BajaNomad

Nicknames

Osprey - 11-18-2013 at 07:22 AM

Sobrenombres


Anyone who has spent a lot of time in Mexico will know about sobrenombres, nicknames. It would be a rare cultural accident indeed that placed a gringo close to a Mexican at the time he or she got pegged by their peers --- we have to either learn from our Mexican neighbors how it came about or just try to guess what made it happen. Most probably have their genesis in the schoolyard or the workplace.

In my Baja Sur village gringos must be careful about the nicknames; some Mexicans are pleased or neutral about their handles while others might be offended if you use them openly. I’ll start with a list of my Mexican neighbors --- no Indian kid jokes here thank you but it is my thinking that most of the Mexican nicknames were given because of some physical characteristic or something notable that happened that everybody got a big laugh about that stuck forever.


Cabeza de Gelele. Gelele is the name Choyeros use for the bird Crested Cara Cara so I guess this guy (he was once our local delegado) had a serious cowlick when he was a kid.

Tecalote (owl). This local welder does not look like an owl to me but he’s in his thirties now and who knows how long ago he was tagged.

Illegal . Another welder from Mexico. Go figure

Sancudos . A family, a whole family here is called Mosquitoes and when I asked why, somebody said “You see one, you see a hundred of em”.

Ballenero (whaler). Story goes that he caught a huge manta ray and when he landed it he said “I thought it was a whale.”

Coconaco (barred pargo) .Our local beach cleanup man.

Rastrilla (rake) . Probably the most prominent commerciante in the village. She is “raking in the dough”.

Cucharilla (teaspoon) . Used to take dope when he was a kid?

Lobo (wolf). Very quiet guy – cementero who boasts a huge moustache and walks with long lopping strides.

Charco (pool of water). This Sumo sized giant is no longer in the village. When I asked about the name, why a pool of water, somebody said “Jorge, what do you do when you are walking down the road and come to a big pool of water?” “I walk around it.”

Callo (callus or corn). Big smiling youngster and I don’t want to second guess how he got that handle.

Manteca (butter). Fat guy from a family so large their votes made him our delegado for one term.

I don’t know what they call me and to tell you the truth, I don’t think I wanna know. I did hear a muttered “huevone” behind my back one time but I’m not sure.

[Edited on 11-18-2013 by Osprey]

El Jefe - 11-18-2013 at 08:05 AM

Great list! I think I like Charco the best.

One of my neighbors was called Rastrilla for his habit of trolling building sites for the odd block or "extra" piece of rebar to use on his casa.

Ateo - 11-18-2013 at 08:11 AM

Unique thread. I like it. When I was down in Tepic a group of Mexicans were calling me the "Rockin' Ranchero".

Alan - 11-18-2013 at 08:24 AM

Yeah, a pangeuro friend of mine has referred to me as "Ranchero". I believe it may have had something to do with my fishing prowess!

monoloco - 11-18-2013 at 08:56 AM

Are you sure that Ballenero didn't get his name from drinking copious ballenas de Pacifico? We have many Balleneros in these parts.:lol:

monoloco - 11-18-2013 at 08:59 AM

By the way, Manteca is lard, not butter. At least they don't call him Culo de Manteca.

DJL - 11-18-2013 at 09:19 AM

I picked up mine during an epic Ladyfish bite at Punta Arena .

Because we C&R most of our Fish .... I think the Captains at Punta Colorada thought we were terrible Fishers and kind of felt sorry for us since we never brought anything back . My Friend Johnny (Bartender at Punta) came along for some Fishing late one morning - we found a vast shoal of Ladyfish , and got into some serious numbers . Every time Johnny would look down the beach , I'd be hooked up again . We got back to his Truck covered in slime/Blood/scales .... he stared at me for a long moment , nodded pointedly at me , and called me CHUPASABALO , a play on the little Green devil , the Chupacabra ... with Ladyfish replacing the goats being sucked on .

I laughed so hard , I thought I was going to have a stroke .

D.~

shari - 11-18-2013 at 09:27 AM

Nicknames are really interesting to hear how they are earned and very necessary because there are so many Juan's, Martin's, Jose etc...here are some from around here

Velero (sailboat) for a big tall guy as in a sailboat mast

Juan Vaso (glass) cause he always has a drink in his hand

Silver....has always has silver hair

Plumin (feather) for a super skinny tall guy

Feon (ugly) for a particularly ugly guy...not used in front of him

Pez Sol (sunfish) for a particularly round woman...not used to her face

Gringo for a real white guy

Osprey - 11-18-2013 at 09:36 AM

There's some confusion about Sabalo/ladyfish. The Machete is known as Ladyfish while a Sabalo is a Milkfish. Here's the more confusing part: Sabalo is a gamefish (whichever one you choose to use I suppose) and on the license limits shares the slot with dorado and roosterfish.

Mono, I was being kind >> they translated for me as "Lard butt". My dictionary says it is "fat, lard, butter".

DJL - 11-18-2013 at 09:41 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Osprey
There's some confusion about Sabalo/ladyfish. The Machete is known as Ladyfish while a Sabalo is a Milkfish. Here's the more confusing part: Sabalo is a gamefish (whichever one you choose to use I suppose) and on the license limits shares the slot with dorado and roosterfish.


I prefer Machete , but all the Mexicans I've met call Ladyfish Sabalo . Of course .... all the Mexicans I've met call just about any Jack other than 'Roos and J.C.'s a Pompano .... catch a different one , and it's 'Otra Pompano' .

D.~

Skipjack Joe - 11-18-2013 at 10:06 AM

Growing up in LA my friends and I had nicknames in our small community. Here is a sample.

Lapa - the paw. Given because he caught the football with one hand.

Mammenstalin - Stalin's mother. His real name was Mammendalin.

Croptop. He came to camp with a buzz that year.

Hitri Pi$$ - the sly pi$$. His 'forest name' was Hitri Liss - the sly fox.

Saliva. His last name was Selivra.

Grinky Kinky. His real name was Grinenko.

Morzh - the walrus. She resembled one on her beach towel.

Zaplya - the heron. Long and thin, she would stand in June Lake with a towel around her shoulders.

Mish - the bat. He had large protruding ears.

Goga - goga. I don't know why we called him that. It has no meaning but it stuck.

Can't remember any more.

Paulina - 11-18-2013 at 07:53 PM

"Paulina, why your butt so flat? You have petatillo for butt."

That's how one of my nicknames came to be. My rear end resembles OSB. Another friend calls me "Pow", short for Paulina. Another calls me "Teacher".

Dern's got a few, depending on who's calling him out.

"Pelo de machaca" because his hair reminded someone of sting ray machaca. Also "Chino" or "Grenas".

(I may have my spellings wrong, but you get the point.)

P>*)))>{

Santiago - 11-19-2013 at 07:16 AM

I was discussing this issue a few months ago with a local doing work at my place and asked if women were also nicknamed. I got a very curt "NO". I had clearly crossed a cultural line (something I seem too good at).
What's the issue here?

dasubergeek - 11-20-2013 at 07:11 PM

It's a respect-for-women thing... it's not considered polite to give women crude names. I get called "Garnacha" because I've got a bright red face.

Paulina - 11-20-2013 at 08:45 PM

Santiago,

I think the issue goes along with what Osprey wrote;

"In my Baja Sur village gringos must be careful about the nicknames; some Mexicans are pleased or neutral about their handles while others might be offended if you use them openly."

I have heard a few women's nicknames, but I also have a close relationship with either the woman or the person using that woman's nickname. It might be that you didn't cross the cultural line, but were being saved from doing just that.

Sometimes nicknames are like terms of endearment, only appropriate for use by those with a strong connection to the person or family.

I also think that there are nicknames used that some don't know about. A good friend of ours, who is passed now, was called "Avestruz" behind his back. The locals thought he looked like a giant ostrich when he walked.

I think I can hear that "NO." If we are thinking about the same person, he tries that word with me too. He's so funny. I love that guy.

P>*)))>{