Is Spanish a plus for Americans?

mio Cid   Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:45 pm GMT
Do you think they refuse to learn it or are willing to learning it because they have the opportunity to practice it and they can hear it in many cities and places?
I think if they are, they'll have the chance to understand things like:

1) their music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3KeMuXvBy0
2) their idioms: What we say

. Esto es una bicoca o ¡Vaya bicoca!: Comes from the battle of Biccoca and
as a result of the battle, the word "bicoca"—meaning a bargain, or something acquired at little cost—entered the Spanish language

. Valer un potosí:
Del monte Potosí en Bolivia. En la época de la colonización española de America, ese monte era muy rico en minerales de los que los colonizadores españoles se enriquecieron. De ahí la expresión valer un potosí.

. Armarse la de San Quintín:
Se armó la de San Quintín — A tremendous row/fight/quarrel broke out.

.no hay tutía
Se trata de una expresión que utilizamos cuando nos rendimos en situaciones que no se pueden evitar o que no tienen solución.
Así, cuando no se puede salir de un asunto, decimos no hay tutía, que equivaldría a no hay nada que hacer.
Origin: Out of curiosity:
El término tutía procede el árabe tutiya, que significa sulfato de cobre. Se trata de un remedio utilizado antiguamente para aliviar los enfermedades de los ojos, hecho a base del óxido de cinc que, a modo de costra grisácea, se adhiere a la chimenea de los hornos de fundición de cobre. De esta manera, en tiempos de Cervantes se utilizaba este término con el significado de remedio o medicina. No haber tutía es, pues, no haber más remedio, carecerse de solución para un problema.

3) Their Spanish names in many places of USA:
Florida ("Pascua Florida," the Spanish name for Easter)
Alamo: meaning "cottonwood."
Alcatraz Island (California): from "álcatraces," pelican
Cape Canaveral (Florida): from "cañaveral," canebrake
Colorado: "reddish."
Fresno (California): "ash tree."
Los Gatos (California): "cats."
Nevada: "snow-covered."
San Francisco (California): "Saint Francis" (of Assisi).
Santa Fe (New Mexico): "holy faith."
Montana (from Montaña: "Mountain")
New Mexico (Calqued from Nuevo México)
Las Vegas, Monterrey, Laredo,etc ,etc.


But I think they couldn't care less. So: NO HAY TUTÍA.
Harman   Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:17 pm GMT
Well obama cares about spanish, George Bush also...Perhaps more americans care.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZprtPat1Vk

And beside they don't need to learn sentence like:
no hay tutia, vale un potosi or armarse la de san quintin because it is only local slang language, not standard spanish, these sentence are only used in spain.

Bicoca is nearly forgotten, chollo/chollazo is more used.

guay, chipen = cool, great
llueve a jarros = ii's raining cats and dogs.
fitipaldi = when somebody drive a car too fast
nominado = fired
ande vas? where u go?

do we open a threath about spanish slang language?
Evinória   Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:54 pm GMT
Quais americanos?

Brasileiros, argentinos, costa riquenhos?
eeuuian   Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:23 pm GMT
<<Quais americanos?>>

I assume:

- US Americans
- United Statians
- United Statesians
- USians
- etc.
Evinória   Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:59 pm GMT
Você quis dizer Estadunidenses, certo?


You mean, US Citizens? Right?
KissFM   Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:36 pm GMT
Americanos = from America


America = USA.


Just like when you say British you mean: people from Great Britain, and not the people from the French province of Brittany. Or in Portuguese, lusitanos mean Portuguese, and not Romans from Mérida (Spain).
eeuuian   Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:45 pm GMT
<<You mean, US Citizens? Right? >>

People living inside the US. I suppose they wouldn't have to be US citizens, though.
Evinória   Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:11 am GMT
America: Continent


USA: Country

USA: Not America


US Citizens: Estadunidenses
Paul   Wed Nov 11, 2009 2:34 am GMT
Eninoria in ENGLISH, "America" does not refer to a continent. The word "América" in portuguese is a false-cognate.
Guest   Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:25 pm GMT
Puede que no sea políticamente correcto, pero en el español de España americano es sinónimo de habitante de USA . "Estadounidense" no es una palabra que se oiga frecuentemente salvo en los telediarios.
Guest   Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:54 pm GMT
<< Puede que no sea políticamente correcto, pero en el español de España americano es sinónimo de habitante de USA . "Estadounidense" no es una palabra que se oiga frecuentemente salvo en los telediarios. >>

No brasil também, e nem nos telejornais se ouve "estadunidense". Por outro lado, "América" é sempre o continente, o país é sempre "Estados Unidos".
fraz   Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:41 pm GMT
I think an American who lives in an area where a lot of Spanish is spoken should make the effort to learn some of it. Elsewhere I don't think it really matters.
* * *   Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:03 pm GMT
"Is Spanish a plus for Americans?"

I's rather say it's a stigma and a liability.
Caspian   Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:53 pm GMT
Maybe in Spanish, 'America' refers to the continent. But the poster was writing in English, and in English, 'America' refers to los estados unidos.
LadyViolet   Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:00 pm GMT
A billingual doctor/lawyer can earn more than just an English speaking doctor/lawyer in California, Arizona, New Mexico...