Search results for

Órale, the word for this episode is masote. It means a physically attractive male. It comes from the English word, muscle, but it doesn’t necessarily refer to muscles themselves but whatever physical attribute you think makes a male attractive, like thick hair, eagle eyes, or a strong voice or energetic personality. The term can also be used in reference to a female, but given it invokes male attributes, know that masota won’t work as a compliment in all circumstances.

Órale, in this episode of Caló, we’re going to retell the story of how the local folks came to adopt a new landmark; namely, the profile of Lincoln, which you can see announced on a road sign on the way to OJ. The sign indicating it was there seemed to pop up one day. People passing by noticed it right away, but it took some time for it to sink in. It was as if the mountain changed overnight, one day just another mountain indistinguishable from the others surrounding it and the next day a new remarkable look. Qué onda?

Órale, the featured word of this episode is mento. It comes from the Latin word, mentis, which means mind or intellect. Caló stays close to the Latin meaning and uses the word to denote somebody who thinks they’re smart. It’s also used for people who are showing off that they know more or have higher privilege. The world of Caló is littered with wrecks of people who fell from heaven after acting all mento.

What archeologists call the “Goggle-Eye Entity” was painted or pecked at hundreds of sites in the desert borderlands, by a prehistoric people known as the Jornada Mogollon.

There's nothing more wondrous in a desert country than flowing water. But modern human activities have had stark effects on West Texas streams and creeks. Now, there's a new initiative to restore them.

Órale, the featured word of this episode is an innocuous cultural meme that makes sense only if you’re of the culture that uses it, but makes no sense at all if you’re on the outside looking in. White elephant, in the mainstream means a gag gift to be given away at a party, not the literal translation of the term. But if you’ve only lived in the world of Caló, it only means an elephant that happens to be white, maybe not a live one but at least something that can be called a white elephant.

Big Bend National Park is a place of wonders today. But its past includes equal wonders, and at the top of that list are its vanished dinosaurs.

Órale, this episode is about the verb, alivianar. It comes from the Spanish word, aliviar, which means to heal, de-stress, or lighten a burden. In Caló, it means to concede a favor or grace. You alivianar somebody when you give them something they ask for or you agree to back off and stop pressuring them or let them get ahead of you in line. It’s a matter of transaction, where you alivianar them by giving them the alivian they ask for, and you get points for heaven. Watchas? In that way, you alivianar yourself by alivianaring them with the alivian they ask for. Simón. A vato walks in all arranque and you say, alivianate, ese, and he says órale de aquellas, so you say, thanks for the alivian, vato.

Órale, the word for this episode is cantar. In proper Spanish, it means to sing. In Caló, it means to either speak truth to power, declare a deep feeling, or denounce someone in public. Depending on the circumstances, however, it can also mean to snitch or rat somebody out, as in the English slang expression, sing like a bird. Clearly in the first nuance, to cantar is an act of power or defiance. In the second, it is an act of weakness or fear. Either way, what’s invoked is a cut from an opera, where the hero le canta to the villain and the villain le canta to the hero’s enemies.

Órale, the word for this episode is órale. It’s a catch-all word that spans a wide spectrum of expressions, from ‘Ok then’ to ‘let’s get it on’ to “hello” or “goodbye.” It’s origins are uncertain, as it can come from the contraction of the Spanish expression, “ahora-le,” which means now-like, and from the Romaní interjection, “orí,” which means hello. Because of its many nuances, Órale is a very forgiving expression, allowing sarcasm to pass for corroboration and yes for no. What’s critical is not just the context, but also what the listener wants to hear. Sometimes the person saying órale gets lucky.