Boricuanismos - Spanglish

Question

I participated in a training this week, where we had a very colorful Puerto Rican instructor. She used Spanglish quite naturally to explain the concepts she was trying to convey. Here is a selection of expressions she used for your edification.

Can you guess what was she trying to say, and what's the correct way to say it in spanish?

"Cuando todos están de acuerdo , el plan se tiene que frizar"

"Ustede tienen que estar aware de los riesgos"

"Esto es en verdad bien wild"

"Usted tiene que poder cochear bien a los miembros de su equipo"

"A mi me dio ganas de reír" (Not Spanglish, but can you spot the mistake?)

"Eso de que somos 'adultos y profesionales' es bolony"

Thanks for the exercize. - CalvoViejo, Sep 24, 2010

I am surrounded by Spanglish. ¡Me encanta! La mezcla de las lenguas, las culturas, para mí es la vida real. Voy a volver para darlo un stab. - sagiia, Oct 30, 2010

Answer 1

I'll make an attempt at it, but my Spanglish is certainly lacking.

"Cuando todos están de acuerdo , el plan se tiene que frizar"

When everyone is in agreement, the plan must be finalized. Cuando todos están de acuerdo, el plan se tiene que finalizar.

"Ustede tienen que estar aware de los riesgos"

You must be aware of the risks. Ustedes tienen que tomar los riesgos en cuenta. (This still sounds a little awkward. Maybe: Ustedes deben tener los riesgos en cuenta)

"Esto es en verdad bien wild"

This really is wild. Realmente, esto es muy audaz.

"Usted tiene que poder cochear bien a los miembros de su equipo"

You have to be able to coach the members of your team well. Usted tiene que tener la habilidad de entrenar bien a los miembros de su equipo.

"A mi me dio ganas de reír" (Not Spanglish, but can you spot the mistake?)

It made me want to laugh. A mí, me dio ganas de reírme.

"Eso de que somos 'adultos y profesionales' es bolony"

The idea that we are adults and professionals is bologna. Eso de que somos 'adultos y profesionales' no tiene sentido. (no es verdad; es mentira)

how about 'ser consciente de' for be aware of? :) - Kiwi-Girl, Sep 24, 2010

Maria-Claire's sugestion is good. - Gekkosan, Sep 25, 2010

Your interpretation of "frizar" is mistaken. You have commited the same mistake with "made me want to laugh" :-) Very nice, the rest is pretty good! - Gekkosan, Sep 25, 2010

Answer 2

Everyone got the basic idea of what this lady meant to say - in English. Only Calvo seems to have notices that the main point of the exercise was to figure the correct way to say this in Spanish. Anyone else is willing to give it a shot?

This is actually a useful exercise, because there really are places where people speak like this, and you need to know both what they mean, and also what's the proper way to say it in Spanish.

Good exercise, Gekko. And a good point about the usefulness of it. Thanks. - CalvoViejo, Sep 26, 2010

Answer 3

"Cuando todos están de acuerdo , el plan se tiene que frizar"

I think we are all in agreement, the plan has that piz zazz.

"Ustede tienen que estar aware de los riesgos"

You all have to be aware of the risks.

"Esto es en verdad bien wild"

This is truly wild.

"Usted tiene que poder cochear bien a los miembros de su equipo"

You have to be able to lead the members of your team.

"A mi me dio ganas de reír" (Not Spanglish, but can you spot the mistake?)

The possessive adjective mi looks wrong (redundant)? It made me wanna laugh.

"Eso de que somos 'adultos y profesionales' es bolony"

The fact that we're adults and professionals is BS.

I was just shooting from the hip (winging it) with these translations

truly :) - Kiwi-Girl, Sep 24, 2010

Thanks, I always do that! - MattM, Sep 25, 2010

The Pizzaz interpretation is mistaken. NIce try, though. So what's the correct way to say all that in Spanish? - Gekkosan, Sep 25, 2010

todo eso - MattM, Sep 27, 2010

Answer 4

• Ustede tienen que estar aware de los riesgos" _ everyone should be aware of the risks.
• "Esto es en verdad bien wild" This is really wild
• Usted tiene que poder cochear bien a los miembros de su equipo" You must be able to coach the other members of your team.
• "Eso de que somos 'adultos y profesionales' es bolony" That we are adults and professionals is baloney..

Ok, that's good - but what is the correct way to say that in Spanish? :-) - Gekkosan, Sep 25, 2010