term parents recommend their children use when talking about the genital area. ("L�vate la cola", for example.)

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

La cola is how we refer to a dog's tail in my area of the country.

ElNota · Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 123 Location: Buenos Aires

Where I'm from a cola is kind of shaped like a dogs tail but it tastes much better when you smoke it.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Here in La Rep�blica de Yucat�n, the word cola normally refers to an animal's tail. It's also sometimes used as a synonym for fila (line, queue.) If someone tries to cut in line at a bank or movie theater, for example, people in the line sometimes start chanting, "Cola, cola . . ." It can also be used to refer to someone's buttocks, similiar to "behind" or "butt," although it seems the word nalgas is more commonly used for that.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Speaking of Spanish.......Here in Mexico, the wide-spread use of diminutives is extremely popular. The question has arisen as to whether this is the same throughout Latin America (or even Spain) to any degree or is this unique to Mexico? One person I know likens it to baby talk which I think is harsh.

The little boy up the street calls out to his grandmother, "abuelita!" A small cat is "una gatita muy chiquita" . My now super-sized, former skinny street cat is the opposite of diminutive, where we would use aggrandizing of size and he would be called "gatote". If you're blocking my driveway I'd rather ask you, "�No puede mover tantito su coche?" than what may first come to mind...it takes the sting out and seems to be used without having to speak paragraphs. Has anyone else noticed this and if you have, which are your favorite diminutive useages?

Weona · Joined: 11 Apr 2004 Posts: 166 Location: Chile

So Chile isn't the only place where diminutives are running rampant! They use them all the time here that sometimes when I learn a new word, I learn its diminutive first because that's the form most commonly used.

Chileans like to use diminutives with their foods or drinks, for example: "para el desayunito vamos a comernos huevito con pancito, te parece? Lo quieres con un tecito o cafecito?" or "yaaa vamos a la casita de la robertita en la nochecita y tomarnos unos tragitos y cervecitas para quedarnos totalmente curaditos!"

I kid you not.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Seriously? Shocked

That does beat Mexico. Thanks for the great examples.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

AndyRoofman · Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 31

When I was in Chile in 2003, the family (and extended family) I stayed with LOVED saying "P*** la hueva" as an obscene curse and still do when I call them. As a matter of fact, when we were coming back from La Chascona, Pablo Neruda's museum one day, they were playing a techno song by that name. Since I didn't here anybody else actually say the expression in Chile, can someone confirm;
1.) Whether that is a well expression only in Chile or the entire Spanish speaking world, and
2.) How well known is that song?

Regards

The Roofman

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Did you mean "huevos" ... ? That particular word is used expressionally in Mexico. I am not sure what your "P" word is - need another hint... LOL

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Weona · Joined: 11 Apr 2004 Posts: 166 Location: Chile

Haha, well I guess people now know where I got my nick from. Damn!

In Chile there is a whole phenomenon based around the word "huev�n" or "g�e�n". Basically it is an insult meaning "dckhead" or "a-hole" like Matt said but it is also used amongst friends and can have the same equivalent as "dude" or "mate" in English. It just depends on the tone in which it is used and with whom.

It's kind of like the equivalent "g�ey" in Mexico, I think (although g�ey is not used as an insult, right?).

Huevona/G�eona/Weona (hehe) is the female equivalent and is used as an insult towards women or amongst friends like "huev�n" is.

The song that AndyRoofman heard was called "Puta la huevada" or "Puta la we�" (as it is pronounced in Chile). It was a popular techno song in the early 2000s where the only lyrics were "Puta la we�, puta la we�". Kind of annoying and repetative if you ask me but the song was pretty popular. That expression means exactly what Matt said.. "Fcking hell" or "Fcking A" or simply just "Fck". Charming, eh? It's basically an expression used in frustration and is pretty offensive so it's not something you would commonly hear in public unless it was amongst a lot of youngsters.

Anyway, that's basically only a Chilean expression but I was surprised to just learn that the same word is used in Mexico! I actually heard the word in a song by a Mexican rock group a few weeks ago and it sparked my curiosity.