Español for Gringos

Sign advertising Coca Cola at a bodega

Tienes sed?

and the translation given: Thirsty?

suefrankdahl wrote:

Sign advertising Coca Cola at a bodega

Tienes sed?

and the translation given: Thirsty?

Correct.  Literally...Do you have thirst?

Possible answers...

Sí, tengo sed.

No, no tengo sed.

Sign on the 6 de Diciembre façade of the huge Colegio Municipal Benalcazar (Benalcazar City High School) in Quito....

Aquí Se Dice y Se Enseña Solamente La Verdad.

Only the Truth is Spoken and Taught Here.


On the back of an open-air bus filled with partiers and loud music, traveling on Calle Antonio Ante in Quito on Sunday night....

Chiva de su Pueblo...La Original Discoteca de Ruedas.

Your Town's Party Bus.  The Original Disco on Wheels.

Today's Entertainment and News Headlines,
  Courtesy of MSN Entertainment, Latin America

Peligro:  No Comas Papas Fritas en Bolsa

Danger:  Don't Eat Potato Chips From a Bag

Amal y George Clooney:
  Cinco Casas y Ningún Hogar

Amal and George Clooney:
  Five Houses and Not One Home

JLo Festaje Sus 46 Años
  Con un Look Infartante

Jenifer Lopez Celebrates Her 46 Years
   With a Heart-Stopping Look

Translating famous North American ad slogans and songs....


Smuckers jams and preserves:

With a name like Smuckers it has to be good.

Con un nombre como Smuckers tiene que ser bueno.


Chevrolet cars:

See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet.

Ver Los Estados Unidos en su Chevrolet.


The Brylcreem hair-styling pomade song:

Brylcreem, a little dab'll do ya...

Brylcreem, you look so debonair...

Brylcreem, the gals'll all come to ya...

They love to run their fingers through your hair.


Brylcreem, un toque es suficiente...

Brylcreem, te ves tan caballeroso...

Brylcreem, las chicas te acercarán...

Las gusta a correr sus dedos a través de tu cabello.

                                                                .

Signs spotted at the OkiDoki convenience store at Avenida Colón and Juan León Mera in Quito's Mariscal sector....

OkiDoki combos:  ¿De Qué Tienes Ganas Hoy?

OkiDoki combos:   What Do You Feel Like Getting Today?


HotDoki por solo 1.79 para todos los gustos.

"HotDoki" hot dog for just $1.79 for all tastes.


Local 100 por ciento Libre de Humo de Tobaco.

Store 100 percent Free of Tobacco Smoke.

Signs seen at Megamaxi 6 de Diciembre in Quito during this week's artesanal bread festival....

Pan de Muesli...Esta clase de pan puede ser de gran ayuda en períodos de estrés y depresión por su alto contenido de vitaminas de complejo B.

Muesli Bread...This kind of bread can be of great help during periods of stress and depression due to its high content of B complex vitamins.


Por favor asegúrese de cerrar el exhibidor luego de tomar el pan.  Agradecemos su comprensión.

Please be sure to close the (clear plastic) showcase after removing the bread.  We thank you for understanding.

Today's news and pop culture headlines from msn.com/español....

¿Como hará Trump para que México pague por el muro?

How will Trump make Mexico pay for the wall?


Ecuador:  Condenan represión en manifestaciones

Ecuador:  Repression condemned at demonstrations


La vergonzosa y sospechosa caída de Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga's embarrassing and suspicious fall


                                                                      .

Animal and supermodel headlines from msn.com/español....

Como volver loco a tu gato con un ordenador

How to drive your cat crazy with a computer


Heidi Klum responde de la manera perfecta a Donald Trump

Heidi Klum gives the perfect response to Donald Trump


¡Mamá... Hay un oso en la cocina!

Mom... There's a bear in the kitchen!


                                                          -

Signs along Avenida América in Quito, near Avenida Atahualpas....

Outside a farmacia ...

Fybeca ...
       Porque ser mamá no es tarea fácil.

Fybeca ...
       Because being a mom is not an easy task.


Street poster for cellphone service showing a young man taking a selfie with his cellphone...

Con Claro estás en todo ...
       Claro Chat ilimitado por $1 diario.
           Precio incluye impuestos.

With Claro you are in everything ...
     Unlimited Claro Chat for a dollar a day.
          Price includes tax.


Ortodoncia   223 8601
       Con una gran sonrisa - todo cambia.

Orthodontics  223 8601
      With a big smile - everything changes.

Dueling T-shirts at QuiCentro shopping mall in Quito this weekend.

A young woman walked by Sweet & Coffee wearing an English-language T-shirt, which said...

    I live to love ... love to give.

       Vivo para amar ... amor a dar


Three minutes later, another young woman walked by with a different T-shirt, which said....

    Never liked you anyway!

       Nunca me gustaste de todos modos.


                                                                      .

Food outlet names at the food court or patio de comidas on the second level of Quito's QuiCentro shopping mall.  Original names in Spanish are on the left....

Casa Res                                   Beef House

Noe Sushi Bar

Hamburguesas de Corral          Corral's Burgers

Menestras del Negro                 Blackie's Soups

Magico Oriental                         Eastern Magic (Chinese fast-food)

La Tablita de Tartaro                 Tartaro's Little Counter


Sign outside a stationery and technology store in the same mall ....

Regrese a ¡clases!  Entra a Super*Paco y descubre las promociones que tenemos part ti.

Back to classes!  Come into Super*Paco and discover the specials we have for you.

Great literature titles translated to español....

The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway

El Sol Tambien Sube


The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne

La Carta Escarlata


Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

De Ratones y Hombres


A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain

Un Yanqui de Connecticut en la Corte de Rey Arturo


You Can't Go Home Again, Thomas Wolfe

No Puedes Regresar a Casa Otra Vez

Signs inside a Quito bus on the Venezuela-Vargas-America line....

Si no le entregan su ticket  No pague.

If you're not given a receipt   You don't pay.


On a sign in the bus, with symbols showing a man with a cane, a man on crutches, a woman carrying an infant in her lap, and a woman whose X-ray shows her to be pregnant with child....

Este asiento es de preferencia.

This spot is for preferred seating.


Storefront sign seen from a bus on 6 de Diciembre....

Lavanderia Blanquita ... en agua y al peso ... se tiñe ropa.

Whitey's Laundry ... in water and by weight ...
    we color clothing.

                                                                   .

Un conserje del circo odió a limpiar tras los elefantes.  El estaba quejando continualmente al otro conserje.

Por fin, el segundo conserje preguntó, "¿Si lo odies tan mucho, por qué solo no renuncies?"

"¿Que -- y abandonar el mundo del espectáculo?"

-------------------------------------

A circus janitor hated to clean up after the elephants.  He was always complaining to the other janitor.

Finally the second janitor asked, "If you hate it so much, why not just quit?"

"What !  And leave show business ?!"

Let's go to the movies....

Gone With the Wind
Clark Gable, Vivien Lee, Butterfly McQueen

Se Fue Con El Viento


The Untouchables
Kevin Costner as Elliot Ness,
   Robert De Niro as Al Capone

Los Intocables


No Country For Old Men
Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem,
   Woody Harrelson

No País Para Ancianos


A Few Good Men
Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore

Unos Buenos Hombres


The Sunshine Boys
Walter Matthau, George Burns, Richard Benjamin

Los Chicos del Luz Solar


The Graduate
Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross

El Graduado

Two more jokes:

Llega una vez el presidente de la república a hablar sobre la economía de su país a una conferencia de prensa, entonces le dice un periodista: Señor presidente, ¿Es verdad que en la actualidad hay crisis económica? El presidente le contesta: Pues la verdad, mi gobierno ha hecho un estudio, y déjenme decirles, que realmente sólo hay 6 personas que sufren crisis económica. Entonces le pregunta otro periodista: ¿Y dígame quienes son esas 6 personas? El presidente contesta: Yo, tú, él, nosotros, ellos y ellas.

The President of the Republic arrives one time to talk about the country's economy at a press conference, so a journalist says to him:    Mr. President, is it true that right now there is an economic crisis?  The President answers:  Well, the truth is, my government has done a study, and let me tell you all, there really are only 6 people who are suffering an economic crisis.  So then another journalist asks:  And tell me, who are these 6 people?  The President answers:  Me, you, him, us, them (male) and them (female).

Se encuentra un político dando su discurso para su nueva campaña, y justamente cuando va a decir qué problemas va a resolver, se oye un rebuzno de algún burro de las cercanías. El político enojadísimo grita: ¿Quién hizo eso? ¿De dónde salió? Y entonces alguien del público le dice: No se preocupe, sólo es el eco.

It so happened that a politician giving his speech for his new campaign, just as he was going to say the problems he was going to solve, hears the braying of some burro in the vicinity.  The politician extremely annoyed shouts:  Who did that?  Where did that come from?  So some one of the public tells him:  Don't worry, it's just the echo.

Una vez, Hermano Archer y yo estábamos intentando a huir de un oso enojado.

cccmedia:  Amigo, nunca podríamos escapar de este oso.

Hermano Archer:  No necesito sobrepasar al oso.  Solo necesito sobrepasar a usted.

------------------------
One time, brother Archer and I were trying to run away from an angry bear.

cccmedia:  Amigo, we're never gonna get away from this bear.

Hermano Archer:  I don't need to outrun the bear.  I just need to outrun you.

Cuando Hermano Archer era más joven, su primer puesto era trabajando en un supermercado de tamaño mediano.

Su primer día allí, su nuevo jefe saludó a Hermano A en una manera amistosa, lo proveó una escoba y lo dijo que su primera tarea sería limpiando la tienda entera por escoba.

"¡Pero soy graduado de la universidad!" dijo Hermano A.

"No se preocupe en eso," dijo el jefe.  "En ese caso, le mostraré como a hacerlo."

----------

When Brother Archer was younger, his first job was working in a medium-size supermarket.

On his first day there, his new boss gave Brother A a friendly greeting, provided him with a broom and told him that his first task would be to sweep out the whole store.

"But I'm a university graduate!" said Brother A.

"Don't worry about it," said the boss.  "In that case, I'll show you how."

                                                      ,

"¿Qué es la diferencia entre ignorancia y apatía?"

Hermano Archer:  "No sé y no me importa."

----------

"What is the difference between ignorance and apathy?"

Brother Archer:  "I don't know and I don't care."

I couldn't help but follow the exciting saga of cccmedia finally getting his driver's license in Ecuador.  But it seems he's already in trouble!

BOLETA POR EXCESO DE VELOCIDAD
Un oficial de la policía para al imitador de Elvis por exceso de velocidad y muy amablemente pregunta a ver su licencia de conducción.
El contesta indignado, "Quisiera que ustedes se despabilen.  Solo ayer ustedes me quitaron la licencia y entonces hoy ¡esperen que la muestro!

SPEEDING TICKET
A police officer stops an Elvis impersonator for speeding and asks him very nicely if he could see his driver's license.
He replies in a huff, "I wish you guys would get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you!"

=========================================
Alas, now cccmedia is on foot again:

PASEO POR EL RIO
Hay una expatriada caminando.  Encuentra un rio y ve un imitador de Elvis a la otra orilla.  "Yoo-hoo" grita ella, "¿Como puedo cruzar al otro lado?"
El imitador de Elvis mira rio arriba y entonces a rio abajo y contesta gritando "¡Ya ESTA al otro lado!"

RIVER WALK
There's an expat out for a walk. She comes to a river and sees an Elvis impersonator on the opposite bank. "Yoo-hoo!" she shouts, "How can I get to the other side?"
The Elvis impersonator looks up the river then down the river and shouts back, "You already ARE on the other side!"

OsageArcher wrote:

The Elvis impersonator looks up the river...

Preferiríamos el uso del término artista de tributo.

We would prefer using the term tribute artist.

Hermano Archer ofrece este consejo acerca de matrimonio ...

"Un hombre debe tomar una esposa ... porque no puedes culpar al gobierno por todo."

----------

Brother Archer offers this advice about marriage ...

"A man must take a wife ... because you can't blame everything on the government."

Cuando Hermano Archer era más joven, tuvo problemas en conseguir citas con mujeres de su edad.

Una vez, él llamó por teléfono a una chica con quien quería salir sábado por la noche.

"No puedo hablar contigo ahora," dijo la chica.  "Hay un telemárketer en la otra línea."

----------

When Brother Archer was younger, he had difficulty getting dates with women his age.

One time, he called a girl that he wanted to go out with Saturday night.

"I can't talk with you now," said the girl.  "There's a telemarketer on the other line."

Yes, I have had problems with women over the years...but this joke is NOT based on any personal experiences...and the drunk in this joke is NOT a certain "Elvis Tribute Artist", at least that's his story and he's sticking to it.

This is bordering - but only bordering - on being a "chiste verde", a "dirty joke" with a sexual connotation.

Estaban 3 mujeres y un borracho en una esquina a las 2 de la mañana.
Pasa la  patrulla y se lleva a los cuatro...Al llegar a la delegación les preguntan:
Nombre, nacionalidad y ocupación...

Laura López, panameña, secretaria...

Maria González, ecuatoriana,  organizadora de eventos...

Claudia Pérez, dominicana, ama de casa...

El borracho dice: ¡Hombre!  ¡Ahora resulta que la puta soy yo!

-----------------------

There were 3 women and a drunk on a corner at 2 in the morning.

The police patrol passes and picks up the four of them...Arriving at the local office they ask:
Name. nationality and occupation...

Laura López, Panamanian, secretary...

Maria González, Ecuadorian,  event organizer...

Claudia Pérez, Dominican Republic, housewife...

The drunk says:  Man!  It turns out that I'M the prostitute!

This joke doesn't translate well to English, but the play on words is between "por favor" (please) and "por babor" (on the port side, which is the left side).

El artista de tributo a Elvis, paseando en un barquito de turismo, pidió:  Capitán, puedo desembarcar por la izquierda?

Capitán: Se dice por babor.

Artista:  OK.  Por babor, Capitán, puedo bajar por la izquierda?

------------------

The Elvis tribute artist, while on a sightseeing boat, asked:  Captain, can I get off the boat on the left?

Captain:  One says 'por babor'.

Artist:  OK.  Por babor, can I get down on the left?

Un chiste contado por el arcobispo Fulton J. Sheen:  "Recuerdo ir al Grand Central Station una mañana para desayunar y dije a la mesera, 'Quiero un café, un huevo tibio, pan tostado y algunas palabras simpáticas.'  Cuando ella me trajo el café, el pan tostado, el huevo - y la cuenta, dije '¿No tienes unas palabras simpáticas?  Ella contestó, 'Que no comas el huevo.'"

A joke told by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen:  “I recall going into the Grand Central Station one morning for breakfast and I said to the waitress, ‘I want a cup of coffee, a boiled egg, some toast and a few kind words.' When she brought me coffee, the toast, the egg—and the check, I said, ‘Don't you have a few kind words?' She replied, ‘Don't eat the egg.'”

A la larga, Hermano Archer encontró mas éxito con las mujeres, y conseguió a una novia.

Ella era hermosa y rica pero se la faltó un mente brilliante.

Una vez, Hermano A la llamó por teléfono de coche mientras ella estaba conduciendo en su carro sophisticado en Carretera 35.

"Querida," dijo Hermano A, "ten cuidado.  Acabo de oír por radio que hay un coche manejando en la dirección equivocada en Carretera 35."

"No está solamente uno!" dijo la novia.  "Hay cientos!"

----------

Eventually, Brother Archer had more success with women, and got a girlfriend.

She was beautiful and rich, but lacked a brilliant mind.

One time, Brother A called her on her car phone while she was driving her fancy car on Highway 35.

"Darling," he said, "be careful.  I just heard on the radio that there's a car going the wrong way on Highway 35."

"There's not just one!" said the girlfriend.  "There's hundreds!"


                                                                   .

De vez en cuando, Hermano Archer experimentó sus propios problemas conduciendo, y usualmente intenté a evitar un castigo por hablar.

Una vez, un policía lo atrapó por conducir demasiado rápido.

"Será necesario a reportarte, joven," dijo el oficial.  "Estabas manejando a una velocidad de 140 kilómetros por hora."

"Eso es ridículo," dijo Hermano A.  "Solo he estado en el coche, diez minutos."

----------

On occasion, Brother Archer ran into his own problems driving, and usually he tried to talk his way out of it.

One time, a cop caught him driving too fast.

"I'm gonna have to report you, young man," said the traffic officer.  "You were going 85 miles an hour."

"That's ridiculous!" said Brother A.  "I've only been in the car for ten minutes"

Brother Archer has passed the test!

He took all the ribbing in stride and just kept sparring, with fresh jokes and translations daily.

We respect Brother Archer as one of the most knowledgeable posters on this forum, and for his willingness to share his knowledge with the members.

cccmedia in Quito

Riddle...

¿Por qué no tenían las vacas al tambo de Granjero Brown bastante dinero para visitar el casino?

Porque Granjero Brown las ha ordeñado .. secas.

---------

Why didn't the cows at Farmer Brown's dairy farm have enough money to visit the casino?

Because Farmer Brown had milked them dry !

                                                                      .

Lorena ran into her friend the Elvis Tribute Artist and said to him:
-- Hello Elvis Tribute Artist!  I haven't seen you for a long while.  What have you been up to?

-- Well nothing, I left my career as an artist to dedicate myself to writing.  I'm a writer now.

-- How wonderful!  I admire people who give up their careers to dedicate themselves to what they've always dreamed about.  Have you sold anything?

-- Yes!  My house, my car, my shares of stocks in the market...almost everything!

------------

Lorena se encuentra a su amigo el artista de tributo a Elvis y le dice:
-- ¡Hola artista de tributo a Elvis!  Hace mucho que no te veía.  ¿Que has hecho?

-- Pues nada, abandoné mi carrera de artista para dedicarme a escribir.  Ahora soy escritor.

-- ¡Que bien!  Admiro la gente que abandona su carrera para dedicarse a lo que siempre soñó,  ¿Has vendido algo?

-- ¡Sí!  Mi casa, mi carro, mis acciones en la bolsa...¡Casi todo!

OsageArcher wrote:

Lorena ran into her friend the Elvis Tribute Artist and said to him:
-- Hello Elvis Tribute Artist!  I haven't seen you for a long while.  What have you been up to?

-- Well nothing, I left my career as an artist to dedicate myself to writing.  I'm a writer now.

-- How wonderful!  I admire people who give up their careers to dedicate themselves to what they've always dreamed about.  Have you sold anything?

-- Yes!  My house, my car, my shares of stocks in the market...almost everything!!

Ah yes! That sounds much like my writing career. Three books published, gross income = as near to zero as doesn't matter.

Thankfully, I never gave up the day job.

There's such a thing as an ice cream taco.  Google it if you doubt me and you can see some.

But what is the flavor taxo ice cream?  I saw this on exterior signage at two ice cream shops in Quito this week while looking out of a moving taxi.  It doesn't appear in my online diccionarios.

Anyway, here are some translatable flavors seen on those signs....

coco                           coconut

frutilla                         strawberry

vainilla                        vanilla

mora                           blackberry

chocolate                   chocolate

naranjilla                    naranjilla (citrus fruit)

chicle                         chewing gum

frutas picadas            spicy fruits

In Spanish, chocolate is pronounced:
    cho-koh-LAH-tay

Emergency phone numbers posted inside a Quito restaurant....

Teléfonos de Emergencia

Bomberos   102                   Fire Department

Policía Nacional   101       National Pólice

Cruz Roja   131                 Red Cross

Ecu911     911                   General EC 911 Emergency number

Carta a la mujer amada:

Por ti soy capaz de cualquier cosa:  Cruzar nadando océanos.  Llegar a la cima de la montaña más alta del mundo.  Gritar a los cuatro vientos sobre mi amor por ti.  Enfrentar cualquier obstáculo que nos separe...Te amo tanto.

P.D.  Llegaré el jueves, si no llueve.

Letter to the woman I love:

For you I am capable of anything:  Swimming across oceans.  Getting to the top of the highest mountain in the world.  Shouting to the four winds of my love for you.  Facing any obstacle that separates us...I love you so much.

P.S.  I will arrive Thursday, if it doesn't rain.

OsageArcher wrote:

Por ti soy capaz de cualquier cosa:  Cruzar nadando océanos.  Llegar a la cima de la montaña más alta del mundo.  Gritar a los cuatro vientos sobre mi amor por ti.  Enfrentar cualquier obstáculo que nos separe...Te amo tanto.:

For you I am capable of anything:  Swimming across oceans.  Getting to the top of the highest mountain in the world.  Shouting to the four winds of my love for you.  Facing any obstacle that separates us...I love you so much.

¿Hay alguna posibilidad que puedes traerla helado de sabor taxo?[/i]

Any chance you could bring her some "taxo" ice cream?

cccmedia wrote:

Any chance you could bring her some "taxo" ice cream?

"Taxo" is another name for a member of the Passion Flower family, also known as Curuba, Parcha and a bunch of other names:

http://articulos.infojardin.com/Frutale … lisima.htm

I'm not sure if this is the same Parcha as found in Puerto Rico, which is called Maracuyá in Colombia (and maybe the same in Ecuador?).

An informative page with pictures from Joanna, who points out there are many different passion fruit varieties found in Ecuador, Taxo (also known as the banana passion fruit) and Maracuyá being just two of them:

http://ecuadorjoannansilmin.blogspot.co … acuya.html

Another informative page:

http://railroadinthesky.com/tag/fruit/

OsageArcher wrote:

cccmedia wrote:

Any chance you could bring her some "taxo" ice cream?

"Taxo" is another name for a member of the Passion Flower family, also known as Curuba....


http://articulos.infojardin.com/Frutale … lisima.htm

An informative page with pictures from Joanna, who points out there are many different passion fruit varieties found in Ecuador, Taxo (also known as the banana passion fruit) and Maracuyá being just two of them:

http://ecuadorjoannansilmin.blogspot.co … acuya.html

Another informative page:

http://railroadinthesky.com/tag/fruit/

Muy educativa.  Gracias para explicar.

Estamos interpretando su contesta a nuestra pregunta original como un "yes."

-----

Extremely educational.  Thanks for explaining.

As for our original question, we'll take your answer as a "yes."

                                                                                           .