FOREIGN PHRASES
abrazo embrace
accomblé inoperative, overwhelmed
ambiente ambiance
añejo a dry rum
Ay, caramba! Can you believe it!
Ayúdame, compadre. Help me, my friend.
barbudos lit., “bearded ones”; nickname for Castro’s soldiers
beaucoup much
Besitos, estúpido Kisses, stupid
caballero gentleman
caballero espléndido distinguished gentleman
café con leche coffee with milk
casa del Coloso house of the Colossus (i.e., the United States)
casa ella in her house, referring to her
cerveza beer
chez les Russes among the Russians
chico kiddo
ciao good-bye
claro of course; agreed
cojones testicles
cómico comical
comandante commander
Cómo no? Isn’t that so? Right?
como dos melones gigantescos like two giant melons
con más distinguidos sentimientos with my most distinguished sentiments
coño sur lit., “cone of the south”; i.e., South America from the southern border of Brazil to the Straits of Magellan
desnudar to denude, divest
división de opiniones controversy
droit de seigneur feudal right of the first night
Du liebst mich? Do you love me?
Du liebst mich ein Bisschen. You love me a little.
duros tough guys, thugs
eiskaltblütig ice-cold-blooded, cold-blooded
el Mar Caribe the Caribbean
el caudillo the leader
el mundo sintético de Miami the synthetic world of Miami
el patrón the owner
embajaderos ambassadors
Embajada de Gran Bretaña Embassy of Great Britain
emisiones lo más elegantes most distinguished emissions
Encore je blague Again, I joke
en el fondo at bottom
en famille in the family
espontáneo an amateur who jumps over the railing into a bullfight
estancia ranch
fenomenal phenomenal
Fidelistas followers of Castro
Figure-toi! Conceive of it!
flics police
fundador brandy
gangsterismo gangster style, or way of life
golpe a shot of liquor; a blow, a punch
granja de pueblo village farm
Habanero native of Havana
hacendado rancher, land-owner
hermano brother
Hola! Hey! Hello!
hombre man
Il n’y a rien de mieux? Nothing better?
inter alia among other things
ja yes
joven young man
Joven, este botella es sin vergüenza. Por favor, trae un otro con un corcho correcto. Young man, this bottle is shameless. Please bring another with a cork that is not rotten.
kishkes guts
la partouse orgy
le mot juste the perfect word
l’homme moyen sensuel an average man
madre del diablo mother of the devil
malgré lui despite him
mañana tomorrow
Marxismo es mierda. Marxism is shit.
Marxismo es odioso. Marxism is disgusting.
mais oui of course
mayombero practitioner of palo mayombe, or black magic
mein Schatz, liebster Schatz my sweetheart, my beloved
mille baisers a thousand kisses
Monsieur, il y a des mauvaises nouvelles. Des nouvelles étonnants. Votre President Kennedy a été frappé par un assassin à Dallas, Texas. Sir, there is very bad news. Shocking news. Your President Kennedy has been shot by an assassin in Dallas, Texas.
muy jocoso very funny
nichts nothing
novio fiancé
Oberhofmeister top boss
On ne sait de plus, monsieur, sauf qu’il y avait un grand bouleversement. One doesn’t know any more, sir, than that there’s been a terrible disruption.
perdiz partridge
pistolero a man who carries a handgun
poco a little
por fortuna by chance
pourboire tip, gratuity
precioso rare, wonderful
prestidigitación sleight of hand
privar to deprive
pronto immediately
pundonor masculine honor, noblesse oblige
punkt exactly, precisely
residentura leading KGB man in a Russian embassy
Salud! Health!
Santería Afro-Cuban magical religion that combines Yoruba gods with Catholic saints
sans façons without artifice, straight
shvartzer black man
shtup fuck, i.e., a stuffing
siestero one who takes a midday nap
Suerte. Good luck.
sub cauda under the tail
sui generis unique
tapas appetizers
todas las noches every night
un hermafrodito hermaphrodite
un juego de manos a trick of the hands
un tour de drôle a farce
una enormidad an enormity, a catastrophe
una mujer sin alma a woman without scruples
Uno, dos, tres, quatro, viva Fidel Castro Ruz! One, two, three, four, long live Fidel Castro Ruz!
und so weiter and so forth
vaquero cowboy
verboten forbidden
Verdad? True? Is that so?
verwundbar vulnerable, sore, tender
Vous-êtes américain? Are you American?
Yanqui, fuera. Yankee, go home.