We have recently learned some choice phrases and sayings here in Buenos Aires.

Los Sobrenombres

For example, last night we met an Italian woman who lives in Mallorca and comes to Buenos Aires occasionally (what a perfect person to live in a country composed primarily of Spanish speaking Italian immigrants). While her name is Patricia, here "sobrenombre" or nickname is Pato (meaning duck). We were just happy enough to glean that shortening and changing Patricia to Pato was a nickname that we didn't dare ask why she'd been given the masculine form instead of the feminine Pata.

Que Hincha Pelotas

We also learned that "que hincha pelotas" means basically "what swollen balls" and is usually accompanied with a hand motion like you are weighing two soccer balls in your hands, but done at about crotch height. The immediate USEnglish equivalent for the term has to be "what a ball buster." Tonight as we got some groceries a few high-school-hooligans were teasing the town crazy-cross-eyed-man who proceeded to confide in me all sorts of nasty phrases about the boys. To sympathize I debated about trying out my new "que hinchas pelotas" but though I would stay a gentleman and instead simply responded "que pena" the local equivalent of "what a pain". Mr. crazy-cross-eye immediately sold me out screaming across the street at the hooligans "oye, yo no lo dije pero este hombre dice que pena" to which the hooligans responded by explaining to me that he's just the town cross-eyed-crazy man. Nikki immediately grabbed my arm and said "babe, let's go" apparently concerned that the 5 foot tall, mullet coifed, hooligans were going to mess with a man who is so crazy as to wear shorts and sandals.

Today we are safe in San Telmo, who knows what tomorrow may bring.