Ruby Mountain Press
  • HOME
  • Contact Us
  • A Teen's Guide To The Conversation Game
  • Good Conversation
  • Green Light Leadership
  • Language Soup
    • LISTEN to a native speaker
  • Trees of Joe
  • And Then There is Love
  • The Bop and Grop Series
    • Bop and Grop
    • Bop and Grop Go Shopping
    • Bop and Grop Meet Dinosaurs
    • Bop and Grop Explore the Ocean
    • Bop and Grop and the Great Race
  • Poompoms Series
    • Poompoms at School
    • Poompoms Get Another Pet
  • An American Family's LIfe in Kobe, Japan
  • When The Lights Go Out, I'm Not Afraid of the Dark
  • Terrific Termites
  • Delightful Dung Beetles
  • Blog

Cut the Buts

5/26/2014

0 Comments

 
Our executives recently went on a trip to Spain and came back with some interesting linguistic anecdotes!

A friend from Andalucia shared this information about  the holiday of Las Cruces.  In the various plazas of cities, decorated crosses from different groups are on display.  At the base of the crosses is an apple with scissors. 

What's the meaning of the apple and scissors?

The apple and scissors idea is based on the fact that many people would walk around praising other people’s crosses, but then follow up their praise with a “…. but it is missing this” or “…. but mine is better.” The way to say “but” in Spanish is “pero.” In Andalucía, “pero” is also another way to say apple (in addition to “manzana”). The reason that the scissors are put into the apple is the “cortar los peros,” or “to cut the buts,” meaning that it is a reminder not to append the praise of the cross with some kind of comparison or the mentioning of a flaw.

Share your cultural or linguistic discoveries with us!

Picture
0 Comments

    Author

    Dr. Kathryn Knox is a life-long educator, consultant, and author.

    Archives

    August 2017
    October 2016
    July 2016
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    July 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    March 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed