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BrentB

Apr 5, 2005, 5:52 PM

Post #1 of 18 (3880 views)

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Fishy Questions

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In Mexico, if you see a fish swimming in the lake, it is a pez,correct? If there are many, they are peces, no?

If you buy the fish, dead and cleaned, in the market,it is pescado, right? If you buy, say 2 or other definite number, then are they pescadoes?If you then buy, say 2 kilos,are they then pescado,again?

In Central America, a pescado or some pescadoes, may be alive and swimming, or be dead and in the market. Is the alive and swimming usage of pescado instead of pez,incorrect in Mexico, or also an accepted usage?

Thanks,

Brent

esperanza

Apr 5, 2005, 6:31 PM

Post #2 of 18 (3869 views)

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Re: [BrentB] Fishy Questions

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A live fish swimming in water is a pez. Two or more are peces.

A fish at the fishmonger is a pescado. Two or more dead fish are pescados. By the kilo, it reverts to pescado. "Quisiera dos kilos de pescado, por favor."

99.9% of people I know say pez for the living and pescado for the dead. Think of it this way: pescado literally means 'fished', the past participle of the verb 'pescar'. If it's swimming in the lake, the river, the ocean, or the fish bowl, it's not fished.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

quevedo

Apr 6, 2005, 12:42 PM

Post #3 of 18 (3845 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Peces y pescados

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Muy buena respuesta, estimada Esperanza.

También sería correcto decir, "Dos kilos de pescados", aunque la mayor parte de la gente usa la forma que tú comentas.

Saludos,

Quevedo

bdlngton

Apr 7, 2005, 11:25 PM

Post #4 of 18 (3800 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Fishy Questions

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Esperanza's explanation is correct. Pez is alive, pescado is dead. However, as Brent mentioned, in some hispanohablantes countries pescado is used to referred to the live and swimming around fishies too. My Colombian ex did this a lot. Maybe it was just the anticipation of eating them that accounts for this. And, according to him, fish is best served whole--with the head still on.
Susy

Ed and Fran

Apr 8, 2005, 6:27 AM

Post #5 of 18 (3797 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Fishy Questions

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Think of it this way: pescado literally means 'fished', the past participle of the verb 'pescar'.

So is "the one that got away" a "pescadito"? Because it was "fished ...... a little"? :-)

E&F (wondering if there's a Mexican equivalent of "groan")

esperanza

Apr 8, 2005, 6:35 AM

Post #6 of 18 (3793 views)

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Fishy Questions

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<groan>

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

wendy devlin

Apr 8, 2005, 11:55 AM

Post #7 of 18 (3777 views)

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Fishy Questions

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Me gusta su chiste...pescadito.

Pero hablo más spanglish que espagñol:)

BrentB

Apr 8, 2005, 5:21 PM

Post #8 of 18 (3756 views)

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Re: [wendy devlin] Fishy Questions

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Pescadito,I love the diminutive Spanish in Mexico, cafecito, frijolitos,chambita, aguita.It seems like women talk to you with the diminutive mostly.¿Quieres un tacito, y una cervecita?

Ed and Fran

Apr 8, 2005, 5:53 PM

Post #9 of 18 (3754 views)

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Re: [BrentB] Fishy Questions

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y una cervecita?

Guess there's just no cute diminutive for "una caguama".

E&F

wendy devlin

Apr 11, 2005, 11:14 AM

Post #10 of 18 (3701 views)

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Now beer questions:)

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Una cerveza-500 ml?

>Guess there's just no cute diminutive for "una caguama".

Ja! ja!

Bueno.

Una cereveza tiene 500 ml (approx.)

Caguama-1000 ml o 2000 ml?

>una cervecita?

Que es el nombre de una cerveza de 250 ml????

I've been calling them 'baby beers' but what is the name in Spanish?

sfmacaws

Apr 11, 2005, 6:38 PM

Post #11 of 18 (3684 views)

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Re: [wendy devlin] Now beer questions:)

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Mimi loves those and we've been calling them by their brand, "coronita" or "estrellita" are the 2 that we could get off the beer truck.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

BrentB

Apr 12, 2005, 7:15 PM

Post #12 of 18 (3651 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Now beer questions:)

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Yes, Coronita and Estrellita! I remember my Grandfather in the states calling those "short beers" In many places in Mexico, if you ask for a Corona or Estrella, they bring you 2 of the "itas" in a bucket of ice. They say that it is to give you the coldest possible beer, as while you work on one the other is still chilling
Don't you just love the language and customs in Mexico?

Brent

quevedo

Apr 13, 2005, 6:14 PM

Post #13 of 18 (3624 views)

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Re: [BrentB] Es buena la cervecita

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Es buena la cervecita
para el que está desvelado;
para el que está desvelado
es buena la cervecita.

Yo prefiero un tequilita
que es lo mejor pa' lo hinchado;
que es lo mejor pa' lo hinchado
y hasta lo panzón se quita.

(De El Querreque, son huasteco.)

Salud y saludos,

Quevedo

Esteban

May 2, 2005, 5:06 PM

Post #14 of 18 (3444 views)

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Re: [wendy devlin] Now beer questions:)

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Pacifico's "caguama" is called a Ballena. Then the next size down is a mediana and the little ones are called cuartitos. That is the colloquialism from Mazatlan

paulette & Chuck

Jun 16, 2005, 8:29 AM

Post #15 of 18 (3335 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Fishy Questions

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I trust then , it is the same for chicken? Alive it is gallina ( or gallo) and dead it's pollo?????

quevedo

Jun 16, 2005, 5:04 PM

Post #16 of 18 (3321 views)

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Re: [paulette] Fishy Questions

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Pollo es un gallo joven. Polla, una gallina joven. Pollita, una muchacha joven y bonita.

Saludos,

Quevedo

BrentB

Jun 17, 2005, 3:36 PM

Post #17 of 18 (3301 views)

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Re: [Esteban] Now beer questions:)

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Un borrachito, bien tomado,was on a bridge near where the river emptied into the ocean in Guerrero, watching beer bottles floating down the river. He kept yelling " Una va lenna, Una va llena". A crowd quickly gathered asking "¿Adónde está la ballena?"

Brent

quevedo

Jun 19, 2005, 5:59 PM

Post #18 of 18 (3265 views)

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Re: [quevedo] Gavilán pollero

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Gavilán, gavilán, gavilán:
te robaste mi polla, gavilán.
Si tú traes mi polllita para acá
yo te doy todito el gallinero.