If you come to my land...
This is to share our peoples' cultural quirks, what makes them unique. Our differences are our richness!!
If you come to Chile, you will find that people use a lot of animal-based terms to describe each other and some things. Most of them are used as adjectives
Here are a few:
Gallo (rooster) = A man = "ese gallo me debe plata" (that guy owes me money").
Choro (a kind of clam) = A Violent person
Pavo (turkey) = Dumb
Pollo (chick) = Naive
Ratón (mouse) = Shy, stingy
Vaca (cow) = Money collect amng friends, usually before a party
Cabro (kid) = Small child
Jote (a kind of vultur) = A man trying to persuade a woman to have sex with him. Also, a mix of cocacola and wine
Sapo (toad) = Nosy. Also, an informant
Rana (frog) = A big mistake
Pato (duck) = To be without any money
Toyo (a kind of shark) = A lie. The ability to tell a lie on the fly
Share yours, it can be any "weird" thing your people make, say, eat, etc.
11 Answers
Well, like, in California where, like, the "Valley Girl" speak, like, originated, like, everyone, like, talks with, like, the word "like" in all of their, like, sentences and it's really hard to, like, stop, like, doing it. When, like, we challenge each other to, like, stop saying "like," it's, like, really hard and I, like, realize how much I say, like, "like!"
Nosotros también decimos que vamos a "hacer la vaca" cuando vamos a comprar algo para departir, alcohol normalmente; y a los bocones también les decimos sapos, qué buenos datos.
In the US we use rat (rata) for what you use sapo for, an informant.
Ah, yes, toque, my upstate NY cousin used that and I accused of using a bad word. This is when we were kids and he liked to tease me. He also pronounces "elementary" in an unusual (to me) way.
In Argentina chapar or transar is to kiss someone. A chorro is thief and afanar is to steal. A pancho is a hot dog.
In Canada there are 3 words that come to mind:
Toque (a winter hat)
Chesterfied (couch)
Eavestrough (the drains on the side of the roof where rain collects)
Don't let the cat out of the bag. No deje que el gato fuera de la bolsa. (?)
Don't spill the beans. No derrame los frijoles.
Don't tell a secret.
Think outside the box. Piense afuera de la caja.
A little bird told me. Un pajarito me dijo.
Drop a dime. (Archaic) Se caía una moneda de diez centavos. Rat someone out to the cops.
I got a million of 'em.
Un perro es un mujer fea (o)
A dog is a ugly women...or man.
In Guatemala they don't use the word "mosquito" for a mosquito...instead they say "zancuro," which means "long-legged insect." Go figure.
That the cat's meow .... something special, high class
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