Macanudo

A large contingent of our staff here in at Das Fishhaus hail from Mexico. Most work out in the fillet room cutting the dead fish so that it will fit better into the boxes. I probably have more interaction with them than most folks here since I’m the only one who speaks any Spanish. After 7 years of classes, limited travel in Central America, and a whole lot of B.S. with my main man Jeff who spent a few years in Ecuador & Honduras, I know just enough Espanol to get in trouble.

Around here they’ve had me translate training manuals, job applications, and scripts for the ‘on-hold’ message. I even did some vacation coverage for the Mexican restaurant rep a couple years ago – did $50,000 in weekly sales all in Spanish. Here’s a quick primmer on Spanish seafood vocabulary:

Almejas = Clams
Almejas Empanezadas = Clam Strips
Atun = Tuna
Bacalao = Cod
Bacalao del Profundidad – Chilean Sea Bass (‘cod of the deep’)
Camarones = Shrimp
Cangrejo = Crab
Langosa = Lobster
Langostino = Crawfish
Osteones = Oysters
Trucha = Trout
Pescado Muerto en una caja = dead fish in a box.

Now, throughout Central America “Que Pasa” is the typical greeting, but different countries have different responses: “Nada nada”, or “No pasa nada” in Mexico, “Pura Vida” in Costa Rica, or “Todo Macanudo” in Honduras. Literally translated “Todo Macanudo” means “everything is fabulous”. I think it’s got a nice ring, so I added it to my vocabulary, often saying it to my Spanish-speaking friends here. The Mexicans here think it’s great. They joyfully started calling me ‘Macanudo’. I though it was great, I’d made some real friendships across cultural lines. Then I stared wondering why they always laughed when they heard me say it. I asked them what ‘macanudo’ meant to them, they snickered and said it didn’t’ mean anything, that it just sounded funny. Fine. I can live with that. But after another attack of the guffaws I brought it up again. I got a more accurate translation of my new nickname, and I’m not so sure I like it anymore.

Turns out ‘macanudo’ in Mexico is slang for ‘penis’

Carajo = Damn.