Forums > Specific Focus > Learning Spanish

Bill_N

May 13, 2003, 4:45 AM

Post #1 of 13 (2106 views)

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Palabra del día en español

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Spanish: gato
English: jack

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Example Phrase Using Today's Word:

Spanish: ¿Tiene una llanta de repuesto y un gato?

English: Do you have a spare tire and a jack?

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To hear the Word of the Day and the example phrase, visit

http://www.transparent.com/ea-cgi/dtchttp.dll?CT:C=351453&O=SEWOTD20030513.htm

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quevedo

May 13, 2003, 7:30 AM

Post #2 of 13 (2081 views)

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Re: [Bill_N] Uno de gatos

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Otro ejemplo:

Si me presta su gato, le regalo mi gato.

Saludos cordiales,

Quevedo

esperanza

May 13, 2003, 7:42 AM

Post #3 of 13 (2073 views)

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Re: [quevedo] Uno de gatos

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Jajajajajajajajajajajaja

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Bill_N

May 13, 2003, 3:01 PM

Post #4 of 13 (2064 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Uno de gatos

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I understand that there is a joke in this somewhere and that "el gato" means "the cat". According to my dictionary and the Transparent Language website where the Word of the Day comes from it also means "jack" as in "car jack".

As a learner of Spanish, can someone explain what the joke is? And maybe some background on the origin and usage of "gato" meaning "cat" and "gato" meaning "jack"...

Might be interesting to those of us who are learning Spanish.

Thanks

Bill

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quevedo

May 13, 2003, 6:54 PM

Post #5 of 13 (2060 views)

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Re: [Bill_N] Uno de gatos

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"If you lend me your car jack I'll give you my cat." Not much of a joke, but a good example of a word with two different meanings. Palabras homónimas, as they are called in Spanish. Another example is, cerca. (Anybody willing to comment on that last one?)

As for how a cat became to double as a car jack, perhaps other participants would like to explain.

Saludos cordiales,

Quevedo

Bill_N

May 14, 2003, 2:28 AM

Post #6 of 13 (2047 views)

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Re: [quevedo] Uno de gatos

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Quevedo,

Thanks for the explanation of the Palabras homónimas "un gato".

Bill

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Georgia

May 15, 2003, 2:11 PM

Post #7 of 13 (2024 views)

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Re: [quevedo] Uno de gatos

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I always worry that my (Spain) vocabulary is not the same, but:

cerca (s.): fence (n.)

cerca (adv.): near (advb.)

Does ANYONE in Mexico use the word "nevera?" My caretaker laughs when I use this word.

jerezano

May 15, 2003, 6:38 PM

Post #8 of 13 (2019 views)

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Re: [quevedo] Uno de gatos

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Hola Sr. Quevedo,

Recuerdo de años en el pasado escuchando una broma de un par de turistas entrando un restaurante en pleno desierto y pidiendo pescado de la carta.

Cuando llegó, el hombre dijo a su media narajana que tenía el platillo sabor exótico. Ella estaba de acuerdo y así el hombre preguntó al mesero si el platillo de verdad era pescado.

---Sí, dijo el mesero, fue pescado de la cerca--- mostrandoles una cerca afuera poblado con lagartijas.

Y hablando de homófonos ¿qué es la oración famosa que habla de arados y otras cosas de campesinos? Usualmente se postula la oración preguntando si sea corecto decir-----------. Y la persona dice, ----Claro que no---para ser coregida inmediatamente. Jerezano

"El Gringo Jalapeño"

May 16, 2003, 9:23 AM

Post #9 of 13 (2017 views)

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Re: [quevedo] Uno de gatos

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"Si brinques la cerca, vas a estar más cerca de mí."

(Estimado Quevedo...favor de corregir los "horrores" que yo haya cometido...gracias)

Quizas dicen "gato" al aparato por la manera en que ellos se estiran(¡Imaginenselo!)
Roy B. Dudley "El Gringo Jalapeño" See more about Xalapa at www.xalaparoy.com

jturpen

May 17, 2003, 9:24 AM

Post #10 of 13 (2005 views)

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Re: [Bill_N] Palabra del día en español

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Bill ...

I always appreciate your posts and use the references. The responses that were posted are in part why I have stopped using the MexConnect Learning Spanish forum as a "Learning" forum. As you can see, unless you ask specifically what those using Spanish are saying and probe for what is meant, explanations are not naturally a part of the posts.
I have gone through several situations on this forum where I have asked for clarifications and have asked for the posters to translate with some meaningful information to assist in "Learning". There appears to be a group of those who can speak Spanish (in varying levels of skill) who delight in the knowledge they posses at don't see the forum as an opportunity to openly help others.
Before MexConnect went to a fee basis there were many others who were involved in a more friendly and more "Learning" based set of forum posts. Those folks are now elsewhere being a real help to many who want to learn Spanish. Here at the MexConnect "Learning Spanish" ... beware that you are exchanging with "a clique of a few" who it appears, would rather just keep the "Learners" on the outside of their gated community.
I have requested from DavidMcL to have an ongoing chat room where folks like you and I and many others could exchange and "Learn" ... he says that is in the plans but I wonder what the room would be like?

Joe

esperanza

May 17, 2003, 12:14 PM

Post #11 of 13 (1996 views)

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Re: [jturpen] Palabra del día en español

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Joe, I'm really confused by your post. It appears to me that most everybody has had some input into Bill's questions. In the last thread, a variety of people (myself included) posted corrections and explanations (at Bill's request) to the sentences about his family. Bill posted with gratitude. Who's not helpful? What's not friendly? Where's the gated community?

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

jturpen

May 18, 2003, 8:39 AM

Post #12 of 13 (1987 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Palabra del día en español

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Esperanza ...

You play your role with perfection.

Re-read carefully exactly how this post evolves and you should see the pattern of "insider trading".
If you read the posts you will note that the "help for Bill" as a "Learner" only came AFTER he indicated that there may be a joke but he does not get it ... only then did the ever aloof quevedo provide the smallest bit of help and then parceled it off to others for more. Whereupon the next two response are written in Spanish with no explanation.

For those of you who have a conversant level of Spanish it seems from your perspective "all is well". From the perspective of many and most of them left when the fee basis started, this forum is a clique not a "Learning Spanish" forum.

Those of you who have Spanish in a usable range have no reason to slow down and answer or explain.

If you do not see the pattern (and I quote here from The Matrix) ... you are within it.

Joe

duffer

May 18, 2003, 8:55 AM

Post #13 of 13 (1995 views)

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Re: [jturpen] Palabra del día en español

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I'm new here, still deciding whether to subscribe, so I'm not sure what the forum was like before. But I think in all fairness that the title of this thread being "Learning Spanish" and not "Teaching Spanish" it is pretty hard to find fault with posters who volunteer their time and efforts to help others. Sure there may be some that use this place as a platform to presumir but isn't most posting on any forums about self validation?

If there is something beneficial in a post, regardless the poster's intention, doesn't that help a novice? Could Quevedo's intent be to get more involvement from other posters who may also benefit from this type of back and forth exchange? Or do you want it limited to direct answers to direct questions?