Spanish word of the day
Estado: San Luis Potosí
Palabras: Pozo
The only thing I'm going to say about the geography of SLP is that the shape looks like a Scotty (Scottish terrier).
Today's SWD comes from a city in SLP called Pozo de Luna = Well of the moon. Pozo can also mean shaft.
Ejemplo time.
Después lanzando una moneda en el pozo di un deseo por paz del mundo. = After throwing a coin in the well I gave a wish for world peace.
Doubt: Perhaps I should have used echar instead of lanzar.
Quote: WizardDespués lanzando una moneda en el pozo di un deseo por paz del mundo. = After throwing a coin in the well I gave a wish for world peace.
Doubt: Perhaps I should have used echar instead of lanzar.
"Después de lanzar una moneda en el pozo que me dio un deseo"
de paz mundial
Normally you would want "world" to be an adjective. I suppose "peace of the world" works, but I don't think it is the first choice.
Tirar is another verb that means "to fling". I think "echear" is more what you would do with a fishing pole, but I could be wrong.
Quote: WizardDespués lanzando una moneda en el pozo di un deseo por paz del mundo. = After throwing a coin in the well I gave a wish for world peace.
Hm. the conjugation is all wrong. It's "despues de lanzar una moneda..." The rest is more problematic. You do not "give" wishes. You wish wishes, or you make wishes. Giving them sounds more like you can grant them. So you'd be a lto clearer saying "PEDÍ un deseo por LA paz del mundo." Or "HICE un deseo..."
Quote:Doubt: Perhaps I should have used echar instead of lanzar.
It's ambiguous enough for both to work. Also "tirar."
Quote: pacomartinde paz mundial
That's very perceptive, señor. But the Wizard's phrasing is accurate. Yours would be more commonly used.
Quote:Tirar is another verb that means "to fling". I think "echear" is more what you would do with a fishing pole, but I could be wrong.
I've no idea what you'd do with a caña de pescar.
Quote: WizardNot to say you're wrong, but look at the 1:17 point of the video. The caption says "Mas mujeres optan por no usar calzones." It would seem the video editor has a different opinion that yours. I did not see one close-up of a man's cola the entire clip.
My Spanish tutor warned me that Telemundo and Univision butcher the Spanish language all the time.
This "unisex" use of calzon parallels the English use of "underwear" to denote women's briefs. Advertising doesn't use the term "panties" to describe women's underwear as much as people do in conversation. I suspect the Spanish is attempting something similarly dignifying.
Quote: NareedThat's very perceptive, señor. But the Wizard's phrasing is accurate. Yours would be more commonly used.
I've no idea what you'd do with a caña de pescar.
Cana de pescar (N.B. I don't know how to generate tildes - Please help!) just means "fishing rod".
Quote: NareedThat's very perceptive, señor. But the Wizard's phrasing is accurate. Yours would be more commonly used.
I've no idea what you'd do with a caña de pescar.
Cana de pescar (N.B. I don't know how to generate tildes - Please help!) just means "fishing rod".
Quote: NareedIt's "despues de lanzar una moneda..." The rest is more problematic. You do not "give" wishes. You wish wishes, or you make wishes. Giving them sounds more like you can grant them. So you'd be a lto clearer saying "PEDÍ un deseo por LA paz del mundo." Or "HICE un deseo..."
Why might it not be deseé un deseo?
Quote: NowTheSerpentI don't know how to generate tildes - Please help!
Hold down the ALT key and enter 164. I still deseo there were an easier way.
Quote: WizardWhy might it not be deseé un deseo?
Technically "I desired a desire" is correct English as well, but you would probably not say it.
You would rephrase as some variant "pedir un deseo" as in "to make a wish" in the past tense.
The phrase "¿qué más se puede pedir?" Could be translated as "What more could you wish for?" but is more literally "What more could you want?"
Quote: NowTheSerpentCana de pescar (N.B. I don't know how to generate tildes - Please help!) just means "fishing rod".
1) try pressing alt-164 (without the dash) for lower case, and alt-165 for upper case
2) I know what a fishing rod is. I don't know what the term in Spanish is for casting a line with one. Sorry for the confussion (and no, I don't fish).
Quote: WizardWhy might it not be deseé un deseo?
That's redundant :) it's like saying "subir arriba" or "bajar abajo." It's considered a pleonasm.
When you say "deseé," you imply you've made a wish. You can say "deseé la paz del mundo."
Quote:Hold down the ALT key and enter 164. I still deseo there were an easier way.
There are two other ways:
Configure the PC to a Spanish keyboard and either:
1) get a Spanish keybaord and plug it in or
2) memorize where the symbols go on a standard US English keyboard.
That may not be easier, though, as such keyboard have many more symbols and substitute the right "alt" key with an "alt gr" key to handle them. Some keys have three symbols on them.
Que usted podría desear para una Mac para la Navidad. (That doesn't look quite right, but it felt good to say it.)Quote: WizardHold down the ALT key and enter 164. I still deseo there were an easier way.
On a Mac, type option-n followed by the letter that you want under the tilde. I don't know just which letters are appropriate with a tilde in Spanish and which all letters this Mac technique works with, but it does work at least with ñ and ã.
Yes, I know that just suggesting a machine that has such a simple and "intuitive" solution to this issue will tick off some members of this forum.
Quote: DocQue usted podría desear para una Mac para la Navidad. (That doesn't look quite right, but it felt good to say it.)
"Usted podría desear una Mac para la Navidad, para su peor enemigo. Pero eso sería un tipo de castigo cruel e inusual."
That looks exactly right.
Pero ¿que tal si dejamos los argumentos de teología para otra parte del foro?
If the idea of someone wishing for something for Christmas has become a theological discussion, then I'm really glad that I don't read the religion threads on this forum. (For that matter, I don't go for the overtly political ones either, but it's fine for others to have their fun there.)Quote: NareedPero ¿que tal si dejamos los argumentos de teología para otra parte del foro?
Alguien parece demasiado delicado.
Quote: DocIf the idea of someone wishing for something for Christmas has become a theological discussion, then I'm really glad that I don't read the religion threads on this forum. (For that matter, I don't go for the overtly political ones either, but it's fine for others to have their fun there.)
Las discusiones sobre Mac con los devotos acólitos de Apple son acerca de teología. La frase "intuitiva y fácil de usar," es un artículo de fé en su religión.
Nareed, which one of these phrases is correct?
(1) Busco un libro que sea interesante.
(2) Busco un libro que es interesante.
(A) Que el dolor no me sea indiferente
(B) Que no soy indiferente al dolor
Quote: pacomartinVerb question:
Nareed, which one of these phrases is correct?
(1) Busco un libro que sea interesante.
(2) Busco un libro que es interesante.
La segunda.
Quote:(A) Que el dolor no me sea indiferente
(B) Que no soy indiferente al dolor
It depends what you're trying to say. Both phrases are correct, unlike the other example where one phrase is wrong.
A) That I may not be indifferent to pain
B) I am not indifferent to pain.
Quote: pacomartinNareed, which one of these phrases is correct?
(1) Busco un libro que sea interesante.
(2) Busco un libro que es interesante.
If I may chime in, I would have guessed Busque un libro que sea interesante. I normally wouldn't have even thought to use the subjunctive tense, but since you give the hint, I thought it was appropriate when expressing a desire.
I'm not even sure what the second sentences are trying to say. Something about not being indifferent to pain, but who isn't? Given the choice, I'll always choose to have less of it.
Estado: Sinaloa
Palabras: Concordia
Today's state is Sinaloa, home of Mazatlán. You might think I would have been there when I went on my Mexican Riviera cruise, but the ship never stopped there.
Today's SWD is concordia, which is a municipality in Sinaloa, and means harmony or agreement.
Ejemplo time.
Todo el mundo estaba en concordia en que Sra. Howell era perezoso y debería ayudar mas seguido en la isla. = Everyone was in agreement that Mrs. Howell was lazy, and should help out on the island more often.
This brings up a common Spanish idiom. Todo el mundo does not necessarily mean "everyone in the whole world," but rather it just means "everybody," as in everybody concerned with whatever is topic is. We may have discussed this before, but it makes me wonder what you do say if you literally mean (sorry Dorothy) "the whole world."
In Nareed's former post she used the word más, and I was wondering, why the accent on the a?
Quote: WizardQuote: pacomartinNareed, which one of these phrases is correct?
(1) Busco un libro que sea interesante.
(2) Busco un libro que es interesante.
If I may chime in, I would have guessed Busque un libro que sea interesante. I normally wouldn't have even thought to use the subjunctive tense, but since you give the hint, I thought it was appropriate when expressing a desire.
I'm not even sure what the second sentences are trying to say. Something about not being indifferent to pain, but who isn't? Given the choice, I'll always choose to have less of it.
Wizard,
I picked the first question because my verb book says to use sea, but at the same time the google translate used es. I was curious if it was a somewhat archaic grammatical rule. The reason given in the book is "In an adjectival clause if the antecedent is something or someone that is indefinite, negative, vague or nonexistent, you should use the subjunctive mood ... 'un libro' is indefinite ... Notice, however, that the subjunctive is not used in English." Clearly Nareed thought it should be es, and the grammar rule is archaic.
The second question is a lyric from a very famous Argentine protest song from the 1970's (in the subjunctive mood). Normally, the English subjunctive mood is expressed using the word "may" derived from Old English mæg meaning "I am able".
It confuses me what is the best translation:
Solo le pido a Dios
Que el dolor no me sea indiferente
"I only ask of God
He not let me be indifferent to pain" (1)
That I may not be indifferent to pain" (2)
That the pain is not indifferent to me" (3)
I would go with #2, but I see it translated as #1 or #3 in some cases (like the link above).
I think this may be a good question for your Argentine tutor. The song is 33 years old, but in all probability she has heard it.
Quote: WizardPalabras: Concordia
[..]
Today's SWD is corncodia, which is a municipality in Sinaloa, and means harmony or agreement.
It seems the spelling is giving you trouble .
Quote:Todo el mundo estaba en concordia en que Sra. Howell era perezoso y debería ayudar mas seguido en la isla. = Everyone was in agreement that Mrs. Howell was lazy, and should help out on the island more often.
You picked an odd word. It's not used often and these days mostly you hear it as the name of a place. Still, I think the usage is wrong. Think of the word "harmony" rather than agreement. You wouldn't say a group of people are in harmony over something, but rather that there exists harmony within a group of people. From the dictioanry definition it would seem the meaning is more akin to "accord" than "agreement."
Quote: WizardIn Nareed's former post she used the word más, and I was wondering, why the accent on the a?
Spanish monosyllables are a big pain. Many of them supposedly change meaning depending on whether they have an accent or not, but I never could figure out why. "Más" is one you usually see with an accent, like "ún" and "él" for some reason.
Quote: NareedYou picked an odd word. It's not used often and these days mostly you hear it as the name of a place.
How would you translate this lyric, from a well-known Paul McCartney song:
"Ebony And Ivory Live Together In Perfect Harmony"
There are several Corcordia universities in the United States.
Quote: NareedSpanish monosyllables are a big pain. Many of them supposedly change meaning depending on whether they have an accent or not, but I never could figure out why. "Más" is one you usually see with an accent, like "ún" and "él" for some reason.
Hmmm. SpanistDict.com doesn't recognize the words más and ún. If you put them in the search field they will refer you to mas and un. A while back Paco had a list of words that changed meaning with or without the accent, like el/él and si/sí. I'm sure I will lose in the "upstairs review," but I have to throw the challenge flag on más and ún.
In other news, I just finished watching Rudo y Cursi. Have you guys seen it? By the way, you rebuked me for using the word guys before, obviously referring to you and Paco. However, the word has evolved to refer to both males and females. It has a similar connotation to "pals."
To get back to the movie, they mentioned a multi-level marketing business, like Amway. I didn't catch the Spanish name, and it got translated to WonderLife, or something like that. My question is was this a real company, and are such pyramid schemes, if I may call it that, common in Mexico?
My second question is there were a few scenes in a small casino, where the featured game was poker. A loan shark was clearly seen working the floor and offering cocaine like a cocktail waitress. I'm not sure what my question is, but I'd be interested to hear any comments about the legality of said casino, and realism of the scene in general.
Quote: NareedSpanish monosyllables are a big pain. Many of them supposedly change meaning depending on whether they have an accent or not, but I never could figure out why. "Más" is one you usually see with an accent, like "ún" and "él" for some reason.
The following list is put together by a Spanish professor, and only has 12 words. The last two translate to the same English word, but the accent is used in the interrogative sense.
I have never seen un with an accent except in Portuguese.
| el | the ("el anillo") | él | he, him ("es él", "es para él") |
|---|---|---|---|
| si | if | sí | yes, himself |
| mi | my ("mi casa") | mí | me ("es para mí") |
| de | of | dé | give |
| te | yourself ("¿Cómo te llamas?") | té | tea |
| se | himself, herself | sé | I know, be ("¡Sé bueno!") |
| mas | but ("quiero, mas no puedo") | más | more ("¿Quieres más?") |
| que | that ("más que nada") | qué | what ("¿Qué piensas?") |
| tu | your ("tu libro") | tú | you ("¿Cómo estás tú?") |
| cuan | So (tan) (uso arcaico) ("Mira el pelo cuan largo lo tengo") | cuán | how ("¡Cuán desgraciado soy! ") |
| cual | which ("Esta carta, la cual no tiene remitente, llegó ayer") | cuál | which ("¿Cuál es el mejor?) |
| quien | who ("Hay quien dice eso") | quién | who ("¿Quién es esa mujer?") |
In particular "dé" is the imperitive or the subjunctive mood of the verb "dar" or to give. I suppose that a native Spanish speaker could always tell by context which word they are using, and the accent seems superfulous.
Many of the words that are today standardly written with an accent mark appeared more often without it up until around 1880. These include words with final stress ending in -n (e.g. capitán, también, jardín, acción, común — but not future-tense verb forms like serán, tendrán);verbs in the imperfect tense (e.g. tenía, vivían); the possessives mío and mía; and the word día. (Wikipedia)
Mexicans do not commonly use the future tense. Instead they prefer the periphrastic future.
So, I accept the loss of a time out on that one, but let's see what Nareed says about the upstairs review on ún.
Quote: WizardWhy might it not be deseé un deseo?
Hold down the ALT key and enter 164. I still deseo there were an easier way.
can~a
Quote: WizardSo, I accept the loss of a time out on that one, but let's see what Nareed says about the upstairs review on ún.
Nareed se encuentra muy ocupada juntando basura para el gobierno del DF.
I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Quote: WizardHow would you translate this lyric, from a well-known Paul McCartney song:
"Ebony And Ivory Live Together In Perfect Harmony"
"Ébano y Marfil viven juntos en perfecta harmonía."
In Spaniosh these lyrics qualify as "cursi," BTW.
Quote:There are several Corcordia universities in the United States.
And a Concord grape, and a Concocrd, Mass, and a plane called Concorde.
Quote:Hmmm. SpanistDict.com doesn't recognize the words más and ún. If you put them in the search field they will refer you to mas and un
In order to protect checks from being altered, you try not to leave any open spaces. So while the proper way to write 1,000 is "mil" when doind a check for that amount, I, and msot epople, will write "ún mil pesos." I recall seeing it writen with an accent more often that not.
Well, so much for the upstairs review :)
Quote:In other news, I just finished watching Rudo y Cursi.
I think the most recent Mexican movie I saw was "El Patrullero 777" with Cantinflas. That was back in the 70s. I've seen other Mexican movies since, surely, but that was the one produced most recently.
Quote:To get back to the movie, they mentioned a multi-level marketing business, like Amway. I didn't catch the Spanish name, and it got translated to WonderLife, or something like that. My question is was this a real company, and are such pyramid schemes, if I may call it that, common in Mexico?
they must mean "Herba Life." I've not heard about it recently, but it was everywhere a few years ago. it's an Amway type of pyramid, but I wouldn't quite call it a scheme. After all, there is new revenue brought in by actual sales of actual products that are actually produced. Oh, I forget whether it was a weight-loss diet or a line of supplements. If it's fraudulent, I'd suspect the contents more than the means.
Pyramid schemes were common back in the late 80s to early 90s. I know people who got caught up in them.
Quote:My second question is there were a few scenes in a small casino, where the featured game was poker. A loan shark was clearly seen working the floor and offering cocaine like a cocktail waitress. I'm not sure what my question is, but I'd be interested to hear any comments about the legality of said casino, and realism of the scene in general.
I've never seen actual cards being played in any of my two visits to casinos in Mexico, nor craps. There was the automated roulette I reported about, Royal Match BJ and forms of electronic poker.
As a rule, though, you should doubt everything you see in the movies as if it were holy writ :)
Sorry to have kept you waiting for such a crappy post.
Estado: Sonora
Palabras: Vidrio
Today's state is Sonora. We are back to a state I have been to. Once I crossed the border at Sonoyta, Arizona and drove all the way to Tecate, CA. From what I gather from the news it seems that the weakest link along the US/Mexico border is between Sonora and Arizona.
Today's SWD is vidrio, which means glass (as in the material), coming from the city of Los Vidrios. It should not be confused with vaso, which means the kind of glass you drink out of. Another word for the material glass is cristal. A question for the advanced readers is what is the difference between vidrio y cristal.
Another question for the advanced readers is what does sonora itself mean? My dictionary says it means cittern. Why don't you ever see anybody playing the cittern in Mariachi bands?
Ejemplo time.
Personas que viven en casas de vidrio no debe tirar piedras. = People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Quote: WizardToday's state is Sonora. We are back to a state I have been to. Once I crossed the border at Sonoyta, Arizona and drove all the way to Tecate, CA. From what I gather from the news it seems that the weakest link along the US/Mexico border is between Sonora and Arizona.
I assume you drove along route 3 along the water. I drove on route 2 near the border, and it is like a DMZ. When you go into a convenience store, all the young troops are openly displaying their Uzzis. They seem afraid to leave them in the trunk long enough to get a coffee. It's a very different experience.
It's by far the weakest link because there are no cities or even small towns to speak of on either side of the border.
==============
The DRAE definition is similar to the English word sonorous, or the Spanish verb sonar meaning "to sound".
sonoro, ra. (Del lat. sonōrus).
1. adj. Que suena o puede sonar.
2. adj. Que suena bien, o que suena mucho y agradablemente. Voz, palabra sonora. Instrumento, verso, período sonoro.
3. adj. Que despide bien, o hace que se oiga bien, el sonido. Bóveda sonora. Teatro sonoro.
4. adj. Fonetica Dicho de un sonido: Que se articula con vibración de las cuerdas vocales.
The better known nautical term is SONAR, which is an acronym for SOund Navigation And Ranging. It's an acronym invented in WWII meant to deliberately imitate RADAR which was much better known. Prior to WWII, SONAR was called ASDIC. (I didn't look that up, it was my profession for decades.)
However, the Spanish word "sonora" is a "red herring" , as the state may be named for "Nuestra Señora del Rosario" where the ñ sound was dropped because the native languages did not have the sound. Father Cristóbal de Cañas in 1730, states that the name comes from the word for a natural water well, “sonot”, which the Spanish eventually modified to Sonora. The truth is nobody knows exactly why the state has that name.
============
What is the equivalent Spanish idiom for "red herring".
Quote: WizardToday's SWD is vidrio, which means glass (as in the material), coming from the city of Los Vidrios. It should not be confused with vaso, which means the kind of glass you drink out of.
A plastic container shaped like a drinking glass is also called "vaso" in Spanish. The same container in English is called a cup. "Taza is Spanish for "cup" but it applies only to drinking utensils witha handle. I could go on with mugs and such, but I won't. It's just too confusing.
Oh, the word "vidrio" might ahve been bertter suited to Nuevo León, which as I recall is the home of the Vitro corporation, the country's largest glass manufacturer.
Quote:Another word for the material glass is cristal. A question for the advanced readers is what is the difference between vidrio y cristal.
That's a word that needs reforming, as it also means "crystal" like quartz or salt. Usually vidrio means any glass, while "cristal" means fine glass, such as a Swarowski piece, or anything else that's fine and expensive and made of glass.
Quote:Another question for the advanced readers is what does sonora itself mean?
No clue.
Quote:Personas que viven en casas de vidrio no debe tirar piedras. = People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
It's just no use telling you such phrases don't translate well, is it? :)
In any case: "LA GENTE que vive en casas de vidrio no debe tirar piedras."
Quote: pacomartinWhat is the equivalent Spanish idiom for "red herring".
I don't think there is one. You might translate it as "señuelo," which simply means decoy.
Quote: pacomartinHowever, the Spanish word "sonora" is a "red herring"...What is the equivalent Spanish idiom for "red herring".
I both love and hate mysteries like this. They will drive me crazy until I have an answer. For example, I will not die in peace unless I discover what happened to Chuck on Happy Days.
My understanding of a "red herring" is a something deliberately meant to confuse or distract attention away from the truth. Usually when you encounter the term it is in the investigation of a homicide, where some false clue leads the detectives in the wrong direction is later deemed a "red herring." Sometimes people call certain political issues a "red herring," like the legality of burning the flag, because there are much more important problems that deserve attention. So, this doesn't sound to me like a "red herring." I would just say it is a "mystery."
Donde esta la biblioteca?
Quote: WizardMy understanding of a "red herring" is a something deliberately meant to confuse or distract attention away from the truth.
¿Por qué se llama "arenque rojo"? :P
Estado: Tabasco
Palabras: Pimiento
Minnesota Vikings. This one is held in one piece by about 1/4" of metal, between the 9 and B. I desperately need a better one.
Today's state is Tabasco. When you say "tabasco," the first thing that comes to my mind is Tabasco Sauce, which is made from the tabasco chili pepper. Pimiento should not be confused with pimienta (with an a), which is the dried fruit from the peppercorn vine (as in salt & pepper).
Ejemplo time.
Por favor me hace una tortilla con queso, tomates, cebollas y pimientos muchísmos. = Please make me an omelet with cheese, tomatoes, onions, and extra peppers.
I think we may have discussed how to say "omelet" in Spanish before. My dictionary says the term is tortilla, which can also mean the thin flour or corn pancake used to make tacos. Seems to me there should be a separate term for it, but I don't make the rules of Spanish. I'll add this to my list of suggestions for the Real Academia de Español.
Quote: WizardToday's state is Tabasco. When you say "tabasco," the first thing that comes to my mind is Tabasco Sauce, which is made from the tabasco chili pepper. Pimiento should not be confused with pimienta (with an a), which is the dried fruit from the peppercorn vine (as in salt & pepper).
I think we may have discussed how to say "omelet" in Spanish before. My dictionary says the term is tortilla, which can also mean the thin flour or corn pancake used to make tacos. Seems to me there should be a separate term for it, but I don't make the rules of Spanish. I'll add this to my list of suggestions for the Real Academia de Español.
I was in southern Mexico four years ago when 80% of Tabasco was flooded.
Tabasco Sauce is an American creation from the mid 19th century where all the peppers were grown in Louisiana.
Por favor me hacen una tortilla con queso, tomates, cebollas y pimientos muchos.
As I remember it, all restaurants in Mexico called them omelets. It's hard to say since I don't order them in Mexico normally, as I prefer other breakfast foods.
Quote: WizardToday's state is Tabasco. When you say "tabasco," the first thing that comes to my mind is Tabasco Sauce, which is made from the tabasco chili pepper.
I'm not sure there is a tabasco variety of pepper. I checked a bottel in the pantry, and the ingredients listed are "red peppers, vinegar, salt."
Also you seem to suggest "pimiento" means any kind of pepper, like jalapeño or habanero. As far as I know, "pimiento" applies only to bell peppers, and perhaps to whatever plant product paprika comes from. All others, including all the hot peppers, are called "chiles."
Quote:Por favor me hace una tortilla con queso, tomates, cebollas y pimientos muchísmos. = Please make me an omelet with cheese, tomatoes, onions, and extra peppers.
We have been through omelet before, as Paco noted.
"Por favor me hace un omelet con queso, tomates, cebollas y muchOS pimientos."
Quote:I'll add this to my list of suggestions for the Real Academia de Español.
Real Academia de la Lengua Española. No institution set up by royalty can have a simple name :)
Quote: NareedI'm not sure there is a tabasco variety of pepper. I checked a bottel in the pantry, and the ingredients listed are "red peppers, vinegar, salt."
Also you seem to suggest "pimiento" means any kind of pepper, like jalapeño or habanero. As far as I know, "pimiento" applies only to bell peppers, and perhaps to whatever plant product paprika comes from. All others, including all the hot peppers, are called "chiles."
Mi hermano is a botanist, who I'll use as my lifeline if this gets too difficult. For now, Wikipedia says that tabasco sauce comes from the tabasco pepper plant. I too have a bottle of tabasco sauce that lists the same ingredients. However, I doubt it comes from red bell peppers, which are not very hot. Wikipedia says the tabasco pepper starts out yellow, changes to orange, and then red when ripe and ready to pick. So, I submit for your consideration that when the tabasco sauce bottle says "red peppers" they mean tabasco peppers that have turned red.
Quote: WizardHowever, I doubt it comes from red bell peppers, which are not very hot.
They're not hot at all. If you want them to taste hot, you have to pour tabasco sauce on them :)
Quote:Wikipedia says the tabasco pepper starts out yellow, changes to orange, and then red when ripe and ready to pick. So, I submit for your consideration that when the tabasco sauce bottle says "red peppers" they mean tabasco peppers that have turned red.
I've learned a lot about the different varieties of peppers that exist, and I know I don't know them all. So there could be a tabasco variety. But, seriously, there are several red chiles. For example, the chile de árbol and guajillo are always red. Jalapeños can be green or red. And there are others. I've mentioned elsewhere you won't find natural chipotles or a chipotle plant, because chipotles are dried, smoked jalapeños. The tabasco pepper could be a variety on its own right, or merely a red sub-variant of antoher pepper.
BTW tabasco sauce is made with aged pepeprs. They're placed in casks with lots of salt and left there for weeks or months before they can be used to make the very simple sauce.
Until habanero sauces became popular, too, tabasco was about the hottest sauce around. It's so hot many people find it hard to belive it's made in the US and not in Mexico.
Edit: Oops.
Quote: WizardI both love and hate mysteries like this. They will drive me crazy until I have an answer. For example, I will not die in peace unless I discover what happened to Chuck on Happy Days.
My understanding of a "red herring" is a something deliberately meant to confuse or distract attention away from the truth. Usually when you encounter the term it is in the investigation of a homicide, where some false clue leads the detectives in the wrong direction is later deemed a "red herring." Sometimes people call certain political issues a "red herring," like the legality of burning the flag, because there are much more important problems that deserve attention. So, this doesn't sound to me like a "red herring." I would just say it is a "mystery."
The idea of "red herring" is that you would drag a "red herring" over a trail, so that the powerful smell would make the hunting dogs would lose the scent.
A "decoy" is not exactly the same thing. I think of a decoy primarily as something to lull your prey into a false sense of security. The wooden ducks are used so that the real ducks think the marsh is a safe place, and then they are shot when they attempt to land.
The terms "red" and "white" herring were used to mean "smoked" and "fresh" herring since the early 1400's. But the concept of throwing the hunting dogs off the trail has existed in writing for over three centuries. The metaphoric sense of "diverting someone from the basic issue" has been used since the 19th century.
It seems like such basic human behavior that you would think that there would be an equivalent idiomatic expression in Spanish.
However, there are Spanish idioms like pedir la luna or "to lift the moon" which metaphorically means to "ask the impossible".
Offhand I can't think of the equivalent idiom in English. We tend to say it literally as "you are asking the impossible".
Other Spanish idioms like "por debajo de agua" have similar idioms in English like "underhanded" or "under the table". But usually if we say "under water" in English, we mean financially insolvent, but not necessarily underhanded or criminal.
Other idioms like "un ojo de la cara" are basically the same in both languages.
Quote: teddys
Effective immediately, the rule about at least one word in Spanish word per post is struck down. I would have to be too much of the bad cop to keep enforcing it.
La biblioteca es hecho de ladrillos.
Quote: WizardLa biblioteca es hecho de ladrillos.
La biblioteca ESTA hechA de ladrillos.
Quote: NareedLa biblioteca ESTA hechA de ladrillos.
I know I blew it on the hecho. I was thinking of this expression you see on Mexican beer bottles often.
However, why is it estar and not ser? Ser is more permanent in nature, right, and once the library is made of bricks, it is going to remain that way.
Quote: WizardEffective immediately, the rule about at least one word in Spanish word per post is struck down. I would have to be too much of the bad cop to keep enforcing it.
Sólo dos de nosotros sufrimos la pena.
I think.
Quote: DocSólo dos de nosotros sufrimos la pena.
Tres. Tú (I think we're no longer on an Ud. basis), Nareed, y yo. Paco was charged once but he never served his sentence.
Quote: pacomartinHowever, there are Spanish idioms like pedir la luna or "to lift the moon" which metaphorically means to "ask the impossible".
Offhand I can't think of the equivalent idiom in English. We tend to say it literally as "you are asking the impossible".
Pedir means to request or to ask for something, not to lift something. The expression then means "to ask for the Moon." In English the most similar would be "To wish for the Moon."
Now, if you were to say "¿Y tu nieve de qué sabor?" it means, "You're asking for too much." conversely, the phrase "No son las perlas de la virgen," means "I'm not asking much."
More later. I've got to go break up with a bank (tengo que tronar con un banco)
