Learning Spanish

[Geo Eye]

Received a nice email from a newbie I am pursuing in Coronel Suarez. Any info on what is going on there besides Polo? Worth a side trip next time I am in BA? Anyway in her letter she uses the word joda, which on babel comes up as screw, but on a new translation site http://translation2.paralink.com/lowres.asp they use fuck. Any comments regarding?

Thanks

BE CAREFUL.

[Artisttyp]

I've been learning spanish for awhile now but I couldn't find the word for
"thinning shears " in my dictionary or translator. I know tijeras is scissors and fino / a is the word for thin.

I can put those words in the same sentence but it just doesn't sound as good as " I need *thinning shears on top"

Anyone have any idea?

Why the big deal? I've never gotten a haircut in latin america and I'm passing up $2 haircuts all over the place.

[Andres]

Received a nice email from a newbie I am pursuing in Coronel Suarez. Any info on what is going on there besides Polo? Worth a side trip next time I am in BA? Anyway in her letter she uses the word joda, which on babel comes up as screw, but on a new translation site http://translation2.paralink.com/lowres.asp they use fuck. Any comments regarding? Thanks.

It could also mean tease or joke or something funny or not very serious.

Coronel Suarez is located aprox 500 km from BA, somewhat 6-8 hour car ride. Some trekking nearby, but not much else (not worth a trip by itself)

Andres

[JuanCaminante]

Received a nice email from a newbie I am pursuing in Coronel Suarez. Any info on what is going on there besides Polo? Worth a side trip next time I am in BA? Anyway in her letter she uses the word joda, which on babel comes up as screw, but on a new translation site http://translation2.paralink.com/lowres.asp they use fuck. Any comments regarding? Thanks.

Could mean absolutely anything depending on the context.

Screw, bother or even a good night out

[Lunico]

Oh, and this bbs site is really neat. Interactive media and everything. Best of all its free!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

[Lunico]

I've heard Joda mean to bother from the verb joder.

No jodes would mean don't bother me. I've heard Argentines say "Podes dejar de joder"?

Would you stop bothering me?

My 2 cents.

[Master J]

Received a nice email from a newbie I am pursuing in Coronel Suarez. Any info on what is going on there besides Polo? Worth a side trip next time I am in BA? Anyway in her letter she uses the word joda, which on babel comes up as screw, but on a new translation site http://translation2.paralink.com/lowres.asp they use fuck. Any comments regarding?

Thanks

[Out for Flesh]

Honda means "sling" according to my dictionary. My dictionary (British) does indeed also say "microonda" with no "h" but I googled "microhonda" and came up with a bunch of ads for microwaves, and that's how I'm used to seeing it spelled. My guess would be that is to avoid having the same sound twice in a row, as is the case in "el agua" and "el ala."

"Microhonda" is just wrong (unless someone wants to refer to a microscopical sling:-) If it's written like that, it's a typo. The 'h' in the middle does change the sound of any of the 'o'. Googling for 'microhonda' give me 768 hits, and 376,000 for 'microonda'. Well, the latter is the winner!

Your observation about 'el agua' and the rest is very precise. Let me add only that even in this case you say 'una ala' (or 'esta ala') because the stress in 'una' is on the 'u' (I. E. It _has_ stress, while 'la' and 'el' do not have a proper stress)

[Dickhead]

Honda means "sling" according to my dictionary. My dictionary (British) does indeed also say "microonda" with no "h" but I googled "microhonda" and came up with a bunch of ads for microwaves, and that's how I'm used to seeing it spelled. My guess would be that is to avoid having the same sound twice in a row, as is the case in "el agua" and "el ala." Both those nouns are feminine but if a feminine noun begins with "a" and the stress is on the beginning syllable, you change the "la" to "el." Similar logic applies with, for example "Martin and Sons Plumbing"; it is "Martínez e Hijos." Ditto for "or others"; it is "u otros" and not "o otros." Note that in the first case, the plural reverts to "las"; "el ala" but "las alas."

Fun stuff, huh? As far as the Perú thing goes, you could be right. I don't recall the conversation that well. They call condoms "ponchos" in Perú if that helps.

[Moore]

I am not a great speller and guessed at "micro-onda", now looking at the word in use I see it is "microondas". The "onda" in this case appears to be a direct translation of wave to me; actually I'm surprised it's not just called a microwave in Spanish. Most technical and not-so-techical word imports from English aren't translated.

Except for the slang use, "onda" seems to refer to wave in the technical sense (like a sine wave or a microwave) and thus microwave got microondas. "Ola" seems to refer to wave in common usage like ocean wave or heat wave or even a wave of kidnappings.

I know nothing of the subtle differences in Peruvian Spanish, but are you sure that those surfers aren't referring to the sensation of the ride and not the wave itself when they say "onda"?

What does honda mean?

[Dickhead]

Again I think we have some regional variances. Surfers in Perú are always talking about catching the best "onda" or ocean wave. But, I've also heard "ola" as an ocean wave as Moore says. I've also heard "ola" used to refer to a heat wave. "Vibe" is an excellent and concise definition of how they use "onda" here in BA. Good job, Moore. I don't agree so much about what he says about microwave ovens as I usually see them referred to as "microhondas" and not "micro-ondas"; it would be pronounced the same either way. I suspect that etemology came from "honda" or oven in general rather than "onda" or wave in general.

Here's a good one I learned recently. "Barrilete" translates as "kite." Here it means a gal who sleeps around or moves from guy to guy and hence is somewhat pejorative or derogatory. In explaining this my friend moved her hand like a kite, going this way and that way as if with the whims of the wind. She said another way to call a woman a **** is "cualquiera" which literally translates into "whichever" or "any," as in: "Necesito una crema para mi piel" (I need some skin cream) "Qué tipo de crema?" "Cualquier crema." (What kind of cream do you want? Any kind will do; whatever skin cream you have to offer I will accept kind of thing)

[Moore]

Can also refer to intent. For instance, "te lo digo de buena onda" can mean, basically, "I'm telling you this as your friend".

Though a somewhat versatile word, "onda" best translates as "vibe". Buena onda = good vibes usually. Literally, onda means wave as in sound/other wave. Microwave is micro-onda. A wave in the ocean is ola.

[Bjoel]

Thanks DH. I was leaning toward that interpretation, but your explanation clarified it.

[Dickhead]

It is like how you hit it off, or chemistry. For example a chica might sleep with you "por plata" (for money) or "por onda" (because she digs you) "Una buena onda" is a good experience, or you "clicked" or there was good chemistry. It does indeed literally mean wave. Waves go up and down and come and go and some are better than others.

There is a chain of gift / junk shops called "Onda Shop." Go into one and you will see what I am talking about.

[Bjoel]

I have enough spanish to understand most of what is on the spanish foro at BG. One word has me stumped. What does "onda" refer to. My basic spanish says "wave" but it must mean something else.