Lola and Luis teach us the meanings of 12 common phrases of Seville and give us examples.
Alessandra: I have a list of colloquial phrases from Seville that I learned in a class there at UPO. And okay, I'm going to say one and you will--
Lola: We explain what it is.
Alessandra: What it is, yes.
Lola: What you mean to say.
Alessandra: Yes. The first, "be a roll.” What does that mean?
Lola: It's a bummer, right? This is a bummer, right? Well, this is a roll is like saying, this is nonsense, this I do not want--
Luis: Dull.
Lola: Dull, I don’t like it.. You understand, right? More or less. Such a thing.
Alessandra: “To be a good catch.”
Luis: Yes. That usually, the girl, the one who is told. Because you can tell that she is from a good family, that she has a good economic situation, that she is educated. Anyway, all that. That's a good catch.
Alessandra: That has everything.
Lola: Has everything, has everything. When they are dating, come on, couples say it. What a good catch you’ve found! Well, that's it.
Alessandra: Well, what does it mean to "be a picky eater."
Lola: Ah, picky eater!
Alessandra: My favorite.
Lola: Something I say. To each his own. Well, fussy means that you are, that nothing-- that everything bothers you, that you are very picky, that everything, “ I don't want this because I don't like it. I don’t eat the other because, I don't know what, because such, everything. " You understand? It's such a very--
Veronica: Yes, a picky eater.
Lola: A drag, very--
Luis: Very silly, very silly.
Lola: Very silly.
Alessandra: Well, next: "to be like a goat."
Luis: Fool, crazy. That’s it.
Alessandra: Luis, like Luis. Noo.
Luis: Yes, like Luis! Totally.
Lola: He's like a goat, but in a funny sense. She's crazy, but in a funny sense.
Alessandra: Yes.
Luis: Luis!
Alessandra: “To be in a mess.”
Lola: "Being in a mess" is I have a mess, for example, you want to do something and you don't know where to go. You say, "I'm in a mess, my head is in a mess, I don't know where I'm going to shoot, I don't know what I have to do."
Alessandra: Yes.
Lola: More or less. Around there.
Alessandra: Yes I understand. "It's from the year of the pear."
Lola: I do not know what it is. The year of the pear?
Evelyn: From the year of the pear.
Veronica: It's from the years--
Alessandra: Past.
Evelyn: Ah, old fashioned.
Veronica: Like old-fashioned, or?
Alessandra: Okay.
Luis: Old fashioned. Ah, the year of the pear!
Lola: Ah, the year of the pear! I understand. From the year the pear. From a long time ago. A year ago far far away, from many years ago. For example, fashion. "Oy, that shirt is from the year the pear." That means that a shirt is very old.
Veronica: Out of style.
Lola: Out of style, yeah yeah yeah. It is a colloquial phrase.
Alessandra: Very colloquial. "To be up in the clouds."
Luis: To be up in the clouds? Well, very expensive.
Alessandra: Yes, and also something very similar, but--
Luis: “To be in the clouds” is to be thinking--
Lola: No.
Luis: Let’s see.
Alessandra: Yes, no no, right. "To be in the clouds" means that--
Luis: To be thinking about something completely different from what you are talking about.
Lola: Better, as he is asking you-- he is explaining to us and the other is "ooh"--
Luis: He is in the clouds.
Lola: By the clouds, you know, no--
Luis: They do not listen.
Lola: That he’s not attending to you.
Luis: He is not attending to you.
Veronica: Distracted.
Lola: Distracted, that.
Alessandra: Good. "What bad milk!" Or "To have bad milk."
Lola: To have bad milk, haha.
Luis: It's to have a bad idea.
Alessandra: What?
Lola: To be bad. To be bad.
Luis: To have a bad idea.
Alessandra: Aha. And this one is very funny to me, "he’s like cheese" or "he’s like a train."
Lola: What is-- if you say it about a boy, you say "he's like a train." That he is very good, that he is very appetizing, that he is very handsome, he has a good type. It is like a train.
Alessandra: But it doesn’t make sense!
Luis: It doesn’t make sense, no no.
Lola: No reason. It's that in the old days-- the sayings are all old, old, so in the old days, there were no cars and nothing that there was was trains to move around, so everyone loved the train. So it was, the best, the train. So, now they say "he's like a train." That is the best of the world that there is. But it should be said "it is like a plane." Like a plane-- you got on the plane to go to Madrid.
Alessandra: Well, two more. Two more and--
Lola: Now you calm down, we are not tired.
Luis: Here we sleep, Alessandra, here we nap, you know. And here siesta time has already passed.
Lola: Yes, yes.
Luis: I mean to say, there’s no problem.
Lola: What time do you have there?
Luis: Twelve, noon.
Lola: Noon or something like that, right?
Alessandra: Yes, yes yes yes.
Lola: Of course. Do you have to eat or have you eaten or?
Luis: Later.
Veronica: No, in a little while.
Lola: Ah okay. Okay, good.
Alessandra: Good. What does it mean to "be a dirty old man."
Luis: That's a person, I mean an older man, who is a scoundrel. That he likes all women and--
Lola: That says things.
Luis: That says things and such. That's a dirty old man.
Lola: Who says compliments to the girls when they pass by and anyway. Such a man, “verderón, verderón.”
Luis: Little, little correct.
Lola: Yes.
Evelyn: A Donald Trump.
Alessandra: Oh my god.
Luis: Yes, a little more or less.
Lola: More or less, more or less.
Luis: A little more or less.
Evelyn: I didn't want to put politics here, but hey.
Luis: Yeah yeah yeah.
Lola: Yeah yeah.
Luis: But you can see Trump. He's a dirty old man. That’s it.
Alessandra: Good. The last thing-- I like this phrase because Seville is the city of oranges in my opinion--
Lola: Ah yes?
Alessandra: So this is, "Is my better half."
Luis: She is my better half! And I am her better half.
Lola: Of course.
Luis: The whole orange is the unit. We are unity, that's why--
Lola: We are an orange.
Luis: She is my better half, I am her better half. It’s--
Lola: It's a-- let's see, the orange, when you cut it in half, when you separate it, and put it back together--
Luis: It coincides perfectly.
Lola: It matches perfectly with the cut you have made, doesn't it? Well, that means when you have your better half, they tell you, "You have found your better half in this person." It's because it totally matches you, and so, it's the best.
Alessandra: Your better half, right?
Lola: Exactly. And do you have a better half?
Alessandra: No, not yet.
Lola: Well!
Luis: Yeah yeah. That Mommy and Granny are here. And look, look at the colors.
Alessandra: I'm like a tomato, right?
Luis: Yes, and--
Evelyn: He made you like a tomato.
Luis: The plan when you carry it on a plate moves a lot. Well so. You do not know how to hide it.
Lola: How beautiful you are, Alessandra. You look gorgeous.
Alessandra: No, thank you. You too!
Lola: Ay, mother.
Alessandra: Better than ever!
Veronica: Yes, you--
Lola: Oh yeah? Sure, because happiness shows on your face.
Luis: As I am your Papa, I can tell you that I am not a dirty old man, understand? That you are very beautiful.
Alessandra: Well, Lola and Luis, thanks for being here with us through Zoom! And it has been a pleasure--
Lola: Thanks to you. Thanks to you because you've made us-- okay, sorry, go on, go on, sorry.
Alessandra: Oh, nothing, that you have always been very nice to me and my family, and I really appreciate it. And I miss you guys so much.
Lola: Ay, my child.
Luis: I have a question for you.
Alessandra: Yes?
Lola: Which?
Luis: Have you ever driven a speed change vehicle again? Manual?
Alessandra: No! I have not had the opportunity because the cars are automatic, no.
Lola: Sure. Sure, sure.
Luis: You already know to continue practicing in Spain with Papi Luis.
Evelyn: So sweet.
Alessandra: Yes, it was a very beautiful memory.
Lola: Really good too.
Evelyn: Alessandra talks a lot about you. Her memories are incredible.
Lola: Yeah?
Alessandra: And the book you made for me.
Veronica: That, that is--
Lola: Ah, the-- this, yeah. You liked it, right? I'm glad.
Veronica: A beauty.
Lola: I'm glad, I'm really glad.
Veronica: I appreciate it so much--
Lola: The people love it. I show it.
Luis: Well, we have a pleasant memory of your stay here in Spain, and as Lola told you before, we would like you to also return with your family, with your grandmother--
Lola: I would love to meet her in person.
Luis: We want to meet her too, and her husband too, huh?
Evelyn: Thank you.
Luis: And well, you know that here you have a family that awaits you with open arms.
Evelyn: Thank you. Very beautiful, very kind. Thank you.
Alessandra: And you have a family here in the United States too.
Lola: Thank you so much.
Luis: When COVID passes.
Evelyn: When it will be.
Alessandra: Okay, thank you! Goodbye!
Lola: Thank you so much.
Evelyn: It was an immense pleasure to see you, an immense pleasure.
Lola: Okay, so are we. Thank you very much.
Luis: Thank you.
Evelyn: Take much care.
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