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What does this mean in English?


k2tog

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It surprised me, too, because they are both smart guys and excellent teachers. Again though, they are pretty young. Truthfully, I spend a lot more time with younger Mexicans than Mexicans my own age or older. I get the impression that some of the formalities of the language (and culture) are losing their relevance among the younger crowd. Anybody else get the same impression? And yes, I wish there was more participation in the forum. De todos modos, here's another, the derivation of which is another head-scratcher, at least to me.

Hacer la vida de cuadritos.

Por ejemplo....."Él me hizo la vida de cuadritos."

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It surprised me, too, because they are both smart guys and excellent teachers. Again though, they are pretty young. Truthfully, I spend a lot more time with younger Mexicans than Mexicans my own age or older. I get the impression that some of the formalities of the language (and culture) are losing their relevance among the younger crowd. Anybody else get the same impression? And yes, I wish there was more participation in the forum. De todos modos, here's another, the derivation of which is another head-scratcher, at least to me.

Hacer la vida de cuadritos.

Por ejemplo....."Él me hizo la vida de cuadritos."

I can answer...but I don't have to, unless no one else does.

Speaking of interesting derivations, do you know why the movie was called Un Conejo en la Luna?

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Turrón is a kind of candy--you alluded to it in an earlier post. In English, it's nougat. And you have to break it to eat it.

The word play is due to the 'tu' at the beginning of 'turrón', as well as the breaking--break candy, break formality.

No me hagas la vida de cuadritos! (Derivation hint: chess board.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turr%C3%B3n

And now for the conejo en la luna?

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Speaking of interesting derivations, do you know why the movie was called Un Conejo en la Luna?

I know it was the name of a painting done by one of protaganists but other than that,no, it was a very good movie,and a real eye-opener.
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When a good friend and I became compadres I was told that we should no longer tutear each other,that was hard to get used to.

What then is the definition of 'compadre' if it is not 'good friend'? What circumstance has you going *backward*, from less formal to more?

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I know it was the name of a painting done by one of protaganists but other than that,no, it was a very good movie,and a real eye-opener.

Here's the derivation of the phrase:

http://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2011/06/morelia-en-boca-en-la-boca-de-todos-everybodys-talking-about-morelia-en-boca-part-1.html

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That is interesting and it makes sense given the plot of the movie.
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What then is the definition of 'compadre' if it is not 'good friend'? What circumstance has you going *backward*, from less formal to more?

I became my friend's compadre when his son was baptized and I was his godfather,it's a much more formal relationship than just being friends, there are different levels of compadrazgo.
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I became my friend's compadre when his son was baptized and I was his godfather,it's a much more formal relationship than just being friends...

And that is a perfect example of how learning the language can open windows to cultural differences, or vice versa. If anything, in "our" culture, you've entered into a "closer" relationship (with significant responsibilities), but here, by doing so, it requires formality, rather than familiarity. That would be a difficult change to make, language-wise, relationship-wise, etc. Congrats on the honor!

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Re hacer la vida de cuadritos

I wasn't familiar with that saying so I asked my wife,she laughed and said;"Mi ex me he hizo la vida de cuadritos",translated;Her ex made her life difficult.After having researched it a little more I would say that More Liana's chessboard reference is spot on.
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The reason the chessboard reference is true is that the pieces move from hither to yon across the squares (cuadritos), jumping in apparently difficult moves, some backward, some forward, some to the side. In other words, if you don't know the moves, it's really complicated. Like someone who makes you jump and then changes the rules in mid-stream, to mix a metaphor.

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Okay, here's a very common and very useful one. I spent the day with a friend in Guadalajara and he used it and I was so annoyed I couldn't remember the meaning. Maybe with that incident, and this reminder, I will remember next time. Argh.

En gustos se rompen géneros.

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Okay, since I'm sure both cbviajero and More Liana know this and nobody else wants to play....

The phrase "En gustos se rompen géneros" is used in the same when we say in English, "To each his own" or "Different strokes for different folks".

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  • 2 months later...

Before asking my sources or, God forbid, using Sr. Google, I think I'll just flail around and make a fool of myself. That's more fun.

Does caer el veinte by any chance mean you've exited your twenties, entered your thirties, and are no longer "joven"?

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Does caer el veinte by any chance mean you've exited your twenties, entered your thirties, and are no longer "joven"?

Nope.When I first heard them I had no idea what they meant,it turns out that they're common sayings..
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Well, since nobody else was playing, I finally cheated and looked them up. According to what I found...

Caer el veinte is an idiomatic expression used when you finally realize or understand something. Sort of like darse cuenta only more emphatic and with more urgency. ¡Me cayó el veinte! I suddenly realized.... Now I've got it!

El pilón is that little extra something a vendor might give you to show appreciation for your business, sort of like a baker's dozen. You buy a kilo of tomatos and the vender tossese an extra into the bag after weighing them out. A piece of candy handed to a kid in the store.

Are those correct? I think my Spanish teacher has told me about caer el veinte before, but it had become lost in a pile of randomly filled notebooks. Thanks!

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Well, since nobody else was playing, I finally cheated and looked them up. According to what I found...

Caer el veinte is an idiomatic expression used when you finally realize or understand something. Sort of like darse cuenta only more emphatic and with more urgency. ¡Me cayó el veinte! I suddenly realized.... Now I've got it!

El pilón is that little extra something a vendor might give you to show appreciation for your business, sort of like a baker's dozen. You buy a kilo of tomatos and the vender tossese an extra into the bag after weighing them out. A piece of candy handed to a kid in the store.

Are those correct? I think my Spanish teacher has told me about caer el veinte before, but it had become lost in a pile of randomly filled notebooks. Thanks!

Voy llegando tarde a la fiesta, anduve fuera y no checando el foro.

But why se me cayó el veinte? The phrase comes from Mexico's olden days, when a pay phone call cost 20 centavos. You put the money in the slot, dialed the number, and when your party picked up the phone, the 20 centavo coin fell into the coinbox. You connected--y se te cayó el veinte! (Note the form, a bit different from what you typed.) It has the same meaning as se me prendió el foco.

Yes, pilón is correct. In French, it's lagniappe.

Cbviajero, I guess it's just you and Travis and me, and the occasional Lobita sighting. *sigh*

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