Anyone teach Spanish on the island?

[WetInPortland]

Since the subject of (off-color) slang, regional language meanings, and double entendres has come up (and it's at least somewhat related to the topic), here are a few of the things I've picked up and sites that I've found regarding obscenities / profanities and slang. NSFW! Don't say I didn't warn you!

If you want to catch a taxi or the bus (autobús for large ADO style, first class buses, or colectivo for small, van-style local buses, both in Cozumel and the Riviera Maya generally), it's tomar el autobús, and NOT coger el autobús. [Joke about a Spaniard talking to a Mexican: Spaniard: ¿Como cogo el autobús? Mexican: No lo sé. ¿Tal vez en el tubo de escape? (How do I [catch (Spain) | f*** (Mexico)] the bus? I don't know. Maybe in the tailpipe?) (Yes, tomar also means to drink or to take.)

Most people know that pinche is the adjective (participle) f***ing in Latin Spanish, but did you know that it's "cook's assistant" in Spain?

Effective swearing in Mexico City (also has some local, non-profane slang)

Swearing in Spanish (This is the "R-rated" site; there is a link to the "PG-rated" site in the introduction.)

How to use "puto" correctly, according to la Real Academia de la Lengua Española (Royal Academy of the Spanish Language)

As one of the sites (I forget which) points out, it's probably best to avoid these in conversation until you're really fluent (and among friends), but they're good to know if you're listening to conversations around you.

 

[Lorenzoid]

My Ecuadorian Spanish instructor taught me many uses of “coger,” not one of which was the meaning it has to Mexicans and C. Americans, of which I was already aware but politely didn’t point out to him. I would never use that word anywhere in the region. He also didn’t care for “de nada” because to his ears it was too informal for polite conversation. How quaint. I suppose the lessons I received from him were useful in that they showed me a different perspective, but Mexicans would probably smirk at what might sound excessively formal or polite to them. So, yes, if one’s goal is to speak with Mexicans, it is best to learn Spanish from Mexicans.

 

[WetInPortland]

My Ecuadorian Spanish instructor taught me many uses of “coger,” not one of which was the meaning it has to Mexicans and C. Americans, of which I was already aware but politely didn’t point out to him. I would never use that word anywhere in the region. He also didn’t care for “de nada” because to his ears it was too informal for polite conversation. How quaint. I suppose the lessons I received from him were useful in that they showed me a different perspective, but Mexicans would probably smirk at what might sound excessively formal or polite to them. So, yes, if one’s goal is to speak with Mexicans, it is best to learn Spanish from Mexicans.

There's a little bit of a 7th-grader in all of us still, but I particularly wanted to point out the coger example because, as you note, it's used quite innocently in so many other countries. Duolingo casually throws it into their Spanish courses with nary a cautionary note (and despite my submissions that there is a problem every time it comes up in one of my lessons). At least SpanishDict still identifies the Mexican/Latin American connotation, albeit as the last definition.

I am curious as to what the "proper" form of "you're welcome" is? No hay de que? El placer es mio?

 

[ggunn]

In a related story...

Dialect can make a big difference. Back in the 1970's I lived and worked in Peru for the better part of a year. At the time, the Spanish spoken in Peru was the closest to Castlllano ("Spain" Spanish) spoken in the western hemisphere.

Being from south Louisiana I had virtually no exposure to Spanish until the day I landed in Lima, and although I can't say I got anywhere nearly casually conversational in Spanish while I was there, I learned quite a bit and I could usually follow the gist of a conversation. A few months after I got back to the States I was in a hotel in Houston, and walking down the hall I passed by a couple of Mexican housekeeping employees having an animated conversation in Spanish. As I walked by I eavesdropped a bit but I found that I could not understand them at all.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Hmmm, never ran across that one; I always learned, "mucho gusto" (now that I think about it, that was in PV). While not my favorite translator, SpanishDict used point out the possible faux paxs (Check out the translation for "encantada" on SpanishDict!), but they appear to be going for more of a "G" rating these days. For example, they used to identify that a jacket is chaqueta for most of the Spanish speaking world, but not in Mexico (well, probably not the jacket you intended). In Mexico it's la chamarra. Details here for the curious: SpanishDict

I had learned back in high school that it's "mucho gusto" but I rarely hear anyone in Mexico saying it besides me.

I looked up the translation for "encantada" a while back which is one of the reasons I don't use it. It might be appropriate if I just met a good-looking abuelita and I want to try her tamales.

@WetInPortland LOL. When I was in Costa Rica the beach towel guy was teaching me how to say my room number and then complemented me on my pronunciation of "huevos." He said I say huevos the way they say huevos. Oh darn. I'm thinking I may have said "tengo calor" to a woman on Cozumel. Come to think of it, that's what the women kept saying to me....

 

[BRT]

In a related story...

Dialect can make a big difference. Back in the 1970's I lived and worked in Peru for the better part of a year. At the time, the Spanish spoken in Peru was the closest to Castlllano ("Spain" Spanish) spoken in the western hemisphere.

Being from south Louisiana I had virtually no exposure to Spanish until the day I landed in Lima, and although I can't say I got anywhere nearly casually conversational in Spanish while I was there, I learned quite a bit and I could usually follow the gist of a conversation. A few months after I got back to the States I was in a hotel in Houston, and walking down the hall I passed by a couple of Mexican housekeeping employees having an animated conversation in Spanish. As I walked by I eavesdropped a bit but I found that I could not understand them at all.

I learned Spanish from Mexicans nearly 50 years ago and speak it almost daily with Mexicans. I have been to Peru twice for short periods. It is easier to understand Peruvians.