cuacholote

[Juan Alvarez Cuauhtemoc]

As a Chicano growing up in a bordertown I oftentimes heard the word
cua-cha-lote, not cua-cho-lote.  But the context and meaning was different
than what Robert proposes.  Perhaps this has to do with regional variations
as he said.  In any case, cua-cha-lote was a "bad" word.  For example, the
word, "cua-cha" in cua-cha-lote meant "caca" (shit).  So, if someone said
"no vales cuacha."  It was the equivalent of saying "you are not worth
shit."  So, if someone called another "cua-cha-lote" it was, depending on
the context, either an insult or a cariñito.  Insult: "piece of shit."
Cariñito: "Este cago todo a su padre, mi cua-cha-lotito."  ("He completely
took after his father, my little piece of shit.")  In the nahuatlized
mestizo background where I come from we inherited the use of inverted
speech.  We, for example, used "papacito" to refer to its opposite -a little
boy.  Or hombre grande to refer to a small son.  When used with cariño even
the word "caca" meant its opposite -beauty.  So, to call someone with
cariño -mi cua-cha-lotito was, in essence, to call him the opposite, a
handsome boy.


Juan Alvarez Cuauhtemoc


----- Original Message -----
From: "robert barkaloff" <robert at COATLI.COM>
To: <NAHUAT-L at LISTS.UMN.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 1:26 PM
Subject: Re: cuacholote


> Joanna M. Sanchez wrote:
>
> > I am analyzing the Mexican Spanish slang term /cuacholote/, which
> > refers to a clumsy or untalented person, for its Nahuatl root.  Would
> > it be /cuauh-xeloa/, or should /cua-xolotl/ be considered /?/
>
> Just a note:  I grew-up hearing this word at me -- thank's mom.   I do
> remember the pronounciation as "cua-cha-lote."  This may be a regional
> variation, though  I have never heard the word pronounced as
> "cua-cho-lote."   I also assumed it to be "cuah-xolotl," though I'm not
> sure of it's derivation.  In the context which I understood the word, it
> refers to someone who is sloppy or unkempt in appearance or in their
doings.
>
> Robert