Saturday, July 23, 2011

On nicknames

In Ecuador, nicknames typically describe your appearance.

If you are skinny, you will forever be called Flaco.
If you are chubby, you will forever be called Gordo.
If you are light-skinned, you will always be Suco.
If you have cat-like eyes, you will be called Gato.
If you have squinty eyes, you will be Chino.
If you are dark-skinned, you will be Negro

When your nickname doesn´t describe your physical appearance, it could describe one of your family members.

If you have a hot sister, other guys will probably be called cuñado (brother-in-law).
If you have a hot daughter, other guys will probably be called suegro (father-in-law).

Because I'm not privy to these kinds of conversations with Ecuadorian females, I don't now if they work both ways. I'm not sure if women call girls with hot brother cuñada (sister-in-law) or mothers with an attractive son (suegra).

I would venture to say that they don't, but I'll try and do some research to confirm this hunch.

Otherwise, your nickname could be some shortened version of your first or last name. Or in rare occasions, your friends could actually call you by your name. But this is quite rare.

5 comments:

DeDe said...

What do people call you?

Rubes said...

Peludo?

Ian said...

If forgot to add one of my favorite appearance-based nicknames.

If you have a mustache, they will call you bigote, which is Spanish for "mustache."

Kacz said...

Guess I know what I'd be.

Jo Strausz Rosen said...

How do you say hairless in Ecuador?