Comments on: I have no idea what a chalupa is or We’re not all the same

By: Lisa Renata

Lisa Renata — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:55:00 +0000

Heck, I am Mexican-American (and lots of other things in between) and I don’t know what a Chalupa is either!!

By: class-factotum

class-factotum — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:23:00 +0000

How about the Brazilian singer a few years ago named “Xuxa?” The Brazilians pronounce “X” as “ch.” A soft “ch,” but a “ch” nonetheless. :)

By: Laura Feo-Fernández

Laura Feo-Fernández — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:52:00 +0000

The cojer story reminded me of my husband’s story.
My husband and two friends (all pianists, all from Havana) were in Caracas for the Teresa Carreño piano competition. They were trying to find a bus stop, and they saw a boy of about 9 or 10. They asked him where they could “cojer” the bus. Without missing a beat, he said “only if you grab it by the muffler.”

By: Carrie-in-TN

Carrie-in-TN — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:30:00 +0000

Oh, and @class-factotum, I had a great laugh with an Argentinian friend who told me a mutal Cuban friend uses the word "cojer'' for "get" but that to many Latin Americans it means "to get some.'' The Cuban friend works with some local immigrants and she is always telling them to "cojer'' this and "cojer'' that.

And, that one of the words in our tee line "Chichi & Flaco'' means boobies to some Latins...I didn't know that until after we named it. For Cuban's it is a nickname. LOL.

By: Carrie-in-TN

Carrie-in-TN — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:25:00 +0000

I am glad you guys are getting a kick out of the commercial(s). They're pretty spot-on.
My amiga Tough Mama, hurray for the truth that some of us do learn. Please note, I find humor in it and frustration only when I encounter insistence that I am wrong, like what kind of Hispanic are you that you can't tell me what a chalupa is...or like when an editor could not get that I, in Cuban-speak, said hierba for grass and my Mexican-American co-worker used a word I can't even remember and said it was Aztec in origin. The look we got was that it was just all too complicated and plain wrong.

And so not unlike when people from "the big city'' come to Nashville and are shocked we're not all in cowboy hats and shit kickers.

Ah, life is fun...

By: Sandrita

Sandrita — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:12:00 +0000

Don’t worry, I’m Mexican and I never heard of a chalupa until Taco Bell came up with a commercial for it. Since TB is not really Mexican food, I’m still not quite sure what it is as I’ve never really had one.

By: Tough Mama

Tough Mama — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:55:00 +0000

One of my students this week said that she mistakenly asked a Puerto Rican friend what part of Mexico he was from. Some have to learn things the hard way, but some DO learn eventually.

By: class-factotum

class-factotum — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:31:00 +0000

I worked in Miami for a company that sold a product in Latin America. They used one marketing brochure for the entire region. There was a part of the product described as the “pico.” (The brochure had been translated in Iowa. IOWA.) I was the only person in the office who had worked in Chile. I asked my boss if he was aware that in Chile, where we sold the product, that “pico” was slang for “penis.” Nope. I guess he wasn’t.

By: Tamara B.

Tamara B. — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Love your blog and the nam Came over from spanglishbaby blog to say hi!

By: evenshine

evenshine — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:45:00 +0000

We have a family friend who, whenever conversing with my husband, feels the overwhelming urge to discuss (derogatorily) all the Mexican “hoodlums” that ride his bus in the mornings. My (very patient)husband is from Colombia. The ad definitely resonated with HIM!