This isn't wholly relevant because in polite conversation Dominicans will establish the "Usted" in the beginning and sprinkle it throughout the conversation as needed.
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Chopos and other Dominicanisms
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This isn't wholly relevant because in polite conversation Dominicans will establish the "Usted" in the beginning and sprinkle it throughout the conversation as needed.
"if we are not allowed to use the common and by public understandable words to describe specific people we are talking about, how should we communicate?
trash is trash and should be named exactly trash, if the local word for such is chopo(a word i never used and did not hear in my dominican surroundings in 14 years, so on that word i am not referring to own experience, i am talking in general) so i would name them chopos, if somebody is IMO a asshole i darn sure will name him exactly that.
MikeFisher
Mike,
I don't think there is anything wrong with calling something what it is. However, often people have various definitions of words, and those definitions can vary drastically, and simply calling "a spade a spade" can create some very hard feelings.
There are many and various meanings and connotations of almost every word, and people tend to take those words used to describe themselves very personally.
For example, in English, if I think person is humorous, I'd say he was 'funny'. To me, I'm just saying the guy is humorous. However, others might interpret the word 'funny' as meaning the person is peculiar, weird, or odd, and my then description would have a much different meaning.
The same could apply to a word like "chopo". You might intend to use that word to describe someone you consider 'trash', which is you right, but someone else might interpret that word as Bacata did, with more of a more racial connotation, and you would get a much different reaction.
We just don't know how other people will interpret our words, particularly when communicating with different languages and cultures, and, on top of that, throwing in a bunch of slang, and you are truly dealing with the Tower of Babble.
Often it is just better to use precise wording. Calling 'a spade a spade' might be very appropriate between friends speaking the same language, and who are familiar with the same culture. However, using slang without considering of the other person's cultural background, might be very confusing.
No matter how well-intended you might be about being honest and straightforward, you never really know how your words might be interpreted. That spade you are calling a spade might be seen as a shovel, a card suit, or even as an African by others, depending on their cultural interpretation.
People have their own frame of reference and their own interpretation of certain words, and often good intentions are lost in translation.
trash is trash and should be named exactly trash, if the local word for such is chopo(a word i never used and did not hear in my dominican surroundings in 14 years, so on that word i am not referring to own experience, i am talking in general) so i would name them chopos, if somebody is IMO a asshole i darn sure will name him exactly that.
MikeFisher
Mike,
I don't think there is anything wrong with calling something what it is. However, often people have various definitions of words, and those definitions can vary drastically, and simply calling "a spade a spade" can create some very hard feelings.
There are many and various meanings and connotations of almost every word, and people tend to take those words used to describe themselves very personally.
For example, in English, if I think person is humorous, I'd say he was 'funny'. To me, I'm just saying the guy is humorous. However, others might interpret the word 'funny' as meaning the person is peculiar, weird, or odd, and my then description would have a much different meaning.
The same could apply to a word like "chopo". You might intend to use that word to describe someone you consider 'trash', which is you right, but someone else might interpret that word as Bacata did, with more of a more racial connotation, and you would get a much different reaction.
We just don't know how other people will interpret our words, particularly when communicating with different languages and cultures, and, on top of that, throwing in a bunch of slang, and you are truly dealing with the Tower of Babble.
Often it is just better to use precise wording. Calling 'a spade a spade' might be very appropriate between friends speaking the same language, and who are familiar with the same culture. However, using slang without considering of the other person's cultural background, might be very confusing.
No matter how well-intended you might be about being honest and straightforward, you never really know how your words might be interpreted. That spade you are calling a spade might be seen as a shovel, a card suit, or even as an African by others, depending on their cultural interpretation.
People have their own frame of reference and their own interpretation of certain words, and often good intentions are lost in translation.
No Way .... Please don't tell me that I've just spent 3 years in night school learning Spanish & banging my head against the proverbial wall with all of the 6 verb conjugations; only to find that I won't have to use the majority of them anyway....... must be time for a Presidente!! I'd drop a couple of Spanish words in here now but don't want to upset JR
Tropical Regards
Reidy
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