Chili Queen & Chiquita & How's tricks?

[Wilson Gray]

"I'm Chiquita Banana and I've come to say
Bananas like to ripen in a certain way!
When they are flecked with brown and have a golden hue
Bananas taste the best and are best for you!
You can put them in a salad
You can put them in a pie, ay!
Any way you want to eat them
It's impossible to beat them
But bananas like the climate
of the very, very tropical equator
So, you should never put bananas
In the refrigerator!"

-Wilson

On 9/20/06, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Chili Queen & Chiquita & How's tricks?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Thanks, Barry!  My earliest "How's tricks?" was 1906.
>
>   JL
>
> Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject: Chili Queen & Chiquita & How's tricks?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Any historical citations for "chili queen" and "Chiquita" and "How's Tricks=
> "=20
> will be appreciated.
> ...
> Perhaps "Chiquita" (female name) is relevant to the "Chick" (male name)=20
> discussion.
> ...
> ...
> _http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/chili_queen_or_chile_queen/=
> _=20
> (http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/chili_queen_or_chile_queen/=
> )=20
> ...
> =20
> Entry from September 20, 2006=20
> Chili Queen (or Chile Queen)
> =20
> A =E2=80=9Cchili queen=E2=80=9D (or =E2=80=9Cchile queen") was a woman in th=
> e 1880 and 1890s who=20
> sold chili. The term was popular in San Antonio, and the chili queens opera=
> ted=20
> near or in the Alamo. The term is of historical interest today.=20
>
>
> 28 September 1891, Daily Light (San Antonio, TX), pg. 2?:=20
> The chile queen has taken to the stage again. This time she will =E2=80=9Cs=
> upe=E2=80=9D in=20
> the dramatic. =20
>
> 3 November 1897, Stevens Point (WI) Daily Journal, pg. 2?: =20
> THE CHILI QUEENS.=20
>
> THEIR THRONES WERE IN SAN AN- =20
> TONIO=E2=80=99S HISTORIC ALAMO.=20
>
> Their Reign Is Faded, But They Rules=20
> Royally For a Long Times=E2=80=94They Were=20
> Especially Gracious to the Tourist From=20
> the North and Made It Pay. =20
>
> When the northern tourist used to strike the town, the first things the =20
> patriotic citizen who was doing the honors would proudly steer him up agains=
> t =20
> would be the Alamo plaza chili stand, with its attendant divinity, the far f=
> amed =20
> chili queen.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CNow, sir, you=E2=80=99ve seen the historic Alamo, the old cathedra=
> l and the=20
> missions and got a whiff of our ozone,=E2=80=9D the citizen would remark wi=
> th righteous=20
> pride, =E2=80=9Cand tonight you must come and east a Mexican supper and see=
> the chili=20
> queens. The chili queens are one of our most noted attractions=E2=80=94the=20=
> beautiful,=20
> dark eyed senoritas, you know.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> The tourist generally knew. This was in the late eighties, the palmy days o=
> f=20
> the chili queens, when their fame had spread to the larger northern cities.=
> =20
> Some very musical verse about them had appeared in the magazines, and in th=
> e=20
> newspaper sketches they were idealized as stunning creatures, with the rich=
> ,=20
> brown skins of the tropics and the languorous grace and bewitching black ey=
> es=20
> of Spanish donnas.=20
>
> When the citizen and the tourist stroll up to the gay looking chili stand=20
> with its big red, green and yellow lanterns and its scintillating pyramids=20=
> of=20
> cheap but gorgeous glassware, she promptly shuts up the sporty young man wh=
> o=20
> is bandying slang with her or quits haggling with the chili gorged bootblac=
> k=20
> over change.=20
>
> She hastily rearranges the flowers in her hair and the big bouquet at he=20
> bosom and beams o nthe new arrivals with sparkling eyes.=20
>
> The citizen addresses her with an easy familiarity. =20
>
> =E2=80=9CHello, Chiquita! How=E2=80=99s tricks?=E2=80=9D=20
>
> =E2=80=9CHello, senor. Tricks are bueno. How is my amigo, the senor?=E2=80=
> =9D=20
>
> They all used the Spanish dialect when they had special customers, despite=20
> the fact that other tongues came easier to some of them by nature. There we=
> re=20
> six reigning queens on the plaza in 1888, and one of them was of German=20
> descent and another was born in the island where the sod is highly green an=
> d there=20
> are no snakes. The other four, however, were senoritas of the genuine=20
> Mexican variety.=20
>
> Chiquita=E2=80=99s eyes sparkle with their most brilliant luster, and, with=
> a quick=20
> succession of flashing smiles, she uses her red lips and white teeth to goo=
> d=20
> advantage on the tourist while she engaged in badinage with the citizen.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CYou=E2=80=99re looking prettier than ever tonight, Chiquita. I=E2=
> =80=99m glad of it,=20
> because we want to make a good impression on my friend here. He=E2=80=99s f=
> rom away up=20
> north, you know, and he=E2=80=99s heard of you before.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> Then Chiquita uses her tinkling laugh and slaps the citizen gently on the=20
> cheek.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CSo sorry, but I have not a single nickel to give you. But take thi=
> s flower=20
> instead.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> She transfers a big rose from her corsage to the citizen=E2=80=99s buttonho=
> le. The=20
> tourist is beginning to want his share of the fun.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CYes, I heard of you up there, and that=E2=80=99s one reason I came=20=
> down here=E2=80=94to=20
> see you, you know.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> =E2=80=9COh my! You must have a flower too.=E2=80=9D =20
>
> Her hands linger lightly on his coat as she carefully pins a spray of =20
> honeysuckle on, and the tourist begins to believe that he must have come dow=
> n here=20
> for this. He is enjoying himself very much.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CWell, let=E2=80=99s being on our chili peppers,=E2=80=9D suggests=20=
> the citizen. =E2=80=9CYou say=20
> you never ate one before? We had better take a little of everything, then,=20=
> so=20
> you can say you =E2=80=98did=E2=80=99 San Antonio right. Bring us the whole=
> bill of fare,=20
> Chiquita.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> The queen turns sharply to the slimy looking old Mexican who has charge of=20
> the steaming pots and kettles in the rear and rattles off this with a celer=
> ity=20
> which seems to astonish the tourist:=20
>
> =E2=80=9CJesus, andarle! Dos platas de chili con carne, y dos tamales con c=
> hili=20
> gravy, de enchilades tortillas, y dos tazas de cafe.=E2=80=9D =20
>
> The fiercely burning chili con carne agonizes the tourist and he chokes on=20
> the enchilades, but he manages to struggle through the tamales by drinking a=
> =20
> great deal of water. Meanwhile, the chili queen sits opposite him in a =20
> languishing attitude and keeps up her tinkling laugh. When it comes time to=20=
> go, he=20
> insists on paying the bill, despite protests of the citizen, and tenders a $=
> 5 =20
> bill. Chiquita seems to have trouble in counting out the change and a though=
> t =20
> strikes the tourist.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CSay, Chiquita,=E2=80=9D he says tentatively, =E2=80=9Cyou needn=E2=
> =80=99t mind that if=E2=80=9D=E2=80=94=20
>
> =E2=80=9CYou mean you want to make me a present?=E2=80=9D=20
>
> As that is what he means, she tucks the bill in her bosom, and gives the=20
> tourist a fond look. She places another rose from her hair and pins it on h=
> is=20
> coat and squeezes his hand in bidding him goodby.=20
>
> Then, when her customers are gone, she goes and sits down in front of one o=
> f=20
> the steaming kettles, with a lap full of tortillas, which she uses to scoop=
> =20
> up large mouthfuls of chili.=20
>
> Chiquita was a fair type of all the chili queens. They were not the idyllic=
> =20
> creatures of popular conception that they appeared to be when on dress=20
> parade, but most of them were really comely and they had the charm at least=
> of=20
> novelty.=20
>
> The glory of the chili queens waned and flickered away with great=20
> suddenness, and they themselves drifted away from the high tide of fame and=
> fortune in=20
> a like manner.=E2=80=94San Antonio Express.=20
>
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-----
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