What is the meaning of "muchachas frutales"?

Question

what is the meaning of "muchachas frutales"? I found the expresion in "Paula" by Izabel Allende, describing young women going to the beach.

I guessed as much, but I want to know for sure. - rachel-apel, ABR 3, 2010

Answer 1

I wonder, in this case, if it might not mean 'well endowed' young women?

That would definitely go with the "eye candy" type comment. You are probably correct. - Jason7R, ABR 3, 2010

Answer 2

Looks like a plural of "frutal" which can mean fruitful or fruitbearing.Pretty much in line with the intuitive extrapolations above.

Answer 3

To my English-accustomed ears, "frutal" sounds like a reference to orchards and fruit-bearing trees. If I had to stick with the same "root" word, I'd choose "fructíferas". "voluptious" is also a nice word but these days conjures up images of "Rubenesque" females (and their body-mass indicies are "out of fashion". On the whole, I'd choose "núbiles" ("nubile" in English), a really lovely word.

Answer 4

I'll give it a shot. I don't think it's a straight translation for this phrase. I believe it means that either the young women are like "eye candy" meaning they are beautiful and very pleasing to look at or a little "air-headed" meaning not too smart.
I hope this helps at least getting this thread started. I will be interested in seeing how close I am.

Answer 5

Surely it would mean, 'voluptuous young ladys'.

Answer 6

We might just say "juicy girls" in English - I suppose.

Or "fruity girls" which has a more sexual connotation. "to be fruity" in England menas to feel sexy.

Yes - except that Allende is not using a common idiom, such as "juicy" or "fruity". She's just throwing in an unusual metaphor, open to each reader's interpretation. - Gekkosan, ABR 4, 2010

I sure hope these girls are a different kind of fruity to the fruits found in the U.S and England (fruity means gay) - albert-fabrik-, ABR 4, 2010

as in gay men - albert-fabrik-, ABR 4, 2010

The original text refers to clearly heterosexual interaction. It talks about bored teenage boys and girls (presummably all handsome and horny), flirting with each other. - Gekkosan, ABR 4, 2010

Maybe there was a gay couple in there. We don't know - and Allende does not tell. :-) The "fruitability" is not about them, however, assuming they were there. - Gekkosan, ABR 4, 2010

Answer 7

The scene you describe from Paula is one of highly-charged teenage eroticism. The "bored boys and fruit-bearing" girls lay down on the sand to smoke and rub with each other until excitement forced them to go to the sea for relief".

The metaphor is not absolutely clear to me, but in the context it makes me think of luscious, ripe, appetizing young women.

Answer 8

I've never seen such expession, so at first glance I'd say that they smell like fruits.

Answer 9

How about fruitful meaning fertile? Would that work in the context of the story?

That would be another possibility, I think. - Lise-Laroche, ABR 3, 2010