Word of the Day:

[emilyr]

One of my favorite words are “cascarrabias,” often used in the context “viejo cascarrabias” as in grumpy old man, which is just a really fun word to say (in your head, not out loud!) about some really grumpy person in front of you. So when someone is getting really pissy and grumpy and negative in front of me, I just think of the fun words cascarrabias, and it puts me in a better mood!

I also love the various words for getting a smacked down here. One fun one I heard was, “ohhh, le dio un sandwichAZO,” which is when throws or hits you with food but can also be with the hand. It can also just mean giant sandwich. This was when we were watching that ad for the headache medicine when the woman gets smacked with a giant cake. Or when you get hit with the soccer ball, “¡ohhh, qué pelotazo!” Also there is una patada (a kick), una piña (a punch), un tortazo (a smackdown with the hand), biaba (getting punched and kicked a lot, beat up), golpiza (same as biaba), patadón, pegar cocitos, cachetazos (slap in the face). There are thousands of ways to say it in Argentina, and I love the particular Argentines emphasize it, whether they are watching boxeo or soccer or recounting some crazy story! It always cracks me up!

 

[emilyr]

By the way, you are right, mv, the word poronga is a word you want to be really careful with!!...and I am told that verga is worse. They are more used by young males and people with poca educación and are rude to use around strangers, reserve for amiguillos alone.

Another way to safely say when something is not working properly, another very Argentine word I love (my Bolivian and Colombian friends all confirm they don't use it): "¡Qué trucho que es!" "Esto es una truchada." This translates as a piece of junk, and this way you can put some Argentine color into your speech and still say it in front of polite company.

 

[Alzinho]

This has become my favourite thread!

 

[emilyr]

Me, too, Alzinho! For all the bad eggs that we might encounter here in the form of chorros=muggers, robbers, and general no-good miscreants (and I was very sorry to read about your bad experiences Alzinho but appreciated the heads up...I will now stop texting in the subway!), I think one of the coolest things about Buenos Aires is the language. Although people from other countries will tell you Argentines speak "bad, improper Spanish" - and many Argentines agree, I love the way that the language here is full of the creativity, color, sense of humor, and the passion of the porteños.

I went to bed last night thinking about more of my favorite Argentine words....pavadas = macanas = tonterías. I love those words that refer to stupid ideas. These are used a lot and with a lot of color. "¡No me DIGAS pavadas!"

Also, another fun word used over and over by my prof after he beautifully explains something. "¡Macanudo!" Meaning: Great! Magnificent! Fanstastic, etc.! It also can mean "buena onda," good vibes, as in the way my aerobics teacher described the fellow gals in our class, "Hay gente muy macanuda acá."

¡OJO! macanudo ≠ macana. One is good and one is bad, which gets confusing to me because they sound the same in daily speech.

 

[Alzinho]

I should be able to contribute to the library of useful insults, but when my ex speaks to me it's usually screamed or through gritted teeth and I'm always too scared to ask her to spell the words out afterwards!

 

[HenryNisental]

fOR YOUR PRONUNCIATION TRAINING:
TRY THESE THREE WORDS ONE AFTER THE OTHER:
QUEROSEN
CORAZON
QUE HORA SON?

 

[Alzinho]

Shouldn't that be "Que horas son?"

 

[billsfan]

BTW, the "idea" that argentines speak "bad spanish" is as dumb as saying americans speak "bad english".
It is pointless. Languages are alive. And they transform and adapt to one population.
And I won't even begin on the differences between different parts of Argentina.
People in the north speaks more closely to paraguayans or bolivians, for example.
Mendocinos speak closely to chileans.
Cordobeses have almost their onw languange and entonation!
And so on.

Colombians, mexicans and most people from latin america like to say that argentinos speak a bad spanish.
But I'm proud of the uniqueness and that we embraced and mixed so many different cultures to create what we are.

 

[Alzinho]

as dumb as saying americans speak "bad english".

Well that's not dumb....that's true!

 

[Alzinho]

Heard someone on the radio yesterday make a verb out of Facebook:

Facebookearme!