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They Call Me Güero

Page 6

by David Bowles


  Joanna is the girl you need to call.

  She’ll dump the meanest tough guy on his rump

  with a judo throw, like the “shoulder wheel.”

  The family car requires an oil change?

  She’ll crawl under the motor with a pan.

  and if they blow a tire on the way,

  she’ll swap it with the spare in nothing flat.

  Your team of friends can’t beat that online game?

  Make her a member and you’ll win the match.

  When spicing up the way your munchies taste,

  she knows the perfect chile for all snacks.

  But best of all, when it’s just her and me,

  Joanna is as sweet as girls can be.

  THE REFUGE ON THE RANCH

  It’s quiet here except for the hushed flow of the river

  and the hum of bugs answered by the sharp trill of birds.

  Somewhere, an ocelot growls.

  I know poetry when I hear it.

  GLOSSARY

  Abuela [ah-WEL-ah] grandmother

  Abuelo [ah-WEL-oh] grandfather

  Agua de melón [AH-wah theh meh-LOHN] a drink made from canteloupe

  Agua mineral [AH-wah mee-neh-RAL] mineral water

  Apá [ah-PAH] “pops,” shortened form of papá or “father”

  Así como [ah-SEE KOH-moh] just like

  Así que ojo [ah-SEE keh OH-hoh] so watch out

  Atole [ah-TOH-leh] hot drink made from corn starch

  Baño maría [BAHN-yoh mah-REE-ah] steaming food in a pot

  Bienvenido [byen-beh-NEE-thoh] welcome

  Bisabuela [bee-sahb-WEL-ah] great grandmother

  Brindis [BREEN-dees] a toast

  Bolsitas [bol-SEE-tahs] bags of candy given out at birthday parties

  Cacahuatero [kah-kah-wah-TEH-roh] someone who likes, eats, or sells peanuts

  Café de olla [kah-FEH theh OH-yah] coffee with cinnamon, made in a clay pot

  Canelo [kah-NEL-oh] “cinnamon-colored,” the nickname of Mexican boxer Saúl Álvarez

  Carnalito [kar-nah-LEE-toh] little brother

  Carne asada [KAR-neh ah-SAH-thah] barbecue

  Carrizo [kar-REE-soh] reeds

  Cascarón [kas-kah-ROHN] hollowed-out egg shell filled with something else, like confetti

  Cerveza [ser-BEH-sa] beer

  Chachalaca [chah-chah-LAH-kah] a sort of noisy bird

  Chafo [CHAH-foh] cheap, knock-off

  Chamaco [chah-MAH-koh] boy

  Champurrado [cham-poo-RAH-thoh] a chocolate drink with corn meal in it

  Chavalito [chah-bah-LEE-toh] little dude

  Chisme [CHEEZ-meh] gossip

  Chones [CHOH-nes] undies (slang for “calzones” or “underwear”)

  Colonia [koh-LOH-nyah] neighborhood, often a poor one (in the US)

  Con todo respeto with all due respect

  Concuña [kohn-KOO-nyah] a kind of sister-in-law: the wife of the brother of a person’s spouse

  Córranle pa’ sus casas hurry on back to your houses

  Cucuy/Cucu [koo-KOO-ee] bogeyman, monster

  Cuero [KWEH-roh] leather or skin

  Dale [DAH-leh] hit it

  Dichos [DEE-chos] traditional sayings

  Durmiendo con los angelitos sleeping with the little angels

  En las fiestas hay variedad musical At our parties there’s musical variety

  Es más what’s more

  Estas son las mañanitas these are the morning songs

  Fíjate [FEE-hah-teh] check this out

  Fregona [freh-GO-nah] tough girl

  Fronterizo [frohn-teh-REE-soh] person from the border

  Galleta [gah-YEH-tah] cookie

  Garita [gah-REE-tah] border inspection station

  Generaciones de albañiles generations of construction workers

  Gente [HEN-teh] people

  Glorias a type of caramel candy

  Güero [WEH-roh] person with pale skin

  Huerco ladrón [WER-koh lah-DROHN] thieving little brat

  Huerquitos [wer-KEE-tos] young kids

  Joya [HOH-yah] a Mexican brand of fruit-flavored soft drinks

  La fiesta sigue the party continues

  Lazos [LAH-sos] cords used in weddings to join bride and groom

  Lechuza [leh-CHOO-sah] screech owl or (more commonly) a witch that has turned into one

  Lero, lero a taunting cry that kids use, like “nanny nanny boo boo”

  Limonada [lee-moh-NAH-thah] lemonade

  Los hombres y las gallinas, poco tiempo

  en la cocina men and chickens should spend little time in the kitchen

  Mamá escucha rock en español Mom listens to rock sung in Spanish

  Me siento recargado de cultura I feel recharged with culture

  Mero main one, boss, best

  M’ijo [MEE-hoh] my son

  Mis dos hombres my two men

  Mis otros abuelos my other grandparents

  Monte [MOHN-teh] woods or wild area

  Muchachas [moo-CHAH-chahs] girls

  Muchachos traviesos, se van a lastimar Naughty boys, you’re going to hurt yourselves

  Muertito [mwer-TEE-toh] little dead man

  Nagual [nah-WAL] shapeshifter

  No pierdas el tino don’t miss when you swing

  No sé I don’t know

  Novios [NOH-byohs] bride and groom (or girlfriend and boyfriend)

  Oficio [oh-FEES-yoh] trade, occupation, profession

  Pachanga [pah-CHAHN-gah] big party

  Papacho [pah-PAH-choh] loving cuddle

  Papeles [pah-PEL-es] papers

  Para hacernos un hogar to make a home for ourselves

  Pecas [PEH-kahs] freckles

  Pero nada but nothing

  Piel [pyel] skin or leather

  Pingo [PEEN-goh] little devil, brat

  Plática [PLAH-tee-kah] conversation

  Pobre güerito poor little pale-skinned kid

  Pocho [POH-choh] not quite Mexican, not quite American (potentially insulting)

  ¿Por qué? Why?

  Porque si lo pierdes because if you miss [when you swing]

  Pos filler word like “uh” or “well”

  Pos, sí well, yeah

  Prima/o cousin

  Primerito [pree-meh-REE-toh] first

  ¿Puedo? [PWEH-thoh] Can I?

  Pulga [POOL-gah] flea market

  Que cantaba el rey David that King David sang

  ¿Qué te pasa? What’s wrong with you?

  Quinceañera [keen-seh-ahn-YEH-rah] a girl who is turning 15; also the big birthday party she gets

  Rarezas [rah-REH-sahs] weird things

  Raspa [RAHS-pah] shaved ice with flavored syrup

  Recuerdos [reh-KWER-thohs] memories or mementos

  Remedios [reh-METH-yohs] remedies

  Resaca [reh-SAH-kah] oxbow lake

  Restorán [res-toh-RAHN] restaurant

  Revolución [reh-boh-loos-YOHN] revolution

  Rosca [ROHS-kah] circular cake

  Se abre la pista [seh AH-breh la PEES-tah] the dance-floor is open

  Suegra [SWEH-grah] mother-in-law

  Takis preparados [TAH-kees preh-pah-RAH-thohs] a spicy snack

  Tamalada [tah-mah-LAH-thah] a gathering of loved ones to make tamales for a special occasion while having conversation.

  Tejabán [teh-hah-BAHN] cheaply made wooden house

  Tía [TEE-ah] aunt

  Tío [TEE-oh] uncle

  Tlacuache [tahk-WAH-cheh] opossum

  Todo ese jale [TOH-thoh EH-seh HAH-leh] all that stuff

  Travieso [trahb-YEH-soh] naughty

  Ya sé I already know.

  Vieja racista [BYEH-hah rah-SEES-tah] racist old lady

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  DAVID BOWLES grew up and lives in the Río Grande Valley of South Texas. A many-faceted writer and scholar, he’s the author of Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico. His middle-grade fantasy The Smoking Mirror was selected as a 2016 Pura Belpré Author Honor by t
he American Library Association. @DavidOBowles is active in the #weneeddiversebooks and #ownvoices movements. He’s a professor at UTRGV.

 

 

 


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