Vocabulary Lesson Helps To Understand Spanglish

A Spanglish vocabulary lesson

Going shopping at a "tensen"? Need some "bibaporru" for that cold? Or maybe it's time to get rid of that static-y "tareco."

In his booklet "Cuban-Americanisms," Bill Cruz offers examples of the terminology you'll find as you trek through the Cuban-American world.

Here are a few "ejemplos":

Tensen - A discount department store. Taken from the phrase "5-and-10-cent store."

Bibaporru - Vicks Vapo Rub ointment. An oral contraction of the product name.

Floridarrun - Family room of a Miami home. Taken from the English term "Florida room."

Bacuncliner - A mispronunciation of "vacuum cleaner." The proper Spanish word is "aspiradora."

Maicroguey - Pronounced meecro-way. A microwave oven. In Spanish, the word is "microonda."

Confley - Any kind of dry breakfast cereal. From the English words "corn flakes" and used as a category-wide reference. Remember, it can be Fruity Pebbles, Trix, Cocoa Puffs or Raisin Bran and it's still "confley."

Friquiado - In a state of nervousness or shock; behaving erratically. Taken from the English phrase "Ahhhh, FREAK OUT!"

Tareco - A piece of junk; Spanglish name given to an electronic device during a fit of anger. (Example: Your old radio is full of static, and you say, "I'm so sick of this tareco.") Its origin is unknown. This word doesn't even have a root in Spanish.