Re: vulgarisms

Laurie Gerholz wrote:

> John Cowan wrote:
> >
> > The general pattern in English is that *domestic* animals are
> > insulting: "dog", "cow", "bitch", "horse"; but not "wolf", "lion",
> > "tiger"; still less "rhinoceros", "stegosaurus".
> >
>
> This pattern doesn't always carry. When it comes to wild animals, it ha=
s
> a lot to do with how the animal is viewed by the culture. I'm still
> speaking about the English-speaking American culture with which I am
> most familiar.
>
> Carrion eaters have gotten a very poor image in this culture's history.=
> So "vulture", "old crow", "jackal", "hyena" all carry derogatory
> connotations, to varying degrees. Notice that I'm talking about the
> culture's *perception* of animal behavior. I know that lions will take
> carrion, but that's not yet part of their image in popular culture. Som=
e
> predators also fall into this camp, such as "weasel". And I suspect tha=
t
> it wasn't too long ago that "wolf" was still derogatory -- better
> understanding and therefore improved popularity of the wolf among white=
> American culture is a relatively recent phenomenon.
>
> Laurie
> ---
> Laurie Gerholz
> milo@winternet.com
> http://www.winternet.com/~milo
Some domestic animals:
vaca (caw): a fat woman
toro (bull): a strong man (never peyorative).
caballo (horse): a big (tall) woman.  Not meaned to offend.
perro (dog): an unloyal man (either in business or in love), sometimes us=
ed with
pride some times rude.
perra (bitch): an unloyal woman or a woman who likes to get lied.  Never =
used
with pride.
gata (female cat): a woman wich used too streach dresses and look somehow=

pretentious in them.
gallina (hen): coward (usually translated as chicken).
marrano (pig): someone who could easily be used by other(s).
cerdo (pig): someone who  is dirty and/or have bad maners.
chancho (pig): someone fat.

Some wild animals.
sapo/sapa (toad): someone who stands too close to the superiors, probably=

delating their fellow mates.  Delator.
lobo (wolf): new-rich.  someone pretending ovearloaded of lux but with no=
 class.

gallinazo (turkey buzzard): a guy who like to flirt and compliment women.=

generally non-peyorative.
mandril (mandrill): peyorative for a big guy how believe himself being
Schwarznegger.
gorila (gorilla): a big guy (either peyorative or not).  Offensive if app=
lied to
a woman.
toche (a bird spieces): used in Santander (Col) for a dumb person or some=
one
doing something silly.  Not very rude, I guess.
vi'vora (poison snake): a person (usually a woman) which destilate poison=
 when
talking.
sabandija (bug): an untrustable person, a thieve.
rata (rat): an untrustable person, a person who would betray you.

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