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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13033
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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I once made the mistake of using the work Yankee to refer to our american amigos which resulted in an educational tongue lashing. It was just a term
that many canadians use for americans and was not meant to be insulting either...we use the term yanks loosely and innocently...even if they were
confederates. Example: yanks like weak beer....Remember, us canucks are inferiors and rather ignorant...so try to go easy on us.
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LOSARIPES
Nomad
Posts: 283
Registered: 8-14-2008
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Baja is famous for making up nicknames. A previous governor had a driver who was missing an ear. They called him "Cabeza de tasa" (coffee cup head)
An old policeman in La Paz had a stiff leg and walk with a very pronounced limp. He hit the ground rather hard with one of his legs every step, so he
used metal reinforcements on his shoe heel. If you watched him walk at nights you would see and occasional spark. They called him "Encendedor sin gas"
(out of fuel lighter)
Of course, there is "El zurdo" (lefty), the guy who is missing his right arm.
Ex-governor Cervantes el Rio, while giving a speech on official visit to Todos Santos, spoke well, using real fancy words nobody understood was named
"Pico de Oro" (Golden beak) a nickname for which was known nationally for the rest of his political career.
Here is one that non-Mexicans would not understand without explanation:
There are many street dogs in Mexico. They follow, bark and bug you at times, whether you are walking, jogging, bicycle riding, etc.
No all streets are paved, so there are rocks/stones on the ground here and there. People chase the dogs away by throwing stones at them. The dogs
learn the moves and know that every time a person bends down as to pick up a stone, it is time to run. And they run away, spooked and scared as they
see the stone coming their way. This is common knowledge, part of the culture.
Well, There was a newspaper peddler in La Paz who walked with a big limp, bending himself down to one side almost to touch the ground with his hand.
They called him "Espanta perros".... sort of like "dog chaser"...
No respect and definitely an incredible sense of humor.
Mexican TV news reporters refer to Obama as "El Negro" y "El Negrito".....
Now on the gabacho/gringo issue.... Mexicans use the terms indistinctly. Wouldn't know the difference. Now if they refer to someone from Europe, they
would call them "El Aleman"; El Frances"; etc. if from Spain though, they are called gachupin and that is disrespectful. But they call them gachupin
anyway.
Merry Xmas to us all...
Aripes
God bless America
and Baja tambien
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
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I have heard young ladies on the mainland refer to a handsome young man as a mango, sweat and succulant fruit.
IgordoweopescadorconfronteraespanoleP-nchegringoamigo
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The Gull
Super Nomad
Posts: 2223
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rancho Descanso, BCN
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Mood: High
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I have heard the word mango in reference to something female.
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
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Gull
This may well account for all the blushing I see when I use the term around young Mexican ladies? I may be making a very bad joke that I did not
intend. So when I say to these young ladies "Isn't he a mango?" I may be communicating that he is a mariposa? Or is it even more convoluted than that
and I am communicating that I am a mariposa? The wonder and fun of it all never cease.
Ilfyfishwhenmyfootisnotinmymouth
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LOSARIPES
Nomad
Posts: 283
Registered: 8-14-2008
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A "mango" is the analogy used comparing a delicious, pretty and juicy fruit with a similarly perceived person. Thalia; Marylin Monroe; Chakira and
Christina Aguilera are each one of them a perfect MANGO. Us guys, when we were young, I must add, sure were called "what a mango!" when looked at
with desire by them chicks out there.... sigh...
Aripes
God bless America
and Baja tambien
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mulegemichael
Super Nomad
Posts: 2310
Registered: 12-24-2007
Location: sequim,wa. and mulege
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Mood: up on step
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i finally had to drop my handle from down south, mil amores, when my beautiful wife asked me what it meant...ooops...nicknames in baja are SO innocent
and fun...it's a big part of daily life....my guys here in mulege take time to tell me what a new workers nickname is to make sure i refer to him in
that way...really...so...from now on, i, am simply, gordo...no strings attached...
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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Mexitron
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3397
Registered: 9-21-2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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Mood: Happy!
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My fellow workers in Texas, who are mostly originally from the area of Guanajuato and Hidalgo, use the term gabacho in a slightly friendlier context
than gringo...but as stated before--its how they use either word that's important...the "lilt" as it were. I've been called chango, gato, huero,
pajaro--its all in fun and I dish it right back to them in the same vein.
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EnseNADAslim
Nomad
Posts: 138
Registered: 1-15-2009
Location: Baja CA
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This is a fun topic, but yea, it can take a bit getting used to when it comes to nicknames. Some that kind of shocked me at first is when parents call
their children Gordo/a or Husbands and wives use that one as well.
How about the fair skin daughter/son that is called wheda/o (spelling?)
Or my worked shared this on with me, it used if you are working with someone and they "Get it Right"-like when you try to fix something, your partner
will say with excitement "Ándale Whedo!"
I call my wife Rubia, she calls me...EnseLADAslim
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Mango
Senior Nomad
Posts: 685
Registered: 4-11-2006
Location: Alta California &/or Mexicali
Member Is Offline
Mood: Bajatastic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Iflyfish
I have heard young ladies on the mainland refer to a handsome young man as a mango, sweat and succulant fruit.
IgordoweopescadorconfronteraespanoleP-nchegringoamigo |
| Quote: | Originally posted by LOSARIPES
A "mango" is the analogy used comparing a delicious, pretty and juicy fruit with a similarly perceived person. Thalia; Marylin Monroe; Chakira and
Christina Aguilera are each one of them a perfect MANGO. Us guys, when we were young, I must add, sure were called "what a mango!" when looked at
with desire by them chicks out there.... sigh... |
I have to interject here! You are correct.
I was once called a mango by a an older Mixtec woman that was talking with me in the Puebla train station..
It was a crazy day/train ride. Mi novia laughs very much that my name here is "Mango" But, I have such good memories of being surrounded by 50
mixtec women as we communicated in Spanglishmixtec. The train was a few hours late and I literly had 500 people rolling on the ground laughing at my
jokes (or me?!)
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Mango
Senior Nomad
Posts: 685
Registered: 4-11-2006
Location: Alta California &/or Mexicali
Member Is Offline
Mood: Bajatastic
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BTW - I've been called gringo hundreds of times.. only a few of which were derogatory. It's all about context.
Just the other day I saw white scarecrows(in tyvex suits) hanging from trees with shinny foil attached to scare birds away from a vinyard.
It didn't bother me.. But; I did consider the hypocrisy/duality that is/would be involved if those tyvex suits were black and not white. (Not making
a statement here.. just an observation) It's really about context and meaning! - Unfortunately; too many in the USA have knee jerk reactions. (I
seriously thought of calling the NAACP just to mess with them- though, I am fully aware of the ugly racial history here and elsewhere!)
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BajaDove
Nomad
Posts: 194
Registered: 11-23-2008
Location: La Paz
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We found the really guapo guys in Baja are called Caliman. When we asked we were told should go to California to be in the movies.
If its not where it is, its where it isn\'t.
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JaraHurd
Nomad
Posts: 203
Registered: 3-21-2007
Location: Los Angeles County
Member Is Offline
Mood: probably annoyed
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Good thread. My mother-in-law, who is from Michoacan, regards "gabacho" as slightly derogatory. She prefers the term "Americano" for some reason
(maybe she thinks, incorrectly, that I would be offended if she used the term gabacho..) but rarely uses the term gringo. She sees nothing wrong with
the term gringo.
Here in LA I work in a community that is comprised largely of people of Central American and Mexican descent. In my occupation use of physical
descriptors is very important. I almost never hear the term "gringo" here (gabacho is very common..) but hear it a lot the further south I travel in
California. I have always thought this interesting since LA is not that far from the border...where gringo seems to be used a lot.
..
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JaraHurd
Nomad
Posts: 203
Registered: 3-21-2007
Location: Los Angeles County
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Mood: probably annoyed
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fresa
I see the term "mango" used. What does it mean when a Mexican describes a lady as a fresa? I have been told it means either an educated or high
maintenance or stuck-up person..but..in taking an informal poll with my Hispanic friends and colleagues...most are not familiar with the term...
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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Hi Jon.....you must be on vacation to have this much time to spend in the "thread grave yard." This was a fun thread....especially with a box of beer
next to the keyboard.
Good to see you.
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JaraHurd
Nomad
Posts: 203
Registered: 3-21-2007
Location: Los Angeles County
Member Is Offline
Mood: probably annoyed
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As usual you are absolutely correct!! De-toxing for a month. Yeah..i am catching up on my 'Nomad reading. This thread is particularly interesting to
me. Boring life I guess.
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Woooosh
Banned
Posts: 5240
Registered: 1-28-2007
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Luminescent Waves at Rosarito Beach
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If you want to get me going this weekend, lets do "Gringo" or "Yankee" 
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by gnukid
native castillian spanish.
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Native to where? You must be refering to Spain.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Woooosh
If you want to get me going this weekend, lets do "Gringo" or "Yankee"
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Yankees are trailing Boston by one game. Relax. They still have a month to play. 
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4410
Registered: 7-2-2006
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by gnukid
native castillian spanish.
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Native to where? You must be referring to Spain. |
yes the roots are in spain, however, in BCS we do have some portion who speak castillian spanish and some have spanish ancestry, in fact that is the
historical influence of spanish on mexico, castillian speaking conquistadors. Who is Mexico? Metzitizos of castillian, portuguese, chineses, european,
american and indigenous background.
You wouldn't know it from speaking on the border or NOB, there are more than 16 verb tenses and some are different in the negative versus positive
conjugation so one can understand that tendency for Gabachos to get it wrong while visiting the shops.
Funny thing, the typical person calling you gabacho couldn't understand correctly conjugated spanish, never has learned nor is interested, since in
baja there is no might, could've, should've, maybe, might not have been, there is only present tense, simple future and past (copreterito and
preterite).
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