Boludo

Everything in Argentine slang has to do with male anatomy and cows. Analogies using cow anatomy praise a woman's figure and more than curse words, phrases that use male body parts have become quotidien mantras.

A grandmother was scolding two men on the street yesterday for being scared of a stray dog and threatening it with a rolled up newspaper raised to swat it. "Que estan haciendo, es solo un perro, boludo!" Boludo has to be the single most frequently uttered word here. It's used to refer to a friend, to curse, even to address a group of co-workers during a meeting at the office. Literally, boludo means "oversized testicles." Somehow, it has gone from referring to a dim-witted guy (slow, thanks to elephantitus) to taking on both a general, accepted term of endearment, and a way to add stress to whatever it is you want to say.

My roommate tells her cat to stop breaking her balls (my roommate's invisible balls, not those of the female feline). A style of olive found in the supermarket deli is "aceituna violado." It's a green olive stuffed with a long piece of cucumber and literally means "raped olive." There are many aspects of this meat-loving culture that could use a feminine touch - especially the lexicon.



Today the rain attacked the morning and dampened plans to rent a bike with Ciara and see some sites. It's fall in Argentina and the sun has gone for now. I spend time actually practicing guitar. And school is better - I made it into an advanced class. If the weather stays this bad, I may have to travel north where it's warmer. Boludo.


Forro. Profiláctico. Boludo, pelotudo. ¿Idolo o forro? Antonio Gasalla llevó la cuestión a la televisión argentina en los 90 y puso la palabra en boca de todos