Calle Rago?


Leave it to San Geraldo. We were driving home after shopping for new pots and pans Friday afternoon. Neither of us was in the most pleasantly gracious social mood. In San Geraldo’s case, he was having one of his “I hate humanity” days. So, when an idiot driver jumped out in front of us he muttered some unrepeatables and I said he should pull over so I could jump out and go all gangster on the guy. As if!

San Geraldo muttered, “Calle rago.”

Momentary silence from my side of the car.

“Calle rago?” I repeated.

San Geraldo snickered and said, “Road rage.”

On the one hand, “calle” in Spanish means “street.” On the other hand, “rago” in Spanish… well, it isn’t a word (as far as I know).

San Geraldo said, “See? I’m fluent in Spanish. I can say anything.”

If fluency is defined as: “able to express oneself easily…,” San Geraldo is definitely fluent. He expresses himself very easily. It’s just that no one ever understands him.

By the way, one way of saying “road rage” in Spanish is “rabia en la carretera.”

Ironically, “rago” in American urban slang means “whatever.”


Déjelo a San Geraldo. Estábamos conduciendo a casa el viernes por la tarde. Ninguno de nos dos estaba en el estado de ánimo social más agradablemente gracioso.  En el caso de San Geraldo, estaba teniendo uno de sus días de “Odio a la humanidad”. Así que, cuando un conductor idiota saltó delante de nosotros, San Geraldo murmuró algunos irrepetibles y yo le dije que se detuviera para que yo pudiera saltar e ir todo el gángster. ¡Como si!

Entonces San Geraldo murmuró: “Calle rago”.

Hubo un silencio momentáneo de mi lado del coche.

“Calle rago?” repetí.

San Geraldo soltó una risita y dijo: “Road rage.” [que significa ‘rabia en la carretera’] “Veo, soy fluido en español; puedo decir cualquier cosa”.


Si la fluidez se define como: “capaz de expresarse fácilmente …”, San Geraldo es definitivamente fluido. Se expresa muy fácilmente. Es que nadie lo entiende.

Irónicamente, “rago” en el diccionário urbano (americano) significa “lo que sea”.

I SAY, “HUH?”
YO DIGO, “¿EH?”
RAGO!

Author: Moving with Mitchell

From Brooklyn, New York; to North Massapequa; back to Brooklyn; Brockport, New York; back to Brooklyn... To Boston, Massachusetts, where I met Jerry... To Marina del Rey, California; Washington, DC; New Haven and Guilford, Connecticut; San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Irvine, California; Sevilla, Spain. And Fuengirola, Málaga..

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