Malapropismos
La pregúnta que les voy a hacer al final de esto es corta, pero la introducción es larga. OK. Here goes: Malapropismo=Malapropism in English.
Hay un “malapropismo” cuando una persona trata de decir algo y resulta que otra cosa chistosa sale de la boca. Por ejemplo. Hay un coro cristiano donde se oye lo siguente:
“En la cruz, en la cruz do primero vi la luz y las manchas de me alma yo lavé—
At the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the stains of my soul I washed away
En un templo en el estado de Baja California donde estaba conduciendo la música y tocando la guitarra, oí a un niño cantando con todas sus fuerzas así
En la cruz, en la cruz do primero vi la luz y las mangas de mi alma yo lavé At the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the sleeves of my soul I washed away.
That was funny! Recuerdo una vez de niña quería usar la expression “por si acaso”, y salió “por si fracaso” Todos se rieron mucho salvo yo.
Now some English malapropisms:
There is this character on NCIS, a program wherein federal special agents investigate the deaths of sailors and marines. There is a lot of drama and a lot of humor. My favorite character on the show is Ziva David. A tough Hebrew speaking soldier of the Israeli Mossad—Israel’s CIA. (She left the show after 8 seasons but you can see her in reruns.) She is world renown for her futile attempts to master American clichés.
These, of course are scripted and contrived but they are still fun.
Once when she was tired she asked her partner if she could take a “batnap”
Another time when McGee, another agent, has had a scary experience. Ziva comments, “McGee! You look like you’ve seen a goat.
There was a time when she and her partner were locked in a container. She tried to make a call on her cell phone. She was unable. She tells her partner, “Tony, I’m "braless” (for barless)
There are scores more but I will end with this one.
She says on an occasion when something went terribly wrong, “Tony, we’ve hit a shamu (for “snafu”) Shamu is a famous killer whale that does tricks for the audience in an aquatic park in Southern California.
Now, I said all of the above to give you examples of real malaprops and contrived ones. Can you give to the forum examples of malapropisms that either you have committed or have heard someone else commit? This should be fun, because we have English speakers struggling with Spanish and vice versa. Sorry to take so long on this, but this is something we all have to deal with. You have no Idea the malapropisms I made while trying to learn Mexican slang. Most of them are not fit for print
10 Answers
Wow, this is a great question, Dani. I did so love Ziva in N C I S. The truth is I do this sort of thing all the time.
I was talking on Skype to a woman from Peru who told me a story about a party she had attended at the Embassy. My friend was with an unmarried American woman, a señorita, who was learning Spanish and who was trying to speak in Spanish with some people at the party. The American woman was hungry so she said to a gentleman, "Tengo hombre" instead of "Tengo hambre". Everyone thought that was very funny because she had said "I (a) man)" instead of "I'm hungry"
Maybe you have to be Spanish.
On the origin of the word in English (from Wiki): The word "malapropism" (and its earlier variant, "malaprop") comes from a character named "Mrs. Malaprop" in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals. Mrs. Malaprop frequently misspeaks (to great comic effect) by using words which don't have the meaning she intends, but which sound similar to words that do. Sheridan presumably chose her name in humorous reference to the word malapropos, an adjective or adverb meaning "inappropriate" or "inappropriately", derived from the French phrase, mal à propos (literally "poorly placed").
Uff! All such things are way too funny. I love them!! Spoonerisms is yet another:
When the good reverend Dr. Spooner came to the pulpit and asked the congregation to open the hymn book to page 357-- "when the kinkering kongs their tithes take"
Errors in Spanish and English are all part ot the embarrasment and joy of learning--you must learn to laugh at yourself at the worst moments-and in truth you can make friendships along the way. When we think of malapropisms we must also think in economy of language-- as tuxtaboy wrote- In Spanish we must make a constuction to say the same thing.
There was a comedian named Norm Crosby who was the king of malapropisms. He was very funny. I was able to find a YouTube video of an appearance bny him on the Dean Martin Show. (I think I'm showing my age here!!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY6KyCuqeoA
I was in Spanish class with my friend and and he made a silly mistake and he said "Estoy embarazado" because he was embarrassed. Apparently he had become the world's first pregnant man.
That was really embarrassing.
I have great difficulty when trying to talk about money in Spanish because whenever the topic comes up for some reason I can't get the name of that famous American actor out of my head... You know, the one who played the Godfather... I have to stop & make a conscious effort to say 'dinero' & not 'De Niro'.
No tengo mucho De Niro en mi bolsillo ahora...
Por supuesto... El es demasiado alto para entrar en tu bolsillo, ¿ no ?...
I only want to add that "malapropismo" is not a spanish word. The RAE never has included it. In Spanish the ONLY way to say that is: "uso incorrecto de palabras parónimas" (bad use of "parónimas" words").
This was more than 30 years ago when the Cuban "marielitos" came to the USA. I worked for FEMA (my employer) but I had duties with the CDC and Immigration Services. "Pedro" was able to leave the reception center and came to live with my family. He did not speak any English. Over time he learned, but some things were confusing.
To make a long story short, he had a problem with evacuating himself. Lots of fiber, liquids, Ex-Lax, etc. didn't seem to help, so we sent him to the doctor. He was embarrassed about the whole thing, so he didn't want me in the examination room with the doctor. He was, maybe, 30% with English. He came out of the examination room in an agitated state. I was in the hallway.
As it was explained to me, the doctor understood the problem and asked "Pedro" if his bowels moved to confirm his diagnosis. That was a new word for "Pedro" and he understood the slang term for the testicles. It was after much "back-and-back" that "Pedro" did the "Michael Jackson" thing and left the examination room. That's when we three had a short conversation in the hallway. Everything came out in the end (no pun intended).
One thing that happens to me in English is that I get certain words mixed up like prescription and subscription. So I might say I am going to pick up my subscription (I really have to think about it and I still get it wrong sometimes) or I have a magazine prescription (that one I don't think I do to much).
I found a video on false friends. It is part one of two parts. I think it is good.
