Misunderstanding Spanish 101: What did my friend mean?

Question

Misunderstanding Spanish 101

So then, here we are at a party on Friday night, my friend " C" brings out a bottle of very old and very expensive scotch. the kind you take " derecho". Anyway as we are sipping this delicacy he asks me:

¿como te está cayendo, Paco?

The lights go out I am clueless for a moment.

A moment passes and I remember the rule that you answer a question in Spanish the way it was asked.

I answer : ¡ Me está cayendo bien, peligrosamente bien!

So what do you make of this!

Spanish has so much color it amazes me at times. This "exchange" is metaphorical and not at all uncommon in Mexico.

Did your friend like your response, or did he challenge you to a duel? :) - pesta, Oct 26, 2011

Gracias Heidi! - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 1

How is that scotch agreeing with you Paco ? Dangerously well.

There it is you have it - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Vaya, que bien! - bomberapolaca, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 2

Do you like the taste of the scotch?

Well, I like it a lot (which is dangerous for obvious reasons , you are likely to emborracharse muy prontito )

Ah, I get it. Nice reply. - 0074b507, Oct 26, 2011

Yes, I thought it means ' do you like it?' so I'll vote for you! - annierats, Oct 26, 2011

Well, if you think of a sentence like 'Este chico me cae muy bien', the answer seems much easier ;) - bomberapolaca, Oct 26, 2011

You also Bombera soooo very very close - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Your phrase above is in the same category Bombera ! we hear that here. - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 3

I guess if you asked a Mexican who was learning English " I bet that Scotch really hits the spot, doesn't it?", he may be equally confused. Thanks for sharing.

Yes Beatrice it was tricky, - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 4

Well it sounds to me like how is that delightfully old Scotch going down.

More or less Gary but not quite good one though - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 5

well, I am not too sure, as these guys ...what do we know what they really meant, jeje, buuuuuuuuut, there is a very clear clue in the thread!!!

Frankie , let me ask you, why does everybody think you are a drunk? (kiiiiidding)

I suppose i am not even on the right track, jejejej, but ths is fun - 00494d19, Oct 26, 2011

Its so very colloquial Mexican Heidi, The only way I managed the answer was the "rule" - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 6

Peligrosamente bien!

This is the part I like. Is that common or did you come up with it yourself Paco? I may have to start using that.

its colloquial and metaphorical and turned out pretty cool really - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 7

I would say that enjoying old Scotch is dangerous because it is expensive. . .

Answer 8

For some reason I cannot track down, there is a Hungarian idiom that's literally identical to this, so I had no trouble learning this one when I first encountered it.

And I thought knowing Hungarian would be useless here... !

Hi Pesta - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 9

"How do you like it, Paco?" "What do think about it, Paco?"

very good Don Bigote now do the response ! :-) - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 10

Is that Scotch knocking you out Francis? Yes it's knocking me out and dangerously quickly. (But probably quite nicely too!)

Answer 11

I'll give it one more try: How fast is your glass emptying? Paco: Well, dangerously quickly ;P

Again you are on the right track but not quite ! you have the concept - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Uy, uy... Maybe: how are you absorbing... ;P ;P Bueno, eso es la ultima vez que adivino. - bomberapolaca, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 12

ignore this-not even the correct context, apparently.

¿Cómo te está cayendo, Paco? How are you getting along, Frank? Without the comma it looks like «How are you getting along with Frank?» or «How do you like Frank?»

Unless it is worded somewhat like our somewhat indirect direct questions: So, how are things going with Frank today? (speaking directly to you).

frío, frío, jeje, just saying, this is not my thread, but you know I am always harassing you:P:P - 00494d19, Oct 26, 2011

Well, you could tell me how what it says. I won't tell anyone. - 0074b507, Oct 26, 2011

Jeje Hi Quentin< I'll answer it in a bit with the colloquial. - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 13

How's that scotch going down, Paco?

Smooooooooth, but dangerous!

Ooooo you are soo on the right track Mariana ! - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 14

No me gusta Scotch. Me gusta mucho Jack Daniel's.

:-)) - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

The best-selling whiskey in the world. - Beatrice-Codder, Oct 26, 2011

Answer 15

The only thing I can tell you is that that is not "perfect Spanish" that is what it is call in English an Idiom. The problem is that that idiom would probably apply only in Mexico. Not Spain or other Latin American countries. If your goal is to learn the language, stay away from those and use the proper way of speaking. That way you will save yourself from miss understandings.

Hi Farallon, I live in Mexico and for that reason I must learn these things, yes I am a learner, The exchange is metaphorical and coloquial as well. - pacofinkler, Oct 26, 2011

Great! Good for you! Just remember that when you travel to other Spanish speaking countries. I might not work! - farallon7, Oct 26, 2011

Well said about the use of idioms - I recently left a class because there was so much emphasis on idioms and expressions that I reckoned that until somebody was reasonably fluent idioms were no good in general conversation. - caza, Oct 26, 2011

That is both for the speaker or the listener due to possible mis-understanding - or no understanding! - caza, Oct 26, 2011

and NEVER ask a native English speaker about idioms...we use so many regularly that we don't realize they're not literal! My friends who are learning English get a headache from this. - bailarina95, Oct 26, 2011