DISCLAIMER: The following post will probably only make sense to Cuban-Americans (and probably only to my immediate family). Read at your own risk. =D
I am the youngest of six. Four older sisters and one brother.
One of the beauties of being a Cuban exile, is living and growing up around people who are bilingual. It was always a party (it still is)!
It is not just that we can go in and out of either language. It is that translating Cuban idioms is pure comedy. (well, maybe you just have to be Cuban to "get it.") The Cuban people have a way of saying things that are very picturesque and in my family we LIVE for these literal translations! I think someone even coined the term "Cubonics."
Technically, they don’t make any sense in Spanish either, which is just the beginning of the fun.
If someone is a little vain, we say, "Se da lija."
Translation: "He sandpapers himself."
If he’s a good guy, we say, "Es un pan."
Translation: "He’s a piece of bread."
"Come in and take a seat." "Entre y tome una silla."
Translation: "Between and drink a chair."
"He’s cute." "Que mono."
Translation: "What a monkey."
Cubans love nicknames too. Or at least making a diminutive out of one’s name.
Hence, Cubans who meet me for the first time sometimes call me, "Martica." One of my mom’s cousins used to call me ‘Martilla" (NOTE: the Spanish word for "hammer" is "martillo"). My sisters started calling me "Little Hammer" as a form of torment and eventually as an endearment. (BTW, NOBODY else gets to do this with impunity)
My kids love this. Especially Amy, who does an amazing job on our Christmas videos.
She insists that the titles read like this:
She sandpapers herself just a little. =D
Ohmygosh, no wonder I can’t understand so many words on my favorite CubanAmerican blogs. None of these appear in my Spanish/English Dictionery. Another project for Marta: “The Completely Hysterical Book of Cubonics.”
Reminds me of the strange looks I have gotten from American friends when I explain “sana, sana culito de rana.”
Carrie -That’s a great one. You ate it! =D
I completely don’t understand. I think monkeys are weird, not cute, as a matter of fact, about as far from cute as you can be. Do you find the stereotypes and portrayals of Cubans are accurate? Gene says the Italian stereotypes are right on, at least about his family. Well….good luck with all of that! Pam
Pam, monkeys aren’t cute? I LOVE monkeys! haYes, I think most Cuban stereotypes are accurate.
I dig this story – Cubonics! LOL And she sandpapers herself – hilarious. Next time I’m over, teach me to say that.
I just told a really cute friend of mine that he was “un bonboncito”. He looked it up and was even more puzzled when he found a translation of “little marshmallow”. Well, it’s a little bonbon, but I told him to take my word for it, it’s endearing!