Rich's spanish influences?

[newcresty]

well, I really don't know exactly if this have to be posted here, since it not affect OOTS at all, but is this comic who give me that idea so im posting here, wishing to be the correct place

have anyone notice some spanish/mexican influences in this comic? word like "cajones" (im sure rich wanted to say cojones), "piñata", and some more i can't remember, and things like belkar eating nachos, or xykon making references that his ball can translate to spanish followed by a line translated to spanish

what do you think guys?

[kirbsys]

Theres a lot more references to English.

[CardinalFang]

I think most American kids would know what a piñata is...I mean, they dispense candy! And "cajones" isn't really unknown to Americans either, and nachos certainly aren't. They were invented for American army wives, if I remember correctly, who had come to his restaurant across the Texan border. And from all accounts, the SAP line on the crystal ball was kind of poorly translated, so I don't think that indicates some high-level knowledge of Spanish/Latin American culture and language.

[Studoku]

And a load of Japanese and Chinese references in Azure city.

[Iranon]

And the German references with the hobgoblins!

[Lord Zentei]

well, I really don't know exactly if this have to be posted here, since it not affect OOTS at all, but is this comic who give me that idea so im posting here, wishing to be the correct place

have anyone notice some spanish/mexican influences in this comic? word like "cajones" (im sure rich wanted to say cojones), "piñata", and some more i can't remember, and things like belkar eating nachos, or xykon making references that his ball can translate to spanish followed by a line translated to spanish

what do you think guys?

I'm pretty sure those things have entered mainstream American culture.

[Demented]

Definitely southern American culture. Culture drifts like heat.

[Jawajoey]

Not a one of those things mentioned is even remotely outside the sphere of common cultural knowledge, for me at least, having grown up in central California (in a rather un-ethnic area, too).

[Scarab83]

Just because American culture itself has some Spanish influences, doesn't mean that an American web comic artist has them as well. It just means he's American.

[Ridureyu]

It's a secret plot. The Conquistadores will come next.

[Mr Teufel]

Heck, I understand all those references from watching American tv, and I'm Australian.

[Nomadic]

It would make sense that a comic drawn by an American would have references to many different cultures because America is made up of many different cultures

[Demented]

Perhaps, but remember that the U.S. is a pretty big country. Rich would have to do a lot of travelling to partake of everything. More than comic conventions would require of him, anyway. =P

[CardinalFang]

Perhaps, but remember that the U.S. is a pretty big country. Rich would have to do a lot of travelling to partake of everything. More than comic conventions would require of him, anyway. =P

He lives in New York City. It doesn't really get more multicultural than that, and with no more travelling than a subway or taxi ride.

[Demented]

Good lord! With his update schedule? When does the man sleep!?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Heh, yeah, all your examples are standard American. We steal the cool sounding words from other languages and make them our own :smallbiggrin:

[Nomadic]

Perhaps, but remember that the U.S. is a pretty big country. Rich would have to do a lot of travelling to partake of everything. More than comic conventions would require of him, anyway. =P

Cultural references like that are found in pretty much all of the us. So you wouldn't have to travel at all. Heck they are part of our language anymore (and one of the main reasons American and British English are so different now).

[drKarling]

'Cojones', 'pinatas' and 'nachos' have been a part of popular culture for a long time. Even here... in Norway.

[Gravedjinn]

Well being from TX myself.... till i see him put up something with 6 gards hangin out on lawn chairs shooting at anything that moves with the shotgun crossbows while getting plastered on the local taverens cheapest ale.....

then i will say he is influnced by the different cultures..... till then he is useing the english language like most of the rest of us do.....


P.s. famous last words in TX.... " Hey yall check this out!!!"

[Rincewind]

well, I really don't know exactly if this have to be posted here, since it not affect OOTS at all, but is this comic who give me that idea so im posting here, wishing to be the correct place

have anyone notice some spanish/mexican influences in this comic? word like "cajones" (im sure rich wanted to say cojones), "piñata", and some more i can't remember, and things like belkar eating nachos, or xykon making references that his ball can translate to spanish followed by a line translated to spanish

what do you think guys?

Spanish??? That's pure American culture... I'm from Turkey, and even I know of them... Play GTA :smallamused:

[EvilElitest]

And the German references with the hobgoblins!

I think i missed them, other than the inherint milterastic manner of the culture



Heh, yeah, all your examples are standard American. We steal the cool sounding words from other languages and make them our own

Not just American, all English Speaking countries do that (America does that hte most because we have the largest influence from many different countries but still) the English Laugage is sorta built for adapting and stealing words and phrases from other dilects and using it in it own speech, hence why it is the most common second laugage in the world and second more common main laugage (Other than Manderian Chinese of course)
from,
EE

[ZeroNumerous]

Just because American culture itself has some Spanish influences, doesn't mean that an American web comic artist has them as well. It just means he's American.

In America! Sorry, but I had to say this. We now return you to your regularly scheduled speculation thread.

[factotum]

Cultural references like that are found in pretty much all of the us. So you wouldn't have to travel at all. Heck they are part of our language anymore (and one of the main reasons American and British English are so different now).

I'm British, yet I know what cojones, nachos and pinatas are. I think these words tend to spread fast now we have the Internet melting pot to distribute them across the planet, same way as I'm sure 99% of people reading this will get the reference if I say "All your base are belong to us".

[Rincewind]

In America! Sorry, but I had to say this. We now return you to your regularly scheduled speculation thread.

THAT'S RACISM!!!

Hehe, sorry, just joking :smallbiggrin:

[ZeroNumerous]

THAT'S RACISM!!!

Hehe, sorry, just joking :smallbiggrin:

It's from Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged, very funny series.

[Runa]

well, I really don't know exactly if this have to be posted here, since it not affect OOTS at all, but is this comic who give me that idea so im posting here, wishing to be the correct place

Judging from the subject and your English (which is still understandable, but not quite perfect, as I'm equally sure my Spanish isn't either), can I assume you're a native Spanish speaker? Cool.

Anyway, other than making conversation the reason I bring this up is: we normally say "hoping" not "wishing" in that context. I can see how you'd get confused, the literal meanings of the words, while not the same, are fairly close, it's the connotations and usage that differs most. "Wishing to be [in] the correct place" - don't ask me how, English is strange like that - would make it sound like you put it here because you know it belongs here. "Hoping" (infinitive (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinitive) form of "hope (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hope)") is what you'd say if you are less sure that it is the right place, but posted it here because you think it might be. :smallsmile:

By the way, I've been studying Spanish off and on for a few years (since I was maybe 11 or 12, I'm 21 now), and I like practicing it or helping people with their English, so if you'd like to have a pen pal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen_pal), PM me. :)



have anyone notice some spanish/mexican influences in this comic? word like "cajones" (im sure rich wanted to say cojones), "piñata", and some more i can't remember, and things like belkar eating nachos, or xykon making references that his ball can translate to spanish followed by a line translated to spanish

what do you think guys?

The other posters are right; these things are part of American language and culture already. English is a promiscuous (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promiscuous) language, American English most of all. :smalltongue: I forget who it was who first said this, but it's great, and fairly often repeated: "English is one of those languages that attacks other languages in dark alleys and rifles (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rifle) through their pockets for spare vocabulary." I think in large part because we have so many Spanish-speaking cultures so close by (Mexico, South and Central America, much of the Caribbean islands), and because we have so many Spanish-speaking immigrants (both on the East coast - New York City, Florida, etc. - and the West coast - California mostly - as well as a very large part of the southwestern states, like Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. In fact, three of our biggest states by population - Florida, California, and Texas - have large Spanish-speaking populations). Additionally, Mexico is a popular place for a "cheap" vacation for many Americans, especially since it's on the same continent, so you could actually drive there, and the Caribbean Islands also include a lot of popular vacation spots. And there is Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. Territory (basically, it's like a state of the U.S. except it doesn't get certain privileges like voting in our national elections). Honestly, when one of the biggest hits on American TV (I'm speaking of [i]Ugly Betty here) is based on a telenovela, and when Taco Bell is one of the most popular fast food chains, I don't think the Hispanic the cultural influences should really be all that surprising. :)

In order:


"cajones" (im sure rich wanted to say cojones),

That word is a fairly common part of American slang, meaning just what you think it does; it's based on the Spanish word, but unfortunately, because of the way English often mutilates imported words, it really is commonly spelled (misspelled, I should say) as "cajones". There's a word for that kind of change in words, but I can't recall what it is (I think it's the same kind of change that made "copweb" - originally "coppeweb", literally "spider web" - into "cobweb" over time). In any case, many Americans who don't know (or care) how to pronounce Spanish properly would, if saying it quickly, change the beginning sound to more of a "cuh" sound than a "coh" sound thanks to their natural accent, and if you say "cajones" fast enough with an American English accent (and keeping in mind that the j is still pronounced mostly the same as the original Spanish word in both, that is, like the English h), it will sound basically identical. So basically, the misspelling is based on the mispronunciation of the original Spanish word. I think both spellings can be found in American Slang, though.


"piñata"

I don't think you'd be able to find a single American older than about 5 years old that wouldn't know what a piñata was, even in places with fewer Hispanic immigrants. I'd be much more surprised to see jokes about bobbing for apples (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbing_for_apples) in Spanish-language comics, to be frank. :smallwink: Most party supply stores I know of carry piñatas, and they're a common sight at many American birthday parties, especially for young children. I mean come on, it's something you get to whack with a stick until candy comes out. It combines violence and gluttony! Like that wouldn't be popular in America? :smallbiggrin:

Of course, because it is popular for parties, and a, uh, unique (and violent) party game, it shows up in American jokes a lot.



and some more i can't remember, and things like belkar eating nachos,

Nachos are a very, VERY common snack food in the U.S., partly because they're easy and usually cheap to prepare (same goes for tortilla chips). Even my local movie theaters sell nachos.



or xykon making references that his ball can translate to spanish followed by a line translated to spanish

That is a reference to the SAP function on many modern television sets, and the popular practice of broadcasting a "simulcast". Basically, the SAP button allows you to switch between different audio tracks of a broadcast (a broadcast that includes more than one audio track is called a "simulcast", short for "simultaneous broadcast"). In the U.S., the default language for broadcasts is obviously English (except on the Spanish-language channels, of course), and the most common alternative audio track for TV broadcasts is a Spanish-language dub; everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Desperate Housewives gets simulcast in English and Spanish. The fact that in the comic, the ball also has a "picture-in-picture" feature makes the joke pretty obvious to anybody who knows the common extra features that TVs have now. :smallwink:

That said, to an outsider I can easily imagine how surprising it is to see bits and pieces (often very distorted bits and pieces) of one's own culture being adopted by another completely different one. I was more than a little surprised and amused to discover that for a little while there, the Japanese apparently did not realize that the finger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_finger) was an obscene gesture, so you'd be able to find old Japanese fashion magazines which have adorable little schoolgirls flashing you the finger as if it were the V-sign (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-sign), for instance, and I was amused to hear that my mother was able to find dubs of Bonanza in Farsi on TV in the Middle East.

- Runa

[Grey Watcher]

'Cojones', 'pinatas' and 'nachos' have been a part of popular culture for a long time. Even here... in Norway.

You got me beat, I was going to say they're well-established in my vocabulary, and I'm a lifelong New Englander (about as far away as you can get from Mexico and still be in the US). But Norway... that's quite a bit further from Mexico than me (though probably closer to Spain, so I guess it works out).

[Irenaeus]

Nachos are especially good with frozen seal meat. Mmmmmm.

I got to go, a Polar Bear is gnawing on my internet cable again.

[Rincewind]

- Runa

http://www.freewebs.com/cansungur/picard.jpg

I can't believe you actually spend time writing all that stuff...

[Baalzebub]

I haven't seen in all the comic any original reference to Spanish culture. Or Mexican Culture. Or Southern American Culture. (Mexico is part of North America, check that on your geography books :smallsmile: )

Everybody knows nachos and Piñatas. Heck there is a videogame called "Viva Piñata". And I don't know how is the term "Cajones" used in the comic. In spanish "cajones" is the part of the closet where you keep your t-shirts, or socks or whatever...

[Kgw]

Because nobody says "Tienes cajones" meaning "you got balls", which is what it meant that time. :p
My two cents: the Giant wanted to avoid an R-rated word. I don't know the USA, or Mexico, but here, "cojones" is not a word to say to unknown people. ;)

[Driderman]

You got me beat, I was going to say they're well-established in my vocabulary, and I'm a lifelong New Englander (about as far away as you can get from Mexico and still be in the US). But Norway... that's quite a bit further from Mexico than me (though probably closer to Spain, so I guess it works out).

Got nothing to do with Spain at all. I live in Denmark and I can tell you, the reason that Europe (and other parts of the world as well) are familiar with expressions and concepts like the ones mentioned is this: Television. The majority of movies and tv-series, in Europe at least, is either from the US or inspired by a tv-program from the US. I'm pretty sure we all grew up on american movies as well. I mean, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rambo were the action heroes of my childhood and I live in a danish city of 60.000 inhabitants.

Hehe, what I like about Rambo today is mainly the epilogue of Rambo III:
"This movie is dedicated to the gallant people of Afghanistan"
Off-topic, but fun :smallbiggrin:

[Ar-Sakal]

"Cojones" is something my buddies from Spain would say, and I am sure we Mexicans don't regularly use it as common as "huevos" with the same connotation.

"Cajones" means literally drawers. That should prety much indicate Rich pulled the word from some USA cultural reference.

Nachos are not even Mexican. Some Texan saw the way that Mexicans put fried tortilla "chips" over fried beans or guacamole and came up with the idea to put melted cheddar cheese over them. Hell, regular cheddar cheese is known in Mexico as "American Cheese" (we have our native cheese types).

Everybody knows what a Piñata is nowadays. Whether you like it or not, Mexican and American, our cultures are integrating...

Furthermore, Rich uses a lot of references from many cultures, religions, etc. (Azure City is like Japan, samurais, paladins, chinese zodiac, asgardian pantheon, etc.)

The only thing it points out is that Giant is a pretty good storyteller who can use cool pop culture stuff to make an interesting comic.

[CardinalFang]

"Cojones" is something my buddies from Spain would say, and I am sure we Mexicans don't regularly use it as common as "huevos" with the same connotation.

"Cajones" means literally drawers. That should prety much indicate Rich pulled the word from some USA cultural reference.

Nachos are not even Mexican. Some Texan saw the way that Mexicans put fried tortilla "chips" over fried beans or guacamole and came up with the idea to put melted cheddar cheese over them. Hell, regular cheddar cheese is known in Mexico as "American Cheese" (we have our native cheese types).

Everybody knows what a Piñata is nowadays. Whether you like it or not, Mexican and American, our cultures are integrating...

Furthermore, Rich uses a lot of references from many cultures, religions, etc. (Azure City is like Japan, samurais, paladins, chinese zodiac, asgardian pantheon, etc.)

The only thing it points out is that Giant is a pretty good storyteller who can use cool pop culture stuff to make an interesting comic.

Actually, nachos ARE Mexican. They were created in a town across the border from Texas. Look up "Ignacio Anaya" on Wikipedia or something to find out the details.

And it's ironic that anyone would call cheddar cheese "American cheese," seeing as cheddar is from (and named for) the town of Cheddar, in England.

[FdL]

OP, you're reading too much into it. It's general knowledge, everyone in the USA (and in the world) is familiar with a couple of superficial aspects of latin (rather than hispanic) culture.

Really, don't think that because he mentions "ca(o)jones" piñatas and nachos it means Rich knows anything about latin culture and he has an intention of putting it into the comic.

Besides, judging from what you say, yours is a poor asessment of what latin/hispanic culture is :S



"Cajones" means literally drawers. That should prety much indicate Rich pulled the word from some USA cultural reference.


Sure, but remember in North America they usually write "cajones" as a misspelling of "cojones", and as usual, not giving much care about learning the correct way of spelling words from other languages.
Also probably because of the weak vowel in the first syllable, it can be (incorrectly) spelled as several vowels if you don't know how the word is written. It's a common spellng mistake even for english language words.

[Grey Watcher]

Got nothing to do with Spain at all. I live in Denmark and I can tell you, the reason that Europe (and other parts of the world as well) are familiar with expressions and concepts like the ones mentioned is this: Television. The majority of movies and tv-series, in Europe at least, is either from the US or inspired by a tv-program from the US. I'm pretty sure we all grew up on american movies as well. I mean, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rambo were the action heroes of my childhood and I live in a danish city of 60.000 inhabitants.

Hehe, what I like about Rambo today is mainly the epilogue of Rambo III:
"This movie is dedicated to the gallant people of Afghanistan"
Off-topic, but fun :smallbiggrin:

That was sort of mine (and the guy's I was quoting) point. So we're in agreement, it seems.

PS- Arnold Schwarenegger is originally from Austira, you know, so it does work both ways (pauses to consider how much time he's wasted watching Doctor Who and Are You Being Served?).

[the_tick_rules]

i think this thread is reachin. i don't see any large hispanicness in OOTS.

[Baalzebub]

The most common term for "cojones" is "huevos" or "eggs" here on Mexico. But we are not referring to chicken eggs. It's more like saying "balls". Or something like that...

Yeah, we mean the testicles. There, I said it. :smallmad:

[factotum]

(pauses to consider how much time he's wasted watching Doctor Who and Are You Being Served?).

Watching Doctor Who is never a waste of time. Are You Being Served?, on the other hand... :smallamused:

[delguidance]

I've heard it said that America's greatest export is our culture. Our culture is a business product aka McDonald's, Coca-cola, and Disney. To that effect it is good business to adopt what other companies do successfully.

Also in a couple years people of Latin American descent will be the largest minority in the country so their influence is nation-wide, not only in this comic.

It would be cool if the order goes to a city whose culter has a Latin theme. A day of the dead would be interesting given Roy's situation.

[Nomadic]

I'm British, yet I know what cojones, nachos and pinatas are. I think these words tend to spread fast now we have the Internet melting pot to distribute them across the planet, same way as I'm sure 99% of people reading this will get the reference if I say "All your base are belong to us".

Yes but that doesn't change the fact that your version of english is quite different than ours. America, as a melting pot, has far more foreign influences in its English than most other English speaking countries, which has lead to a much different form of speech (especially with our slang).