First, everybody hates Carlos Menem. The Cronista ran a weird poll asking which Argentine administration since 1983 has been the most democratic. The answers make no sense, as befitting a question which makes no sense. But Carlos Memem managed to get only 5% of votes, followed by Fernando de la Rúa at 3%. And to be fair, De la Rúa was really stuck cleaning up Menem’s mess.
Second, down in Neuquén City, native Mapuche demonstrators have occupied a national park and blocked roads. The reason is that the the national oil company, YPF, wants to drill on their land. The Mapuche asked for 3.8 million pesos per well ... about US$136,000, for wells that cost seven to fifteen million dollars.
The city government countered with ... zero. Actually, they outdid Michael Corleone: they offered the expropriation of Mapuche lands without any restitution. Now, these are not lands governed by vague traditional laws ... we are talking a 125 acre plot (about thirty New York City blocks) given to the Mapuche by the previous mayoral administration in the far off year of 2011. This did not stop Mayor Horacio “Pechi” Quiroga from saying, with great exasperation, “If the lands were theirs, they would have private titles!”
Third, Argentine Spanish has diverged from the rest of the world to the point of having their own conjugations. Consider the following from the Buenos Aires subway: “Registrá tu tarjeta.” Go ahead. Explain that conjugation to me. I dare you.
Finally, if an Argentine tells you that somebody is “saliendo con los tapones de punta,” it literally means that they are “leaving with their cleats in the ground.” Which makes no sense, even for a soccer player. But imagine that you are putting your cleats in the ground preparing to launch yourself at an opponent. Somebody who has “los tapones de punta” is ready to beat the shit out of you ... and if they are “saliendo con los tapones de punta” then they are “coming out swinging,” whether literally or figuratively. If literally, get your dukes up or run away you idiot, run away!!!! And if figuratively, gird yourself for battle however is appropriate.
Good night from Buenos Aires.
I always understood the "tapones de punta" to mean leading with your cleats. Imagine a dirty tackle in soccer in which you slide and hit your opponents with your cleats on their shin(s) or ankles.
In essence it means I am committed to this course in which you will het hurt and have no way of stopping (as in a sliding tackle) so you better get out of the way.
Posted by: Luciano | July 23, 2018 at 05:39 AM
Just to add to the comment: you should look up "plancha" in football dictionaries. It is a tackle with your studs showing / leading. It is the basis for the phrase "tapones de punta"
Posted by: Luciano | July 23, 2018 at 05:57 AM
Sir, "leading with the cleats" makes hella more sense. And a good Spanish football dictionary is exactly what I need, what with my older kid going to Pumas matches.
Posted by: Noel Maurer | July 31, 2018 at 01:20 AM
"Registrá tu tarjeta" or, in less Porteño variants, "registra tu tarjeta" is imperative mode, second person, present tense. Cheers
Posted by: Dwight Dyer | September 25, 2018 at 12:15 PM