Question for Spanish speakers

[Forbeca]

Ah, the Dominican vocabulary. In Sunday's 's paper, in an article on meats:


HB

Thanks HB, my mom also agrees, Enchumbao is a good translation for soggy.

 

[Chirimoya]

Thanks - enchumbao - I'll remember that in time for breakfast

OK, now what about the other one, 'empalagoso'?
Any other 'difficult to translate' words come to mind?

Chiri

 

[Talldrink]

You mean, Enchumbao? Drenched?

How about mogoyao?

Magoyao is mushed.

 

[Talldrink]

OK, now what about the other one, 'empalagoso'?
Any other 'difficult to translate' words come to mind?

Chiri

Empalagoso as a food or a person?

As a person - another word is Plagoso = A VERY ANNOYING PERSON!.

 

[Forbeca]

here we go again...

Empalagoso to me is someone who tries to be overly sweet to obtain his means, someone who is always in your face, but not very sincere; I've also heard people refer to a troublemaker as empalagoso, I don't get the connection there though.

 

[Talldrink]

Empalagoso to me is someone who tries to be overly sweet to obtain his means, someone who is always in your face, but not very sincere; I've also heard people refer to a troublemaker as empalagoso, I don't get the connection there though.

Just like an un-sincere person can be too sweet to the point of being annoying, a food can be too sweet to the point that it is disgusting.

Ask your mom again...

 

[Chirimoya]

For empalagoso food, you can say 'sickly-sweet' or perhaps 'cloying'. An 'empalagoso' person is sort of like 'slimeball' or 'slimy', but it doesn't have the exact same connotation. Empalagoso is much more than slimy.

Chiri

 

[Forbeca]

Just like an un-sincere person can be too sweet to the point of being annoying, a food can be too sweet to the point that it is disgusting.

Ask your mom again...

I was referring to a "troublemaker" being empalagoso, I don't get the connection. I certainly see the food connection.

Question: is Magoyao a PRican expression? I can't recall if I've heard it here (US) or in the DR.

 

[NALs]

I'm a Dominican and...

I tend to not change my form of speaking the spanish language. I'm from Moca and even though it's in the Cibao, I speak spanish much more professionally than most people there. The only time I actually change the way I speak spanish is when I am with some of my Mocanos friends, then I turn to the Cibao accent. There isn't much to it though. Generally, people across Latin America understand each other, minus a word or two. It's kind of like speaking English. When I went to England a couple of years ago, I kept speaking with the American style and everybody there seem to understand what I said and vice versa. Again, plus or minus a few words. I should also point out that there are some words that have been lost in the Spanish language elsewhere in Latin America or even the mother country Spain. These are words from the old Castilian spanish. An example of these words would be "Asechar" which means to look, see, and/or put attention to. That word is no longer used in Spain or Latin America except in some areas of the Cibao. I didn't even realized that until I read it in a book about Latin Cultures. I'll post the title of it once I remember it.

 

[Chirimoya]

There are a few like asechar. Another is apearse (to get down from).

Chiri

 

[Talldrink]

I tend to not change my form of speaking the spanish language. I'm from Moca and even though it's in the Cibao, I speak spanish much more professionally than most people there. The only time I actually change the way I speak spanish is when I am with some of my Mocanos friends, then I turn to the Cibao accent. There isn't much to it though. Generally, people across Latin America understand each other, minus a word or two. It's kind of like speaking English. When I went to England a couple of years ago, I kept speaking with the American style and everybody there seem to understand what I said and vice versa. Again, plus or minus a few words. I should also point out that there are some words that have been lost in the Spanish language elsewhere in Latin America or even the mother country Spain. These are words from the old Castilian spanish. An example of these words would be "Asechar" which means to look, see, and/or put attention to. That word is no longer used in Spain or Latin America except in some areas of the Cibao. I didn't even realized that until I read it in a book about Latin Cultures. I'll post the title of it once I remember it.

Hey There, one of my VERY good friends is from Moca. I visited with her a few years ago during Patronales. One morning she said,"vamo alli" Three hours and some trees, plateaus, and small mountains later, we get there... Why did we cross a mountain by foot?!

So from then on, when a person from ANY campo tells you "vamo alli" take the JEEP!!

 

[Chirimoya]

Or look at it this way, you've just answered your weight-loss question. :cheeky:

Chiri

 

[Tordok]

empalagoso, enchumbao, etc...

I had not heard some of these words in a long time. Thank you folks for putting them in cyberspace. To my best recollection, empalagoso refers to something that is superficially or intitially sweet and pleasant but ends up being gooey, sticky, and annoying. Its like too much of a good thing, thus not good at all. Could be anything from a bad palito de coco candy to a neighbor that never stops talking. I notice that the language detectives on this thread are mostly ladies (Chiri, Talldrink, Forbeca, Anna...) with just a couple of us boys here and there. Most women would say that empalagoso also applies to the guy who thinks he's quite the lady's man but is really a pathetic loser who just wants to get under your pants (slimey someone said). An equally impertinent and sexually pushy woman however would unlikely end up with the empalagosa label. Does this make any sense?

-Tordok

 

[Chirimoya]

Speaking of language detectives, where is Jane J.?

Let's not forget the gentlemen: inc. Nal0whs, Jorge, Miguel, Narcosis and Hillbilly, who have also made valuable contributions to this illustrious piece of serious academic research. Not forgetting Lesley (m or f?), MaineGirl and mkohn either.

We seem to agree on the definition for empalagoso - but who can find a near-equivalent in English?

Chiri

 

[Forbeca]

Empalagoso....

Let's see, so far we have, loathsome, disgusting, cloying...

 

[Talldrink]

Can we do the same with the word Plagoso or is just Slimey?

 

[Talldrink]

Lol

Or look at it this way, you've just answered your weight-loss question. :cheeky:

Chiri

Chiri, between the dancing and the walking I do there, I shouldnt have anything to worry about, right?!

 

[Tordok]

Can we do the same with the word Plagoso or is just Slimey?

Plagoso is another metaphorical word. Derived from "plaga", thus any unwelcome critter or pest that refuses to go away.
LOL
-Tordok

 

[MaineGirl]

I'd hardly call my contributions scholarly but will add a list of Venezuelan expressions...maybe some are the same; at any rate you might get a nice laugh.

LEARN SOME VENEZUELAN WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS

Good, great: "ch?vere"
Let's go: "Vamos a dejar el pelero"
No way: "ni de vaina"
Pay attention: "ponte las pilas"
Acting gay: "solt? el plumero", "bot? la segunda"
Just about: "de vainita"
Travel to the US: "vamos p'al norte"
Travel to Europe: "cruzar el charco"
Go to the beach this weekend: "bajar este fin" (
region)
Do it: "echale piernas", "?chale bolas", "?chale pich?n"
Dance enthusiastically: "bailar a calz?n quitao"
How are you?: "Como est? la vaina?"
Friend: "pana"
To scope: "bucear"
French Kiss: "latear", "darse latas"
Clunker:"pote"
Drug addict: "da?ao"
Buzzed: "prendido", "entonado"
Piss drunk: "cargar una pea", "cargar un pe?n"
Hangover: "rat?n"
Visit girlfriend: "marcar tarjeta"
Sleep (also: leave party early):"arrugar","guindar"
No class: "niche"
In that direction: "porai pa'arriba"
In that other direction: "porai pa'abajo"
Thank you my friend: "de pinga, pana"
Bad Odor: "tufo", "viol?n"
Watch out!: "Mosca!"
Someone bold: "un avi?n"
I can't believe it/wow: "qu? bolas!"
You're wrong: "estas pelao"
Someone who never pays, leech: "chulo"
Thrifty, frugal: "pichirre"
Rookie/young: "pich?n"
A lot: "burda"


Half way ready: "listo"
In a while: "ahora"
In a long while: "ahorita mismo"

NIVEL AVANZADO (HIGH LEVEL) :

Your day will come: "A cada cochino le llega su sabado"
Very angry : "Arrecho"
Pay what you owe : "B?jate de la mula"
Wild party : "Bochinche"
A large and dense crowd : "Bulul?"
Something that no longer serves you : "Cachivache"
To sweet talk a woman : "Calentarle la oreja"
Take a leak : "Cambiarle el agua al canario"
Little boy : "Carajito"
Something of poor quality : "Chimbo"
Something less than it should be : "Chucuto"
The top, the older members : "Cogollo"
Bad financial situation : "Comer cable"
Complicity : "Conchupancia"
Never : "Cuando la rana eche pelos"
Stand someone up : "Echar carro"
Enamoring :"Echar los perros"
To have a few drinks : "Echarse los palos"
Pure show : "Ech?n"
In a few words : "En dos platos"
Have a lot of fun : "Gozar un pullero"
Kiss *** : "Jala bola"
Bothersome : "Lavativa"
You rat! : "Mu?rgano !"

 

[NALs]

That last post reminded me of some other dominican sayings or local namings

cigar smoking pipe: "Cachimbo"
A little bit: "Un Chin"
A little little bit: "Un Chin Chin"
A baby: "A chi chi"
Damn, Wow, Oh my god!: "Diablo!" or "Jesu santisico!" or "santo dio" or "dios mio!"
You're wrong: "Tu ta pasao"
Can't stand so and so: " A ese no lo paso yo!"
So and so: "Fulano"
Bag: "Funda"
Nuts (Male Anatomy): "Bolsa" or "Huevo"
Kid: "Muchacho"
Little annoying kid or "bad" kid: "Tiguerito"
Class less or shameless: "alcaguete" or "sin berquenza"
Cheated on: "le pegan los cuernos"
gay: "maricon" or "pajaro"
Something is nice: "Eso esta heavy" or "Eso esta Chevere"
Baseball: "beisbol"
Baseball stadium: "play"
Basketball: "Basquebol" or "Palma de Coco"
Motorcross: "Motocro"
Hill: "colina"
Hillside: "Cuesta" but it will be said "Cueta"
Dirt road: "Callejon"
Two lane highway: "Carretera"
Four land super highway: "Autopista" but it will be said "Autopita" or "La Pita"
Ron: "Romo"
Bad Odor: "Grajo"
Proud person: "pariguayo"
Pay attention: "Pon Asunto"
Lets go: "Vamo alli"
When in a verbal fight (usually marital stuff) and one of the two leaves the fighting area, the one that stays usually says where are you going? many times the response is: "Pa la mielda"
Travel to U.S.: "Pa Nueba Yol"
Drunk: "Esta prendio"
Hot Women: "Jeva" or "Mami" or "Chula"
Gossip: "Bochinche"
Gossiper: "Chimoso"
Fight (usually neighborhood brawls or after party fights): "un pleito" or "revolu"
Lazy person: "Aragan"
Bothersom person: "Jodon"

And many others. Also, the people of the Capital tend to use the letter L alot where as the people of the cibao use the letter I alot.
Example: Real word=Aceite in capital=acelte
Real word=Carne in Cibao=Caine
Real word=Comer in Cibao=Comei in Capital=Comel

Also they tend to drop the S many times.
Example: Colesterol would be said Coleterol.
Sisterna would be Siterna