¡Hola Amigos!
Although I do not believe it to be in bad taste, the subject matter of this particular entry lends itself to being a little more crass than usual. Peruse at your own risk.
Due to my tendency of long-windedness, this starts with a story. Last Tuesday I took a three day trip to Mendoza, Argentina, a town located opposite Santiago on the Eastern side of the Andes. Not having found any friends to accompany me, I decided to travel alone. The trip was relatively uneventful and doesn't really merit a blog in and of itself, but there was one event in particular that sparked my creativity.
The highway to Mendoza is the same that we took on our trip to Portillo (see archives) and is one of the most intense mountain passes I have ever been on: what's more I did it in a tour bus. Midway on the journey one also has to stop to pass through customs and immigration. Between the twisty bumpy road and the 2 o'clock disembarkation in the freezing cold Chilean Andes, sleeping is more difficult than the typical night bus. When I arrived at 5:30 am Wednesday morning in Mendoza, I wanted nothing more than to crash for a couple hours. I went to the hostel and checked into the only room available: a ten-bed dormitory. I went straight to my bunk and laid down. Finally, I would be able to rest.
I was right at the fringe of consciousness when into the room walked seven guys, all about my age. The very first words I heard one of them say were "¡Oye huevón, otro huevón ya está!" ("Hey huevón, there's already another huevón here!). The minute he opened his mouth I knew two things: my roommates were all Chilean, and I wasn't going to get any sleep. Huevón is one of Chile's many modisms (slang), and is so unique that it practically defies translation. Even after three months in this country I am unable to use the word as the Chileans do. I will do my best to define it.
Huevón originates from the word "huevos"; a word that means both "eggs" and "balls" (testicles). It's origin thus being decidedly masculine, the term is generally applied to men, although it's usage among women (and in reference to women) is not uncommon. Due to the verbal sloth of the Chilean population, the pronunciation has been distorted over the years; hence when spoken it sounds something like "wheon" (pronounce it like English and you'll get the idea).
"Huevón" has several meanings. Primarily it is used among friends the way Americans use "dude", "man", "guy", or "buddy." For example, "¿oye huevón, que pasa?" could translate as "hey dude, what's up?" or "what's happening man?" However huevón can also be used as an insult. A close approximation in American English would be "jerk". "¡Vete de mi casa huevon!" might translate as "get out of my house, jerk!" In terms of usage and versatility, the closest English equivalent to "huevón" is a very vulgar four letter work that rhymes with the small black disc used to play ice hockey. Those familiar with the colloquial usage of this word will know that it too can be used as an insult, greeting, and exclamation among other things. Huevón, however, is different. It is not a word you would be afraid to use in front of your mother, for example.
The sheer frequency with which "huevón" is used is actually quite comical. I mean, if I had just one elephant for every time I've heard the word "huevón", I would have a whopping large pile of elephants. Here's an example we were given in my grammar class that illustrates the point well. (Yes, we had a 1.5 hour grammar class on the sole topic of swears, curses, vulgar expressions and the like. The whole class assumed that the professor had just used the curses to grab our interest, and we kept waiting for the tie-in to some infinitesimal grammatical nuance. We were wrong--an hour and a half later, the only things that had changed were that the room was painted blue and we were able to tell people exactly what we thought of them...in Spanish.) Ok, back to the example. Three Chileans are in a Chilean bar (this could only happen in Chile). Friends A and B are seated at the table, and friend C just went to buy another round of beers. Since friends A and B have each purchased a round already, friend C is buying the third and is subsequently a little loaded. As he winds his way back to the table holding three bottles, he fails to notice that there is a small step up in the floor. He trips, and the only reaction his dulled reflexes can come up with is to open his hands to prevent the ever painful nose-bashing-floor-boo boo. In the process all three beers fall and shatter on the ground. At this point, friend A leans over to friend B and says:
Although I do not believe it to be in bad taste, the subject matter of this particular entry lends itself to being a little more crass than usual. Peruse at your own risk.
Due to my tendency of long-windedness, this starts with a story. Last Tuesday I took a three day trip to Mendoza, Argentina, a town located opposite Santiago on the Eastern side of the Andes. Not having found any friends to accompany me, I decided to travel alone. The trip was relatively uneventful and doesn't really merit a blog in and of itself, but there was one event in particular that sparked my creativity.
The highway to Mendoza is the same that we took on our trip to Portillo (see archives) and is one of the most intense mountain passes I have ever been on: what's more I did it in a tour bus. Midway on the journey one also has to stop to pass through customs and immigration. Between the twisty bumpy road and the 2 o'clock disembarkation in the freezing cold Chilean Andes, sleeping is more difficult than the typical night bus. When I arrived at 5:30 am Wednesday morning in Mendoza, I wanted nothing more than to crash for a couple hours. I went to the hostel and checked into the only room available: a ten-bed dormitory. I went straight to my bunk and laid down. Finally, I would be able to rest.
I was right at the fringe of consciousness when into the room walked seven guys, all about my age. The very first words I heard one of them say were "¡Oye huevón, otro huevón ya está!" ("Hey huevón, there's already another huevón here!). The minute he opened his mouth I knew two things: my roommates were all Chilean, and I wasn't going to get any sleep. Huevón is one of Chile's many modisms (slang), and is so unique that it practically defies translation. Even after three months in this country I am unable to use the word as the Chileans do. I will do my best to define it.
Huevón originates from the word "huevos"; a word that means both "eggs" and "balls" (testicles). It's origin thus being decidedly masculine, the term is generally applied to men, although it's usage among women (and in reference to women) is not uncommon. Due to the verbal sloth of the Chilean population, the pronunciation has been distorted over the years; hence when spoken it sounds something like "wheon" (pronounce it like English and you'll get the idea).
"Huevón" has several meanings. Primarily it is used among friends the way Americans use "dude", "man", "guy", or "buddy." For example, "¿oye huevón, que pasa?" could translate as "hey dude, what's up?" or "what's happening man?" However huevón can also be used as an insult. A close approximation in American English would be "jerk". "¡Vete de mi casa huevon!" might translate as "get out of my house, jerk!" In terms of usage and versatility, the closest English equivalent to "huevón" is a very vulgar four letter work that rhymes with the small black disc used to play ice hockey. Those familiar with the colloquial usage of this word will know that it too can be used as an insult, greeting, and exclamation among other things. Huevón, however, is different. It is not a word you would be afraid to use in front of your mother, for example.
The sheer frequency with which "huevón" is used is actually quite comical. I mean, if I had just one elephant for every time I've heard the word "huevón", I would have a whopping large pile of elephants. Here's an example we were given in my grammar class that illustrates the point well. (Yes, we had a 1.5 hour grammar class on the sole topic of swears, curses, vulgar expressions and the like. The whole class assumed that the professor had just used the curses to grab our interest, and we kept waiting for the tie-in to some infinitesimal grammatical nuance. We were wrong--an hour and a half later, the only things that had changed were that the room was painted blue and we were able to tell people exactly what we thought of them...in Spanish.) Ok, back to the example. Three Chileans are in a Chilean bar (this could only happen in Chile). Friends A and B are seated at the table, and friend C just went to buy another round of beers. Since friends A and B have each purchased a round already, friend C is buying the third and is subsequently a little loaded. As he winds his way back to the table holding three bottles, he fails to notice that there is a small step up in the floor. He trips, and the only reaction his dulled reflexes can come up with is to open his hands to prevent the ever painful nose-bashing-floor-boo boo. In the process all three beers fall and shatter on the ground. At this point, friend A leans over to friend B and says:
"Oye, el huevón huevón, huevón."
Let me explain. The first "huevón" refers to friend C. The second "huevón" refers to his screw-up, and can be treated as a verb: "to huevón". The third "huevón" refers to friend B, to whom the oration is voiced. Thus is "huevón". It can be shouted at a TV during a soccer match, hollered out a car window to a friend, screamed out a car window in a fit of rage, crammed into a sentence so full of "huevones" that you didn't think another would fit, and used to greet a long-time friend or someone you just met. And that doesn't even scratch the surface. At the same time "huevón" means everything, and means nothing. Even in Argentina I was unable to escape it, and you know what they say: "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
Ya me voy, huevónes.
Andrius
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