Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

el 28 de septiembre - Refrán 3

Literal Translation: To foolish words, deaf ears.
Interpretive Translation: Foolish words fall upon deaf ears.
 

Thursday, September 23, 2010

el 23 de septiembre - Canción - Cielito Lindo

"Cielito Lindo"
     interpretado por Mariachi Vargas



// De la Sierra Morena,
cielito lindo, vienen bajando
Un par de ojitos negros,
cielito lindo, de contrabando. //

¡Ay! ¡ay! ¡ay! ¡ay!,
¡Canta y no llores!
Porque cantando se alegran,
cielito lindo, los corazones.

// Ese lunar que tienes,
cielito lindo, junto a la boca
No se lo des a nadie, cielito lindo,
que a mí me toca. //

¡Ay! ¡ay! ¡ay! ¡ay!,
¡Canta y no llores!
Porque cantando se alegran,
cielito lindo, los corazones.

See a translation and song background at Wikipedia

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

el 22 de septiembre - Chiste 3 - las vacas perezosas

(What are the laziest "vacas" (cows)?....... vacations....)


It's a play on words! the sound produced by the word 'cows' (vacas) appears in the word "vacaciones"

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

el 21 de septiembre - Refrán 2

(Translation: "To each pig comes his Saturday")
(Interpretation: "Everyone gets what's coming to him")

Explanation:  
There are some alternate versions of this refrán that might change the word 'puerco' (pork/pig) to other regional variations of the word 'pig' in Spanish: cerdo, cochino, marrano, chancho

There is also a parallel version of this refrán that says: A cada puerco le llega su San Martín

It turns out after some research that the San Martín is a festival celebrated on el 11 de noviembre in Spain.  This refrán comes from the fact that this date tends to be around the time that many pigs are slaughtered (for the festival perhaps?).  I wonder if sábado is a simplified reference to San Martín.

Source:
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_cada_cerdo_le_llega_su_San_Mart%C3%ADn

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Monday, September 13, 2010

el 13 de septiembre - Piropo 1

(I would like to be a cat, in order to spend 7* lives at your side.)
Cultural note:
Did you know that cats in Spanish only have 7 lives? 

 
Notice the title of this video on Youtube is "El Gato tiene 7 vidas."  In the context of a person almost dying multiple times.

Sources:
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=27505
http://cabrobueno.blogspot.com/2008/02/porque-dicen-que-los-gatos-tienen-siete.html
http://www.elmundodemanu.com.ar/Mitosgatos.htm

Friday, September 10, 2010

Thursday, September 9, 2010

el 9 de septiembre - Canción - Cucú Cucú

Cucú Cucú*

Directions: Listen to the song on Youtube.  Then listen to the song while following along on the wordbank below. 



Wednesday, September 8, 2010