Favorite Flamenco Words

Costs are rising and times are tough.
Please consider a donation to keep this
place going.

Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.

This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.

We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.

You are logged in as Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >>Discussions >>General >>

Page: [1] 2 > >>

Message

<< Newer Topic Older Topic >>

annemarie

Posts: 44
Joined: Jul. 29 2009
From: Utrecht (Netherlands)

Favorite Flamenco Words

Dear all,

To lighten the mood on the foro a bit, I figured now would be a good time to start a Word Nerd thread. As a complete language nerd, I would like to know what everybody’s favorite flamenco word is. Or even just a Spanish word. While we’re at it, why not give me a very hard word in English (I collect difficult words in English, as Mark, Kate and Matic know very well.. me and my little black book). Oh well.. we’re all some kind of nerd here, right?

Personally, I adore the word ‘pellizco’ (a little pinch), especially remembering how my beloved teacher La Presy explains it (by actually pinching some of her students, quite hard). It’s also what makes dance interesting, personal and captivating to watch.

I also like ‘alzapúa’.

How about this one, not necessarily related to flamenco: ‘carajillo’! Besides being very satisfying to pronounce (it almost sounds like a swear word to me), it is also a magic little drink to make you more awake and just a bit happier than you were (coffee with cognac). And another random one: ‘murciélago’ (bat).

I do believe this is Mark Shurey’s favorite Spanish word: ‘cachondeo’. And how about ‘tonterías’?

As for jaleo (which in itself is a pretty cool word), I like these: ‘Arsa, Ya está’ (to me sounds more like Asa, yata!) and ‘Toma’ and ‘Anda’.

There, now I would like to hear from you!

_____________________________

Lejos, muy lejos de España
Yo me llevé un ruiseñor
Y en sus cantes decía
"Quiero vivir en Graná,
Graná que es la tierra mía."

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 1:41:45

Ailsa

Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

first one that comes to mind - madrugada. An essential time of day in summer Spain, and for flamencos.

I also like, rather than just words, some of the ways Spanish can express things that would take longer in English. For example:

esta despierta = she is awake
es despierta = she is "bright eyed and bushy tailed" or some such phrase

_____________________________

http://www.flamencojourney.com
http://www.myspace.com/flamencojourney

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 2:17:01

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

i like "pegamento" (glue) and also "lechuga" (lettuce), i don't know why...

quote:

cachondeo

what's this?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 2:56:21

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

not really flamenco related at all but i like saying bicicleta and mujeres for some reason. it feels good coming out of the mouth.

what does arsa and toma mean?

and when they say anda, are they telling you to walk?

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 8:54:16

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to at_leo_87)

quote:

what does arsa and toma mean?

and when they say anda, are they telling you to walk?

arza and toma mean posterior and tummy respectively.

anda is what they call a well known Luthier in Huelva.

aro is Kate's husband.

Seriously....arza I think means "to rise " (take it to a higher level)

toma, I think means "take it! (man)"

anda, I think means "go!" (as in "go man go!")

aro is Harold.

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 9:01:37

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

quote:

Mark Shurey’s favorite Spanish word: ‘cachondeo’

Yeah..i love the sound of that word. I suppose it roughly means revelry in English...lots of party noise and antics....general good natured craziness.

Madrugada is strange because it means "in the early morning"....BUT only if you havnt been to bed. So if you went out for coffee at 8.00 por la mañana it means you have been to bed and are going out for coffee to wake up. However if you go for coffee at 8.00 por la madrugada it means you are on day 4 of the Sanlucar course and you are trying to figure out how to get through Gerardos 10.00 class.

I like the word "descojonado" which means to split your sides laughing. In spanish your sides dont split...your b@lls drop off

_____________________________

Follow my blog http://pimientito.wordpress.com/

"Ceremonial" by Mark Shurey "Pimientito". CD and digital download vailable on Amazon and
CDbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markshurey

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 9:06:31

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

alzapua, alcazar, cagancho, remate, madrugada, campanas, alameda, jerez, olivares, torta, companerita, esquilones...

(all seem somewhat flamenco related to me

)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 9:10:23

henrym3483

Posts: 1584
Joined: Nov. 13 2005
From: Limerick,Ireland

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to Andy Culpepper)

i like the words chulo "cool hip"

que guay " very cool or nifty"

chocos "fried cuttle fish"

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 9:38:28

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

"el camino" says it all for me.

_____________________________

Foro Flamenco founder and Admin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 10:52:48

Donald

Posts: 101
Joined: Jun. 28 2004

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

The word cinco(theenko) for five always seems to have a funny little sound to it.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 11:54:46

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

Seriously....arza I think means "to rise " (take it to a higher level)

toma, I think means "take it! (man)"

anda, I think means "go!" (as in "go man go!")

aro is Harold.

thanks, ron. so now i know if i play in front of a bunch of flamencos and they start yelling anda, i know they're telling me to go, as in go walk out that door and off a moderatlely tall cliff.

quote:

The word cinco(theenko) for five always seems to have a funny little sound to it.

that's exactly why i like bicicleta. bitheecleta. azul, cielo, corazon, izquierda, etc.

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 12:48:33

cathulu

Posts: 950
Joined: Dec. 15 2006
From: Vancouver, Canukistan

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

I like Tapas and Cervezas!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 18:14:29

aleksi

Posts: 528
Joined: Nov. 10 2008
From: Helsinki, Finland

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

quote:

I like Tapas and Cervezas!

I also like those.

aqua and vamoya (I dont know how to spell it) are my favorites

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2009 21:34:47

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

Manzanilla taste good, sounds good, makes you sound good and is VERY flamenco.
Guitarón is another good one, especially when someone who plays really well says that about your guitar

_____________________________

Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 0:54:38

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to at_leo_87)

What's a Flamenco Artist's favourite word?

Dinero

Especially Agujetas....I love this interview...

http://www.flamenco-world.com/artists/agujetas/entrevista1.htm

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 2:06:21

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

I forgot that my Dad's favourite Spanish word was "celador" as it sounded like the English "cellar door", which he always thought exotic; he never believed me when I told him it was Spanish for a guard at a museum or somewhere similar.

There is also "sellador", which means a sealant but pronounced "say a dor"

In thinking some more, I like "manchego" in more than one way.

_____________________________

Foro Flamenco founder and Admin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 2:16:03

Sbu_01

Posts: 28
Joined: Jan. 28 2009

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

Jadeando

I like the J sound mostly in that word, gives the idea of exhertion and movement.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 27 2009 20:22:19

polishcomedy

Posts: 66
Joined: Feb. 7 2009
From: Orlando

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

I don't know too many, but I like duende, alzapua, cantor, siguiriyas, golpe, abanico, and cejilla.

_____________________________

~Patrick

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 29 2009 22:16:03

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

Is: "Ole su cojones!" already mentioned? It has been said here in the foro a long time ago and became very flamenco at least for me till now...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 30 2009 2:28:49

Chiste de Gales

Posts: 298
Joined: Jan. 13 2009

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

Cacahuetes is a favorite of mine, meaning 'peanuts'

Chevere too. Not the cheese, but slang for "cool"- I learned from a guy from Colombia.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 30 2009 4:18:15

Kate

Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to Chiste de Gales)

There was an old guy who used to wander around the Albbaicin selling nuts who would cry out " GLOOOOOOORRRRIAAAAAAAAAAA TENGO ALMENDRAS, PIPAS Y CACAWAAAAAAAAAY"

Harold ( or should I say Aro') recorded it and for a while it was the start up sound on his computer. Shame we dont have it anymore as the old guy has long gone.

nice thread Ann Marie

_____________________________

Emilio Maya Temple
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000CA6OBC
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/emiliomaya

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 30 2009 10:16:27

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

Yeah 'madrugada' has always been one of my favourite words, there's no one word for it in English.

A funny word is 'wiki', which is a drink popular among flamencos.

@ Annemarie: for me the quintessential Dutch word is 'gracht', both for its sound and its meaning.

[And there are loads of Dutch names that look and sound hilarious to English speakers - such as Jaap Blonk and Ruud Lubbers (aka Lewd Rubbers) - but that's another topic!]

_____________________________

Me da igual. La música es música.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 30 2009 10:34:59

minordjango

Posts: 918
Joined: Feb. 26 2005

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

prefer to relax then work ??
prefiero relajarme y luego trabajar

holds true in any country for me , spanish language is so cool im excited to egt back there .my spanish is terrible these days

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 1 2009 0:55:38

Exitao

Posts: 907
Joined: Mar. 13 2006
From: Vancouver, Canada

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

Madrugada - it's interesting that you say it's only if you've stayed up. Latin Americans use this word as a verb when they have to get up really early (like before the dawn). Hay que madrugarse.

Chevere means cool, sure, but it also carries a connotation of being fun or agreeable.

Chulo/a - in Latin America it also means sexy. So...careful there.

Pegamento - I prefer pagao or pagaito, especially as pertains to salsa or merengue.

Some of my favourite Spanish words:

Joder
Cheval
Descarado
Entranas
Manoso/a
Muneca (my favourite piropo, I even had a GF I called my muneca de trapo)

I like the phrase "a mi/su vera." Never heard it used before I started listening to flamenco lyrics.

"Triste pena" is an interesting combo.

I also like any word that lets me eat the letter 'd' and words where I can eat the 's' too.

_____________________________

Callidus et iracundus.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 1 2009 4:35:59

asisetoca

Posts: 35
Joined: Nov. 16 2008
From: Kemble, England

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

I really love all the gitano words which get used in letras! examples including Bajañí
Sacais
Undebé
Chanelar
Also love it when they use the diminutive form on verbs and things that shouldn’t have it at all ‘las ha pasaito mi mare’
Also im getting increasingly into the lisped ‘s’ as opposed to the c/z which are pronounced as pure ‘s’ according to some Spanish friends this sounds really coutry bumpkin esque!

_____________________________

El amor es una fiesta donde baila el corazón!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 2 2009 5:31:04

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

An essential word for flamenco: trasnochar (to stay up all night).

_____________________________

Me da igual. La música es música.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 2 2009 6:02:47

NormanKliman

Posts: 1143
Joined: Sep. 1 2007

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

Ay

_____________________________

Be here now.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 2 2009 6:19:18

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to NormanKliman)

quote:

Ay

_____________________________

Me da igual. La música es música.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 2 2009 7:28:27

fevictor

Posts: 377
Joined: Nov. 22 2005
From: Quepos / Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)

I always get a kick out of hearing Andaluces talk because their pronunciation is just awful! They speak an incredibly lazy spanish compared to the other spanish speaking countries. The D and the S pretty much is non existent and thus has created new words which are commonly used by foreigners, especially in flamenco, but are wrong. Like for example:

Cantaor should be Cantador
Bailaor - Bailador
Granaina - Granadina
Mercao - Mercado
Pecao - Pescado

And so on and so on. Theres a big difference in how people talk in different regions of Spain, but obviously the south has dominated the letra. Cubans and Nicaraguans, also Puerto Ricans omit letters when they talk too. I grew up speaking Mexican Spanish and once lived with a Nicaraguan girl here in Costa Rica - so we had three versions of Spanish which sometimes made conversations lots of fun! I guess this doesn't have much to do with flamenco words, but I thought it might be interesting to add.

Vic

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 2 2009 18:50:20