56 replies to this topic

[AlanMexicali]

Sorry, willieboy, that's not the word.

Could it possibly be " La Malinche" Cortez's maid?

[Lexie]

The point is, MoreLiana chose not to use the word. Her choice, no?

Now what could that word be? What a cliffhanger.

I use cleaning woman. I, too, like the term that is more specific to what my employee does. Housekeeper would appeal to me, too, if I had such a person full time.

In New York, we used cleaning woman for the person who came weekly to clean. Way back, we used cleaning lady until that term offended or didn't make sense--like saying "girl" when referring to an adult woman. How do I know if my "cleaning lady" was a lady?
Lexy

[mexicolindo]

The word More Liana is referring to is gata wich is the feminine form of gato (cat).

And I agree is extremely degrading word, so please don´t use it.

[lobita]

Whoa. Is that true when referring to an actual female cat? or only if applying the term to a person?

[mexicolindo]

It only applies when referring to a person. When you say: "Mi gata está enferma" you mean that your female cat is sick wich is correct.

[More Liana]

The word More Liana is referring to is gata wich is the feminine form of gato (cat).

And I agree is extremely degrading word, so please don´t use it.

Thanks, mexicolindo. There are only a couple of words in Spanish that I won't use, and this is definitely one. Very, very bad form. Maleducado in the extreme.

[BillClarke]

[mexicolindo]

Thanks, mexicolindo. There are only a couple of words in Spanish that I won't use, and this is definitely one. Very, very bad form. Maleducado in the extreme.

You welcome! I complety agree with you this one is really insulting and whit a very strong meaning. i undersantd your point. I understand your point there are words in english that I won´t use either...

[Lexie]

You welcome! I complety agree with you this one is really insulting and whit a very strong meaning. i undersantd your point. I understand your point there are words in english that I won´t use either...

You welcome! I complety agree with you this one is really insulting and whit a very strong meaning. i undersantd your point. I understand your point there are words in english that I won´t use either...

Ok. Question: When and why would someone refer to a woman who cleans house as una gata? If it's offensive, then never, I'm assuming. So it's used toward a woman you want to offend, but one who isn't nesessarily a cleaning woman? Unless your cleaning woman really, really offends you?
Lexy

[ladyoflake]

A maid is a servant. My housekeeper does not serve me, as a matter of fact I serve her lunch every day she works. Does that make me a maid??? lol....

[More Liana]

Ok. Question: When and why would someone refer to a woman who cleans house as una gata? If it's offensive, then never, I'm assuming. So it's used toward a woman you want to offend, but one who isn't nesessarily a cleaning woman? Unless your cleaning woman really, really offends you?
Lexy

Some people don't care that this is an offensive term; others grew up in a household/neighborhood where it was common and continue to use it as adults. And it would only be used when referring to the cleaning woman when talking to other people of more or less your same socio-economic level, not when talking to the cleaning woman.

[Lexie]

Thanks. That's interesting.

So glad mis gatas--the furry ones--don't read these postings. They take offense so easily.
Lexy

[Lexie]

Thanks. That's interesting.

So glad mis gatas--the furry ones--don't read these posting. They take offense so easily.
Lexy

[mexican yankee]

I call her by her first name and introduce her as such. She is a gem.

[LaChula]

Bill. I got carried away with this and "molested" my wife at work with one of my rare phone calls; this being a non emergency I will be cooking a special dinner tonight for sure. She thinks it is in regards to an old Mexican soap opera [novela] with La Criada and so and so in the title which she said portrays maids as sort of India Maria type characters; don't ask me what this is all about. Alan

"
There used to be a telenovela called LA CRIADA MALCRIADA about a maid. "Criar" is to raise, bring up, so the maid was literally poorly raised. A child with bad manners is sometimes called malcriado/a.
The person who works at my house refers to herself as la servienta. I have a hard time with that and usually refer to her as my ayudante.

[LaChula]

Could it possibly be " La Malinche" Cortez's maid?

La Malinche was not exactly Cortez's "maid." Since she spoke Mayan and quickly learned Spanish, she was his translator and probably his lover. She is both revered and hated in Mexico. She was a survivor of the holocaust of the Conquista, but she also assisted in facilitating it, so she is also viewed as a traitor.

[jsalassa]

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[AlanMexicali]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!

Didn't your mommy tell you if you eat at the computer the keys will eventually stick?

[LaChula]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!

Your 2 posts are most stimulating, thanks.

[slainte39]

Gata has a worse than just poor or insulting connotation in Spanish for "maid". It is also used to describe the mistress or "other woman" in an illicit affair in a Mexican Catholic marriage. It is the deorgatory word for the woman used by family and friends of the "wronged" woman. In the Mexican Spanish female vernacular, there is nothing lower than a "gata"...ranks right at the bottom with "puta".