Tomar: to take; a bull is said to take the muleta well when he charges the cloth avidly; a man is said to take the bull de corto when he provokes the charge from close to the animal and de largo when he provokes it from a distance.
Tonterias: nonsense; ornamental foolishness done with the bull such as hanging hats on his horns, etc.
Toreador: Frenchification of the word torero. Not used in Spanish except to refer slightingly to a French bullfighter.
Torear: to fight bulls in an enclosed place either on foot or on horseback.
Toreo: the art of fighting bulls. Toreo de salon: practicing cape and muleta work for form and style without any bull being present; necessary part of a matador's training.
Torerazo: great bullfighter.
Torerito: a small bullfighter.
Torero: professional bullfighter. Matadors, banderilleros, picadors are all toreros. Torera means having to do with bullfighting.
Torete: little bull.
Toril: enclosure from which bulls come into the ring to be fought.
Toro: fighting bull. Todo es toro: It's all bull; sarcasm applied to banderillero who has placed the sticks in some ridiculous place on the animal. Los toros dan y los toros quitan: the bulls give and the bulls take away; they give you money and they can take away your life.
Toro de paja: bull of straw; inoffensive bull; simple to the point of being without danger. Toro de lidia: fighting bull. Toro bravo: brave bull. Toro de bandera: super-grade of bravery in bull. Torazo: enormous bull; Torito: little bull. Toro de juego: life-size papier-mâché bull mounted on wheels and loaded with fireworks, pulled through the streets at night in celebrating fiestas in the North of Spain; also called in Basque — Zezenzuzko. Toro de Aguardiente: bull with a rope attached to his horns held by a number of people and let run in a village street for the amusement of the populace.
Traje de luces: bullfighting suit.
Trampas: tricks, frauds; ways of simulating danger without experiencing it.
Trapio: general condition in a fighting bull. Buen trapío: uniting all the desired qualities of type, condition and size in bulls of fighting strain.
Trapo: the rag; the muleta.
Trasera: estocade placed too far back.
Trastear: to work with the muleta.
Trastos: the tools, in bullfighting the sword and muleta.
Trinchera: trench; de trinchera: pass with the muleta given with the man safely out of reach of the bull; going into the refuge of the neck beside the horn as the bull turns.
Trucos: tricks.
Tuerto: one-eyed; bulls blind in one eye are fought in the novilladas. Tuertos or one-eyed people are considered very bad luck. One-eyed bulls are not exceptionally difficult to fight, but are almost impossible to do any brilliant work with.
Tumbos: falls or spills; the falls taken by picadors.
Turno: in turn; in regular order of seniority as in the action of matadors; everything is done in turn in bullfighting so that the bullfight may be run off rapidly and without disputes.
U
Ultimo: the last; último tercio: the last third of the bullfight in which the bull is killed with sword and muleta.
Uretritis: gonorrhoea; common ailment in the peninsula. Referring to this there is a Spanish proverb: Más cornadas dan las mujeres: the women gore more often than the bulls.
Urinario: comfort station.
Utrero: three-year-old bull. Utrera is cow of the same age. Many bulls now sold to be fought in Spanish rings are little more than utreros. Bulls in which the crosses of different strains made in breeding have not turned out well are often very brave as calves and utreros, but steadily lose bravery after they are mature at four years. This is especially true of bulls raised in the province of Salamanca. Consequently their breeders try to pass as many utreros as they can as bulls; fattening them on grain to make the required weight. It is these bulls sold to be fought before they are mature which eliminate all emotion and seriousness from the bullfight and by depriving it of its fundamental necessity, the bull, do more than any other agency to discredit it.
V
Vaca: cow.
Vacuna: having to do with cattle.
Valiente: courageous, brave.
Valla: wall or wooden fence or barrera.
Valor: courage, bravery, coolness. First quality a bullfighter must have.
Vaquero: caretaker or herder of fighting bulls on the ranch; cowboy, cowpuncher.
Vaquilla: small cow.
Vara: shaft; pic used in bullfighting.
Varetazo: blow by the flat of the bull's horn; any horn stroke which does not wound. May be a serious bruise with internal hemmorhage or merely a scratch.
Ver llegar: to watch them come; the ability to watch the bull come as he charges with no thought except to calmly see what he is doing and make the moves necessary to the manoeuvre you have in mind. To calmly watch the bull come is the most necessary and primarily difficult thing in bullfighting.
Vergüenza: shame or honor; a sin vergüenza is a bullfighter without honor or shame — Qué vergüenza! means what a shame or what a disgrace.
Veronica: pass with the cape so called because the cape was originally grasped in the two hands in the manner in which Saint Veronica is shown in religious paintings to have held the napkin with which she wiped the face of Christ. It has nothing to do with the man wiping the face of the bull as one writer on Spain has suggested. In making the veronica the matador stands either facing or profiled toward the bull with left leg slightly advanced and offers the cape which he holds with both hands having grasped the lower front corners of the cape where the corks are attached and raised them, bunching up the material so that he has a good hand hold with each hand, the fingers pointing down, the thumb up. As the bull charges the man awaits him until his horns lower to hook the cape at which instant the man moves the cape ahead of the bull's charge with a suave movement of the arms, his arms held low, passing the bull's head and his body past the man's waist. He passes the bull out with the cape pivoting slightly on his toes or the balls of his feet as he does so and at the end of the pass, as the bull turns, the man is in position to repeat the pass his right leg slightly advanced this time, drawing cape ahead of the bull so that he passes by in the other direction. The veronica is tricked by the man making a sidestep as the bull charges to take him further away from the horns, by the man putting his feet together once the horn has passed and by the man leaning or stepping toward the bull once the horn has passed to make it look as though he had passed the horn close. A matador who is not faking the veronica will sometimes pass the bull so close that the horns will pick off the gold rosettes that ornament his jacket. Matadors, too, will sometimes cite the bull with both feet together and make a series of veronicas in this way with the feet as still as though the man were nailed to the ground. This can only be done with a bull that turns and recharges of his own accord and in a perfectly straight line. The feet must be slightly apart in making a bull pass and repass if the bull needs to be made to follow the swing of the cape at the end of the pass in order to turn. In any case the merit in the veronica is not determined by whether the feet are together or apart, but by whether they remain immobile from the moment of the charge until the bull has been passed and the closeness with which the man passes the horn by his body. The slower, suaver and lower the man swings the cape with his arms the better the veronica.
Viaje: voyage; the direction followed by the bull's charge or by the man as he goes in to place banderillas or to kill.
Viento or aire: wind, the worst enemy of the bullfighter.
Vientre: belly; frequent site of horn wounds when the man is gored going in to kill through not being able to shrug his belly over the horn as he must in a really good estocade. Wounds here, and in the chest, are the most often fatal in bullfighting, not alone through the wound, but through the traumatic shock of the force of the blow received from head and horn. The most usual place for a horn wound is in the thigh, since it is there tha
t the point, lowered as the bull charges, will first catch when it is raised to gore.
Vino: wine; Vino corriente is vin ordinaire or table wine; vino del pais is the local wine, always good to ask for; vino Rioja is wine of the Rioja region in the north of Spain; both red and white wines. The best are those of the Bodegas Bilbaínos, Marqués de Murrieta, Marqués de Riscal. Rioja Clarete, or Rioja Alta are the lightest and pleasantest of the red wines. Diamante is a good white wine with fish. Valdepenas is fuller bodied than Rioja, but is excellent in both white and rosee. The Spanish vintners produce Chablis and Burgundies that I cannot recommend. The Clarete Valdepenas is a very good wine. The table wines around Valencia are very good; those of Tarragona are better, but do not travel well. Galicia has good local table wine. In Asturias they drink cider. The local wines of Navarra are very good. For any one who comes to Spain thinking only in terms of Sherry and Malaga the splendid, light, dry, red wines will be a revelation. The vin ordinaire in Spain is consistently superior to that of France since it is never tricked or adulterated, and is only about a third as expensive. I believe it to be the best in Europe by far. They have no Grands Vins to compare with those of France.
Vista: clear perception; de mucha vista: having a great perception and knowledge of bullfighting.
Vividores: livers off of; chiselers; those parasites of bullfighting who make their living out of it without contributing anything to it. The Spanish chiseler will make a living where his Armenian or Greek brother would barely exist and where the good American chiseler would starve the Spanish chiseler will gain enough to retire.
Volapié: flying while running; method of killing bulls invented by Joaquin Rodriguez (Costillares) at the time of the American Declaration of Independence from England to deal with those bulls which, because they were too worn out, could not be depended on to charge in order that they might be killed recibiendo, that is, by the man awaiting the charge and taking the bull on his sword. In the volapié the man places the bull with his four feet squared; profiles at a short distance, the muleta held low in his left hand; sights along the sword which makes a prolongation of his forearm held across his chest, and goes in on the bull, his left shoulder forward, putting in the sword with his right hand between the bull's shoulders; gives the bull his exit with the muleta in the left hand and sucking in his belly to avoid the right horn, exits from the encounter along the bull's flank. Except that present-day matadors rarely go in close, at the moment of putting in the sword, and almost never arm themselves with the sword on a level with their chests, but instead sight along it anywhere from the level of their chins to above their noses the volapié as described above and invented by Costillares is still the method of killing bulls used in modern times.
Volcar: to overturn or tumble; volcando sobre el morillo: is said of a matador who has gone in to kill so hard and sincerely that he has almost literally fallen forward onto the bull's shoulders after the sword.
Voluntad: desire or good will; a matador is said to have shown buena voluntad when he has tried his best and if the result has been bad it has been because of the defectiveness of the bull or else the man's incapacity rather than lack of intention.
Vuelta al ruedo: tour of the ring made by the matador at the insistence of the spectators to receive applause. He goes accompanied by his banderilleros who pick up and pocket cigars and pick up and throw back hats or other articles of clothing thrown down into the ring.
Z
Zapatillas: heel-less pumps worn by bullfighters in the ring.
SOME REACTIONS OF A FEW INDIVIDUALS TO THE INTEGRAL SPANISH BULLFIGHT
AGES GIVEN ARE THOSE AT WHICH THEY FIRST SAW FIGHTS
P. H. — 4 years old; American; male. Taken by his nurse to a Spanish bullfight at Bordeaux without his parents' knowledge or permission he called out on first seeing the bull charge the picadors, "Il faut pas faire tomber le horsy!" A short time later he called out, "Assis! Assis! Je ne peux pas voir le taureau!" Asked by his parents his impression of the bullfight he said, "J'aime ça!" Taken to a Spanish bullfight at Bayonne three months later he seemed very interested, but did not comment during the fight. After it he said, "Quand j'étais jeune la course de taureaux n'était pas comme ça."
J. H. — 9 years old; American; male; education, French Lycée; one year kindergarten in U. S. Ridden horses two years — allowed to go to bullfights with his father as reward for work in school and because his younger brother having without parents' intention seen one with no bad results, he felt it unjust that the smaller child should have seen spectacle he was not to have been allowed to attend until twelve years old. Followed action with great interest and without comment. When cushions commenced to be thrown at cowardly matador whispered, "Can I throw mine, Papa?" Thought blood on horse's right front leg was paint and asked if horses were so painted so bull would charge them. Was greatly impressed by bulls, but thought work matadors did looked easy. Admired vulgar bravery of Saturio Torón. Said Torón was his favorite. The others were all frightened. Held firm belief that no bullfighter no matter what he did was doing his best. Took dislike for Villalta. Said "I hate Villalta!" first time he had ever employed this word in regard to a human being. Asked why; answered, "I hate the way he looks and the way he acts." Declared he did not believe there were any fighters as good as his friend Sydney and that he did not want to see any more fights unless Sydney was going to fight. Said he did not like to see the horses injured, but laughed at the time and afterwards at only funny incident in regard to horses. On discovering matadors were killed decided he would rather be a guide in Wyoming or a trapper. Maybe a guide in the summer and a trapper in the winter.
X. Y. — 27 years old; American; male; college education; ridden horses on farm as boy. Took flask of brandy to his first bullfight — took several drinks at ring — when bull charged picador and hit horse X. Y. gave sudden screeching intake of breath — took drink of brandy — repeated this on each encounter between bull and horse. Seemed to be in search of strong sensations. Doubted genuineness of my enthusiasm for bullfights. Declared it was a pose. He felt no enthusiasm and declared no one else could. Still convinced fondness for bullfights in others is a pose. Does not care for sport of any sort. Does not care for games of chance. Amusements and occupation drinking, night life and gossip. Writes. Travels about.
Capt. D. S. — 26 years old; soldier; British; of Irish and English extraction; education, Public Schools and Sandhurst; went out to Mons in 1914 as infantry officer; wounded August 27th, 1914; 1914-1918, brilliant record as infantry officer. Rides to hounds and in regimental point to points. Recreations, hunting, skiing, mountaineering — is widely read and has intelligent appreciation of modern writing and painting. Does not care for gaming or betting. Suffered sincerely and deeply at what happened to horses at first bullfight — said it was most hateful thing he had ever seen. Continued to attend them, he said, in order to understand mentality of people who would tolerate such a thing. At the end of his sixth fight understood them so well that he became embroiled in a dispute through defending the conduct of a matador, John Anllo, Nacional II, during the fight when a spectator insulted him. Went in the ring in the amateur fights in the mornings. Wrote two articles on bullfighting, one of them an apology for it, in the regimental gazette.
Mrs. A. B. — 28 years old; American; not a horsewoman; finishing-school education; studied to sing in opera; does not care for games, or gaming. Does not wager. Attended bullfights — was moderately horrified. Did not like them. Did not go again.
Mrs. E. R. — 30 years old; American; school and college education; ridden horses and owned pony as child; musician; favorite author Henry James; favorite sport, tennis; never seen either boxing or bullfighting until after her marriage. Enjoyed good prizefights. Did not want her to see horses in bullfight, but believed she would enjoy rest of corrida. Had her look away when bull charged horse. Told her when not to look. Did not want to shock or horrify her. Found she was not shocked nor horrified by horses and enjoyed it as
a part of bullfight which she enjoyed greatly first time and became great admirer and partizan of. Developed almost unerring judgment for telling a matador's class, sincerity and possibilities as soon as she saw him work once. Was very much moved at one time by a certain matador. Matador was certainly much moved by her. Was fortunate enough to be away from the fights during this matador's moral debacle.
Mrs. S. T. — 30 years old; English; private school and convent education; ridden horses; alcoholic nymphomaniac. Done some painting. Spent money much too fast to be able to gamble with it — gambled occasionally with borrowed money. Loved drinking more than excitement — rather shocked by horses, but so excited by bullfighters and general strong emotion that she became a partizan of the spectacle. Drunk herself out of any remembrance of it shortly after.
W. G. — 27 years old; American; male; college education; excellent baseball player; very good sportsman, keen intelligence and good esthetic appreciation; only experience with horses on farm; recently recovered from manic depression which followed nervous breakdown; shocked and horrified by horses. Unable to see anything else in fight. Put everything on moral basis. Suffered sincerely and truly at pain being inflicted. Took violent dislike to picadors. Felt they were to blame personally. After he was away from Spain, horror died out and he remembered parts of fight he liked, but he truly and sincerely disliked bullfighting.
Death in the Afternoon Page 36