Spanish Vocabulary Guide for Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility

							  Spanish Vocabulary Guide for Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility

 Please note: I have done the best I can for a non-Mexican, non-native Spanish speaker!  The
translations are taken from the context in which the word or phrase was used in the book, and so
   the words and phrases may have different or additional meanings when taken out of context.
                             Forgive me any errors I may have made!

Chapter 1
pendeja                   idiot
Doña Shakespeariana       Madame Shakespeare
amor                      love
Oye                       Listen
viejitos                  old folks, said affectionately
Jarabe Tapatío            The Mexican Hat Dance, a traditional courtship dance
me hechas [sic] la sal    you jinx me [note: the correct spelling is echas from the verb echar]
Pobrecita                 Poor thing (to a female)
Tío                       Uncle
bendito sea Dios          blessed be God
El Chango                 the Monkey, used as a nickname for Chuy‟s friend
travesuras                mischief, pranks
Buenas tardes, Señora     Good afternoon, Ma‟am
gracias a Dios            thanks be to God
limones                   lemons
Mercado Hidalgo           Hidalgo market
mi’ja                     short for mi hija (my daughter), affectionate term for a younger girl
Chapter 2
Abrazos                   Hugs
Compadre                  Friend
Sí, sí                    Yes, yes
las bellas damas          the beautiful women
curandera                 witch doctor or natural healer
Don                       respectful title for an older man, like Sir
pobre hijo                poor son
Pobre mujer               Poor woman
bien extraño              very strange
esquincle                 pesty kid
Pobrecito                 Poor thing (to a male)
Vengan todos              Come, everyone
tamal                     tamale
Ballet Folklórico         folkloric/traditional dance group
Ay sí                     Oh yes
[blitzkrieg               German term which means „lightning war‟]
Buenos días               Good day
Vieja chismosa            Old gossip
Chapter 3
bola de chismosas         bunch of gossips
Híjole                    Wow
acá en el norte           here in the north (as in the United States)
El Dorado                 Mexican legend of a land of gold and treasures
bruja                     witch
barrio                    neighborhood
despertador               alarm clock
casitas                   little houses
viejo                      old man
quién-sabe-qué             who-knows-what
jefe                       boss (refers to his father)
pesos                      Mexican unit of money
jefecitos                  bosses (used affectionately to refer to parents)
esa                        girl
Cristero war               battle between Catholic Church and Mexican government which took
                           place mainly in Jalisco from 1926 – 1929
Mamita                     affectionate form of Mamá
todo flaquito              all skinny
dólares                    dollars
charro                     Mexican cowboy whose outfit is fairly typical of mariachi musicians
pues - ¿por qué no?        well – why not?
la Unión Soviética         the Soviet Union
dondequiera                wherever
Hijo                       Son
hacienda                   ranch
Chapter 4
ratoncitos                 little mice
papacito                   „babe‟, cute guy
huevos                     slang term for testicles; literally means „eggs‟
Chapter 5
¿qué no?                   right?
calzones                   underpants
hermanita                  little sister
Chapter 6
espiritualista             spiritualist
¿y qué?                    and what?
Chapter 7
ven acá                    come here
pinche cabrón              fucking asshole
Chapter 8
hermano tan lindo          such a nice brother
piruja                     slut
preocupado-like            worried/preoccupied
chale                      what the hell
chicle                     gum
querida                    beloved
El Nopal                   the Cactus
lotería                    bingo
El Diablito                the Little Devil
La Sirena                  the Siren (mermaid whose song lures sailors to their death)
La Dama                    the Lady
Chapter 9
alcahueta                  accomplice
gringo                     slang for American man
chamaca ingrata            ungrateful girl
vete                       go
por favor                  please
Todos, todos, váyanse al   All of you, go to hell
diablo
Corazón                    Heart (affectionate term for a loved one)
¿Qué pasa?                 What‟s happening?
Buenas noches              Good evening
Cálmate                   Calm yourself
Ay, tú                    Oh, you
está bien                 it‟s okay
Punto                     Period
Padre Nuestros            Our Fathers (the prayer)
Dios te salve, Marías     Hail Marys (the prayer)
ahora y en la hora de     now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
nuestra muerte, Amén.
cruzen [sic] los brazos   cross your arms [note: the correct spelling is crucen]
Chapter 10
caca                      poop
Señor                     Sir
mordida                   bribe
oficiales                 officers
traguito                  little drink (of alcohol)
chiquitita                affectionate term for a young lady
Hermanita                 little sister
Chapter 11
norteña                   type of music from northern Mexico
Colonia Libertad          a certain district/neighborhood in Tijuana
mocos                     snot, boogers
Anglos                    White people
honeycito                 Spanglish for „little honey‟, as referring to a boyfriend
Uyyy, qué la fregada      Ohhh, what the fuck?
mestiza                   person of mixed blood
colonias                  neighborhoods, districts
al otro lado              on the other side (of the border)
Pasen, pasen, por favor   Come in, come in, please
¿No ven cartones?         Literally: “You don‟t watch cardboard boxes?” (cartones is Spanglish
                          for cartoons; the correct word in Spanish is caricaturas.)
caricaturas               cartoons
pochos                    insulting term used by Mexicans for Mexican Americans
Ay, ¡qué pocha!           Oh, what a pocha (see above)
El Mexicano               Mexican newpaper
la línea                  the border between the U.S. and Mexico
Fuchi                     Yuck
pedos                     farts
bucles                    pigtails
obra de arte              work of art
Avenida Constitución      Constitution Avenue
mujeriego                 womanizer
cachorros                 puppies
en las nubes              in the clouds
Mucho gusto               Much pleasure (used at meeting someone)
a sus órdenes             at your orders
Chapter 12
Perderse                  lose himself
Vaya                      Go
es lo más lógico          it‟s the most logical
Ay, Mujer, ¿estás loca    Oh, woman, are you crazy, too?
también?
la casa de la chingada    “in the middle of nowhere”; crude slang phrase that is equivalent in
                          tone and meaning to “butt-fucked Egypt” in English
familia loca              crazy family
Caballo Blanco            White Horse
Oye, tú                   Listen, you
Déjalo                    Leave him alone
Atención, todos           Attention, everyone
güero                     white guy (also can mean light-skinned in reference to a Mexican)
Chapter 13
como un monstruo          like an insatiable monster
insaciable
carnal                    brother/friend
Ay, por Dios, muchachos   Oh, for God‟s sake, boys
Pinche chango             Fucking monkey
cabrón                    asshole
pinche banana             fucking banana
viejito                   old man (affectionate)
Chapter 14
(nothing to translate)
Chapter 15
Oye, comadre              Listen, friend
chismosa                  gossip (female)
Coahuila                  a street in Tijuana that is the city‟s “Red Zone”, filled with strip clubs
mocoso                    snot-nosed boy; used to refer to a boy who is not yet a man
[gooks                    English slang: offensive term used to refer to the Vietnamese]
[commies                  English: shortened form of Communists]
Un racista de primeras    A first-class racist
te lo juro                I swear to you
pinche vieja chismosa     fucking old gossip
Chapter 16
boba                      fool, idiot (female)
tonta                     silly, stupid (female)
moreno                    dark-skinned
naranja                   orange
Orale                     Alright
Chapter 17
(nothing new)
Chapter 18
Tres Estrellas de Oro     a bus company providing transportation between Southern California
                          and Mexico
El Grullo’s convent       a home for Catholic nuns in the city of El Grullo, Jalisco, México
Chapter 19
(nothing new)
Chapter 20
Vieja loca                Crazy old woman
patas                     feet
La Llorona                The Crier – refers to the legend of a woman who drowned her
                          children and now walks the streets in the night, crying out for them
Gordinflona               Chubby
Chapter 21
virgencita                little virgin
confianza                 confidence, trust
Cincuenta y ocho          Fifty-eight guavas (fruits), fifteen apples
guayabas, quince
manzanas
traviesos                 troublemakers, mischiefmakers
malvados                  wicked boys
¿comprendes?                do you understand?
Chapter 22
bebito                      little baby
mangos                      cute guys
Chapter 23
llorones                    criers, crying
marimachas                  dykes
Suerte, eh?                 Good luck, ok?
pachuco                     from the 60s/70s: a young Mexican American guy with a special kind
                            of dress and way of talking; an old times gangster type
Chapter 24
bolero style                a type of short jacket that stops at the waist
Corrido                     a Mexican ballad (song) that tells a story
dichos                      sayings
Entre marido y mujer,       Between a husband and wife, no one should interfere
nadie se debe meter
hechos y derechos           grown up, full grown
azahares                    orange blossoms; represent the purity (virginity) of the bride
Chapter 25
[Charlies                   English: a term used by American soldiers for Vietnamese soldiers]
Chapter 26
[novena                     Actually English: a recitation a prayers for nine straight days]
el loco                     the crazy guy
Juan Dieguito, la Virgen    Juan Diego, the Virgin told you
le dijo
Este cerro elijo            I choose this hill
Este cerro elijo para ser   I choose this hill to be my altar
mi altar
Las Mañanitas               a song that is often sung on someone‟s birthday or other special day
cabrona                     bitch
Sabor A Mí                  Taste of Me
cumbia & cha-cha-cha        types of dances
Chapter 27
gajos                       curls
lazo                        rope, or lasso, which is placed over a bride and groom to symbolically
                            join them together
cielo                       sky or Heaven
guapo                       handsome
formalito                   formal
Acknowledgments
queridas tías, amigas, y    beloved aunts, friends, and mothers
madres
con todo mi cariño y        with all my affection and appreciation for guiding us and for being
aprecio por guiarnos y      exemplary women
por ser mujeres
ejemplares