Language List
I took Spanish lessons for the majority of my time in Argentina, and also put a great deal of effort into listening to the individualities of Spanish in that country. Through these mediums I developed a list of 50 different clichés, metaphors, sayings and significant phrases in Argentine Spanish. Here is my list:
1) No por mucho madrugado el almacén llegará mas temprano. – “Getting up early a lot will not make the sun rise any faster.” This phrase suggests to me the relaxed, more peaceful attitude of the Latin American culture. Since our actions will not change the spin of the universe, we should enjoy life as it comes.
2) Principe Azul – “Blue Prince.” This phrase is analogous to “white knight.” It is, apparently, a universal phenomenon to look for “the one perfect guy.”
3) Pega un Ducha – “Beat/hit a shower.” It’s a play on words that suggests taking a shower quickly.
4) Cuestión de Piel – “A question of skin.” This suggests the idea that you cannot know how much chemistry you have with a person until you have touched them.
5) Círculo de 99 – “Circle of 99.” This refers to inescapable discontentment, and is the title of a story about a King who finds that the way happiness is destroyed by chasing the last, missing thing you don’t have.
6) Gallego – “Someone from Galicia.” Early Spanish colonists were uneducated and uncivilized, and so this is a stereotypical phrase for any Spaniard implying they are dumb.
7) Que sé yo – “What do I know.” This is an informal conversation filler used in casual and uneducated speech, i.e. “We could play, I don’t know…Frisbee?”
8) Poner passion – “Put passion.” This is the equivalent of “put your heart into it.” It is the idea of giving your emotion to something to make it worthwhile.
9) Cursi – “Pretentious.” This is the equivalent of “cheesy” or “melodramatic,” used for both people and entertainment.
10) Que lo pasan bien – “That it passes well to all of you.” This is a parting phrase used to signify “have a good time.”
11) La suerte está echada – “The luck is thrown.” This is a metaphor that is used to signify that your luck in life, good or bad, is already set and going to happen.
12) Bichos de ciudad – “City bugs.” This references people who live in cities with lots of other people and crawl around like bugs; i.e., “city slickers.”
13) Porteños – This means people from the Port, or Buenos Aires. There is a stereotype in Argentina that people from the big city are uppity, ignorant and self-centered.
14) Golpe del Estado – “Hit the state.” This means “coups,” and is used in Argentina specifically to reference March 24th, 1976.
15) Nunca Más – “Never More.” This famous phrase said in a courtroom trial of the leaders of the 70’s junta carries weight, as it is always associated with that terrible time, and the determined emotion to never let something happen again.
16) Estoy a mil por hora – “I am a thousand per hour.” This is used like “I’m going 60 miles a minute.”
17) Tal Cual – “So what.” This phrase means “Exactly so,” and is used frequently to agree that someone has been accurate or say ‘”how things are.”
18) Difunta del Correo – “Death of Correo.” This phrase describes the famous death of a virgin who trekked across the desert with her infant child, and died of thirst but saved the child by giving it her milk. There are sanctuaries for her along most major roads in Argentina.
19) Gauchito Gil – Another source of roadside sanctuaries, “Guachito Gil” is a robin hood character in Argentine legend who stood up for the country people and the gauchos by robbing the wealthy. Many rural Argentines regard him as a saint.
20) Si o si “If or if, “ or “yes or yes.” This phrase is commonly used to mean “For sure,” i.e., “I will be at the movies tonight si o si.”
21) Es una rata – “He’s a rat.” This metaphor is used to describe someone who is very thrifty.
22) Hace la cabeza – “Make/do the head.” This phrase means to convince somebody.
23) Rompe la boca o te tranza – “Break your mouth, or entrance you.” These two phrases are both used for kissing, which seems to suggest the alternate ideas of romance and male female relations in Argentina. Men are still given predominant authority, and violence is a serious issue, but Argentine women have definitely come into the modern era of work and play.
24) Se calienta – “he gets hot.” This phrase means, “He gets mad.” The analogy is often used in English, as well.
25) Está re-pila – “He’s very batteried.” The equivalent of “he’s wired,” this phrase describes someone who is being unusually active.
26) Pedir que lo tiren – “Ask that they throw you.” This phrase is used as “ask them to give you a ride.” Throw is a modern substitution for take.
27) Un amigo de fierro – “A friend of steel.” This metaphor is used to describe someone who will be a true friend “through thick and thin.” This is an important phrase, as friendship in Argentina plays a big role in the social structure and what people spend their time and energy on.
28) Dice la posta – “say the post.” This metaphor uses the idea of a fence to imply you are saying the solid, unshakable truth.
29) De mi puño y letra - “from my wrist and handwriting.” This turn of phrase is used to describe something someone has written themselves; love poems, for example.
30) Llueve a cántaros – “it’s raining pitchers.” This metaphor is analogous to “it’s raining cats and dogs.” This phrase was particularly useful while we were in Córdoba, as they were having severe summer thunderstorms (the summer is their rainy season.)
31) Buen Provecho – “Good benefit.” People say this to someone who is about to eat, and it means “Enjoy/Get the best out of your meal.” Eating meals in Argentina is a social affair; people DO NOT eat on the run and very rarely do they even eat in a rush. It is considered very rude to eat anything in front of someone without food, and even more so if you don’t offer to share.
