Dichos, refranes y expresiones

[Marianopolita]

As well, for those of you that insist that the subjunctive is impossible to master in Spanish learning dichos y refranes is a fun wait to observe the usage and understand it from a grammatical point of view. If you see it analyze it. To have full command of Spanish correct usage of the subjunctive is necessary.




-MP.

 

[Lucifer]

Purely Dominican, I think: ...como caña pa'l ingenio

First time I heard it was on a very, very old merengue tune, possibly over 100 years old: Juan Gomero

Me gusta bailar con Lola,

Porque Lola baila bueno,

Lola se deja llevar,

Como caña p'al ingenio

I've heard folks use the phrase in different scenarios:

¿Tú viste esa vaina? La policía se lo llevó como caña pa'l ingenio.

Like sugar cane to the mill...

 

[Marianopolita]

Purely Dominican, I think: ...como caña pa'l ingenio

First time I heard it was on a very, very old merengue tune, possibly over 100 years old: Juan Gomero

Me gusta bailar con Lola,

Porque Lola baila bueno,

Lola se deja llevar,

Como caña p'al ingenio

I've heard folks use the phrase in different scenarios:

¿Tú viste esa vaina? La policía se lo llevó como caña pa'l ingenio.

Like sugar cane to the mill...

This is very unique and you are right I think it is uniquely Dominican. The expression comes up on joselibre2 website of dominicanismos.

They give the meaning of the usage as muy rápidamente. Now this makes sense to me.



-MP.

 

[Marianopolita]

I was just telling a colleague of mine about the Panamanian soccer jerseys I saw and he asked me do you know the slogan for the Colombian team? It’s Unidos por un país. They have it on the back of their team jersey.



-MP.

 

[Chirimoya]

Another expression using "chivo" is como chivos sin ley - any suggestions for an English equivalent? Like herding cats/like wild animals are not quite the same.

 

[Marianopolita]

Another expression using "chivo" is como chivos sin ley - any suggestions for an English equivalent? Like herding cats/like wild animals are not quite the same.

First thing that comes to mind is lawless as in lawless behaviour.


-MP.

 

[Chirimoya]

First thing that comes to mind is lawless as in lawless behaviour.


-MP.

The other one I thought of was "like headless chickens" but lawless behaviour is better.

 

[Marianopolita]

The other one I thought of was "like headless chickens" but lawless behaviour is better.

Yes, that expression definitely refers to the behaviour of a person or group of people. It’s a critique on the lack of discipline or being desorganized.

Desordenados e indisciplinados



-MP.

 

[Lucifer]

Then there's the cat:

Aquí hay gato entre macuto... hidden agenda, possibly?

No le busque la cinco patas al gato... nitpicking, splitting hairs...?

 

[dv8]

i took our nieces (3 and 5 year old) for a walk and they were bothered by trash alongside the road. the older one said that people who throw rubbish on the street are puercos and i told her that it's better to say "chivos sin ley". now they call each other "chivo sin ley" every time they leave a mess on the table or drop something on the floor. oops. guilty as charged.

something miesposo uses a lot "dime a ver", equivalent of "what's up", i guess.

 

[dv8]

I was just telling a colleague of mine about the Panamanian soccer jerseys I saw and he asked me do you know the slogan for the Colombian team? It’s Unidos por un país. They have it on the back of their team jersey.
-MP.

now you made me check!
uruguay's hashtag: "el equipo que nos une"
argentina has "somos argentina"
spain has "hagamos que ocurra"

 

[dv8]

i got another dominican expression, i hear that a lot: HIJO DE MACHEPA.
and something connected that i learnt today completely accidentally from diario libre: TOTUMPOTE (also in a version TUTUMPOTE, not sure which is correct).

DL article, the word is used in comments:
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...ilia-en-una-villa-en-casa-de-campo-DD10310443
hoy's article explaining the meaning of both expressions:
http://hoy.com.do/tutumpotes-e-hijos-de-machepa/

also, an expression we probably hear/see daily: MACUTEO. exclusively dominican or universal?

 

[Marianopolita]

I like learning new ones and use them often. Some of the one's I can think of right now"

"De tal palo, tal astilla" - like father, like son

"Cuidate que el tiro no sale por la culata" - be careful your plan doesn't backfire on you.

"A donde fueres, haz lo que vieres" - When in Rome, do as the Romans

"Al hierro caliente, batir de repetente" - Strike while the iron is hot

"Antes de que cases, mira lo que haces" - Look before you leap

"Caras vemos, corazones no sabemos" - You can't tell a book by it's cover.

"Si esta vibora te pica, no hay remedio en la botica" - You're playing with fire

"Entrada de caballo y salida de burro" - Don't start something you can't finish

"No sabes en que palo te trepas" - You don't know what you're getting into

"De dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho" - Easier said than done.

Quite a traditional list of refranes although some are not common and sound regional.

Are you using these when you speak? I ask because I am curious to know how many people are understanding the meaning of these sayings.


-MP.

 

[Marianopolita]

Then there's the cat:

Aquí hay gato entre macuto... hidden agenda, possibly?

No le busque la cinco patas al gato... nitpicking, splitting hairs...?

Isn’t it ...laS cinco patas al gato? Ironically, I am doing what the refrán says I should not do.

Also another variation is buscarle la quinta pata al gato.



-MP.

 

[Marianopolita]

i took our nieces (3 and 5 year old) for a walk and they were bothered by trash alongside the road. the older one said that people who throw rubbish on the street are puercos and i told her that it's better to say "chivos sin ley". now they call each other "chivo sin ley" every time they leave a mess on the table or drop something on the floor. oops. guilty as charged.

something miesposo uses a lot "dime a ver", equivalent of "what's up", i guess.

Okay this is an example of slang which is not the same as the topic in the thread.


Innocently, you did not know this is slang/ colloquial speech....now you can differentiate. I am referring to dime a ver.

now you made me check!
uruguay's hashtag: "el equipo que nos une"
argentina has "somos argentina"
spain has "hagamos que ocurra"

These are nice. I think it is interesting that every team has a slogan. It gives them something to strive towards.

i got another dominican expression, i hear that a lot: HIJO DE MACHEPA.
and something connected that i learnt today completely accidentally from diario libre: TOTUMPOTE (also in a version TUTUMPOTE, not sure which is correct).

DL article, the word is used in comments:
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...ilia-en-una-villa-en-casa-de-campo-DD10310443
hoy's article explaining the meaning of both expressions:
http://hoy.com.do/tutumpotes-e-hijos-de-machepa/


also, an expression we probably hear/see daily: MACUTEO. exclusively dominican or universal?

Hijo de Machepa is very Dominican and used quite often in the local vernacular and the same holds true for tutumpote in my opinion.


Macuteo I think is very Dominican. I would consider this slang as well. Other countries have their own way of saying soborno or mordida which you hear in other countries too.


-MP.

 

[Marianopolita]

Another favourite of mine is:

Sembrar cizaña. I don’t use it often but I have it as an ace in my back pocket.


In my experience, I have not heard it used often but I have seen it in literature.


Nice expression!



-MP.

 

[cavok]

Quite a traditional list of refranes although some are not common and sound regional.

Are you using these when you speak? I ask because I am curious to know how many people are understanding the meaning of these sayings.


-MP.

Yes. They obviously have to be used in the right context and situation. I can tell by the way some Dominicans laugh/react that, even though they haven't heard it before, they understood the point of the refran.

I don't think any of these are uniquely Dominican.

 

[dv8]

this is a very educational thread! thanks for starting it and commenting on our posts.

another one i saw today in the comments in DL: la fiebre no esta en la sabana.

 

[Marianopolita]

this is a very educational thread! thanks for starting it and commenting on our posts.

another one i saw today in the comments in DL: la fiebre no esta en la sabana.

Glad you like the thread and yes, educational it should be in a forum like this.

What did you think when you read the expression? I think it is easy to understand the meaning but you realize without the accent you will throw people off for a moment.

This is the first time I have seen this refrán and instinctively I thought it should be sábana but without the accent it is a different word.

It seems to be quite commonly used in journalism especially when talking about the state of affairs or a problem that needs to be resolved.


-MP.

 

[JD Jones]

ONe of my favorites has always been 'Ahogando en un vaso de agua' or drowning in a glass of water.

Meant to be used when somebody makes something much more difficult than it needs to be.