On a philosophical level, language is identity. And identity is power. On a basic level, Americans around the country go to soccer games, only to find their ambitions inhibited and their tongues shackled. They can taunt NHL refs to the point of songs getting�banned in arenas, yet English insults increasingly fall on deaf and impervious ears. The frustration must end. The era of impunity for Latino soccer fans must stop.
In the interest of cosmic justice for disgruntled fans who wan to berate total strangers in a language those strangers understand, I offer some key Spanish terms of the insult variety. We shall refer to this language as Cancha-speak.
No, I will not be delving in palabrotas (bad words). For pronunciation, Google Translate has a cool listen tool. Instead, we will begin with the basics. The visually impaired deserve our respect for overcoming a serious disability with humility and courage. Unless they are refereeing a soccer game. In English, it is common to call a ref "blind." The appropriate Spanish adjective is "ciego." But watch out - the last letter for an adjective in Spanish changes depending on the gender of the noun. So if you were watching the Womens' World Cup, you would call the mistaken female ref "ciega", not "ciego."
Match-fixing�and bribes to referees have marred the game in recent years. One of the more famous South American insults draws on this tarnished reputation among referees and insinuates, rhetorically, that a referee accepts sobornitas (kickbacks). The question in English is: "How much do you charge?" In Spanish, the question is: "Cuanto cobras?"
Lastly, across cultures, languages, and continents, everybody secretly loathes that brand new fan who happens to have a Manchester United jersey. Que casualidad (what a coincidence)! In English, we refer to this class of people as fair-weather fans, bandwagon fans, etc. In Mexico, the proper term is a "villamelon." It comes from the word "melon," which means "melon," and "villa," which means "small town." I know, I know. I don't get it either.�
So go forth my baptized in cancha-speak minions. Watch in joy as Latino parents cover their childrens' ears, hoping to shield them from the newly learned Spanish words of the indignant and borracho guero (drunk white person).
Elliott blogs about soccer at Futfanatico.com. His new book, "An Illustrated Guide to Soccer & Spanish," is available on both the�Nook & Kindle.�
Photo: Getty
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