MexConnect.com Forums: General: Living, Working, Retiring: Names of Mexican Homes: Page 2

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La Isla

May 14, 2011, 1:59 PM

Post #26 of 51 (1520 views)

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Re: [mazbook1] Names of Mexican Homes

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I don't use many swear words in English and almost never in Spanish, for fear of committing a linguistic/sociological faux pas. But, as I tell my English students, it's important to understand the palabrotas that others are using in the language you're attempting to master if for no other reason than para defenderse :).

chicois8

May 14, 2011, 2:07 PM

Post #27 of 51 (1519 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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Nice hijacking of a cool topic...

I guess robt65 house could be named:

"NO MUSS NO FUSS NO CUSS"

chinagringo

May 14, 2011, 2:10 PM

Post #28 of 51 (1516 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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I am guessing that the naming concept came from the old days when large spreads were the norm and there was no attempt at giving out or assigning addresses. If one chose to brag that they had the largest ranch in the area, then rancho más grande may have worked.

A number of years back, I was driving around Cape Cod, MA and saw many homes with names on their outbuildings/garages. Since one can always receive the finest of accurate information in the local watering holes, I asked a number of residents what the deal was. Their explanation was that in the days before addresses, residents put their family name on these buildings as a designation of who lived there. Since the Cape area is so into the historically perfect thing, it became somewhat of a tradition to have these name plates from the earliest residents of a given property.

Heck, some people name their vehicles - why not their homes!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

robt65

May 14, 2011, 3:07 PM

Post #29 of 51 (1509 views)

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Re: [mazbook1] Names of Mexican Homes

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Hey Mazbook1,

You said: And don't say you don't "cuss" in English. Your post #18 started off with "Damn" which is just an English euphemism for "God damn…", something that would NEVER be said in Spanish. Rather revolting, in fact.
Your right there, when you right down to it Damn is a cuss word, even though I don't intend for it to be God Damned, others could sure interpret it that way.

robt65

robt65

May 14, 2011, 3:13 PM

Post #30 of 51 (1507 views)

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Re: [chicois8] Names of Mexican Homes

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chicois8

Now if you could just translate that correctly . . . . . I might just use that on my house! (smiling)

robt65

robt65

May 14, 2011, 3:22 PM

Post #31 of 51 (1503 views)

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Re: [chicois8] Names of Mexican Homes

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I have seen many signs over the years at different family homes that say "Mi Casa Su Casa" then as I startetd going to more mercados (sp) I started seeing those that said "Mi Casa es Mi Casa" . . . . . . . I bought one of those and hung it up. When people who are at my home don't like the way I do something or say something, . . . . . I simply point to the small but "tell it like it is" sign that says Mi Casa es Mi Casa" (smiling)

robt65

(This post was edited by robt65 on May 14, 2011, 5:04 PM)

Rolly

May 14, 2011, 4:23 PM

Post #32 of 51 (1486 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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And then there's Mi Cama es Tu Cama

Rolly Pirate

robt65

May 14, 2011, 4:48 PM

Post #33 of 51 (1476 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Names of Mexican Homes

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Thanks Rolly,

I needed that chuckle, your timing was perfect!!

robt65

mazbook1

May 14, 2011, 4:51 PM

Post #34 of 51 (1476 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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robt65, The point that I was trying to make is that just as you don't consider Damn to be "cussing", most Mexicans don't consider the words derived from chingar to be "cussing". Many, many differences in the NOB culture and the Mexican culture show up in just this way; the differences between what we would say in English vs. what a Mexican would say in Spanish.

Just because you saw it in a dictionary (or Google) you still translate (maybe only mentally) the words derived from chingar as derivatives of the English verb to f---, when the reality is quite different, and the words are completely divorced from that meaning. Just learn to treat those words the same as you treat Damn, which you (and most of us from NOB) have totally divorced from the blasphemy that it represents.

cbviajero

May 14, 2011, 4:53 PM

Post #35 of 51 (1467 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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Hi Robert
At least half the conversations I have don't include any cussing at all,that said I can't say I would trust somebody who swore they never swore.
The point I was trying to make is that if you ever want to have a good understanding of the country you're living in and the people your'e living with you need to be at least a little bit familiar with the local lingo,whole books have been written about the verb chingar,Octavio Paz Mexico's most famous author wrote an essay on it.
Buena Suerte or Good Luck
Chris

robt65

May 14, 2011, 5:00 PM

Post #36 of 51 (1463 views)

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Re: [mazbook1] Names of Mexican Homes

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Mazbook1,

You are right, I did get your point very well and I sincerely hope others did also. My wife and I had quite a discussion both last night and today about that. I have learned a lot both from you and my wife about the Spanish / Mexican language in the past two days. I thank you for that.

This post sure went 180 degrees out and I am glad that it did happen. I have learned a lot on this posting.

While I have enjoyed this off shoot of the original posting, and I am not dismissing this subject at hand, but I sure would like to get this posting back to the original question. Please submit names unusual and otherwise of Mexican Homes, Haciendas, or Rancheros, preferably with English translations.

robt65

robt65

May 14, 2011, 5:07 PM

Post #37 of 51 (1455 views)

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Re: [cbviajero] Names of Mexican Homes

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cbviajero,

Please see my response # 36 to Mazbook 1 above . . . . and thanks again.

robt65

tashby

May 14, 2011, 5:10 PM

Post #38 of 51 (1454 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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I once walked by a place in Nayarit with a plaque above the door that read, "Casa Mágica Negra".

I didn't knock.

(Not sure if that was the exact phrasing, but you get the idea.)

(This post was edited by tashby on May 14, 2011, 5:11 PM)

robt65

May 14, 2011, 5:50 PM

Post #39 of 51 (1444 views)

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Re: [tashby] Names of Mexican Homes

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HA! I don't think I would have knocked either!

robt65

esperanza

May 14, 2011, 6:02 PM

Post #40 of 51 (1440 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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I have seen several houses called "La Querencia"--it means, figuratively, the place I am longing for.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

johanson

May 14, 2011, 7:33 PM

Post #41 of 51 (1407 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Names of Mexican Homes

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I'm putting a plack up on mine called "Casa del Ruco"

chinagringo

May 14, 2011, 7:57 PM

Post #42 of 51 (1403 views)

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Re: [johanson] Names of Mexican Homes

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What is a plack?
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

robt65

May 14, 2011, 8:13 PM

Post #43 of 51 (1398 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Names of Mexican Homes

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Hi Esperanza,

Now that's really neat!

robt65

La Isla

May 14, 2011, 9:10 PM

Post #44 of 51 (1388 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Names of Mexican Homes

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In Reply To

What is a plack?

Perhaps johanson meant to write "plaque", and not the kind you get on your teeth if you don´t brush regularly :) .

johanson

May 14, 2011, 10:49 PM

Post #45 of 51 (1375 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Names of Mexican Homes

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Good one, Neil.You got me :) Sadly I'm multi-tri-lingual and I can't spell well in any of the languages I speak, buey.

Mexberry

May 15, 2011, 5:42 PM

Post #46 of 51 (1303 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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Casa la Cocodrilla - Crocodile ( female) house. She lays her eggs in the adjacent mangroves.
Mexberry.

robt65

May 15, 2011, 6:30 PM

Post #47 of 51 (1289 views)

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Re: [Mexberry] Names of Mexican Homes

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OH . . . . OH! . . . . . . . don't think I would knock on that door either!

robt65

morgaine7

May 15, 2011, 7:17 PM

Post #48 of 51 (1273 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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You might feel more comfortable knocking at the door of Casa Colibrí (hummingbird), which is a few blocks from my house in La Paz.

Kate

robt65

May 17, 2011, 6:43 AM

Post #49 of 51 (1186 views)

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Re: [morgaine7] Names of Mexican Homes

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That's pretty neat morgaine7,

A real coincidence as I just bought 6 different size hummingbird feeders for our yard. Our oldest daughter, Sofia really enjoyed hanging them, watching the birds feed and then learning more about the little birds through an excellent article on MexConnect . . . . . . Did you know? Mexico is home to more than fifty hummingbird species Tony Burton. this served my purpose of not only having something educational for Sofia to learn as she read and reported at school on the subject, but now also takes a avid interest in making sure these little guys and galls have food to eat. She was very surprised as I was to learn the connection about early Mexican “Pre-Colombian ideas about hummers”. She is very proud about that fact.

She also wants to name our home the same. (smiling) I think we will wait and think of something original for our home that we can all be a part of, and she understands that.

Thanks Tony for this great article.

Robt65

tonyburton / Moderator

May 17, 2011, 7:57 AM

Post #50 of 51 (1170 views)

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Re: [robt65] Names of Mexican Homes

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You're very welcome! Glad you and your daughter enjoyed the article, and wish you and your family many years of enjoyment watching the hummingbirds' aerial gymnastics.

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