Chasco
 

This is a discussion thread for the Daily Spanish Word for April 1, 2009

chasco (masculine noun (el)) — practical joke, joke, trick. Look up chasco in the dictionary

Me dio un buen chasco al esconderme la ropa mientras me bañaba.
He really played a joke on me by hiding my clothes while I was taking a bath.

Interesting. Never heard it used that way. I've heard "Broma" more in Spain.

To me a "Chasco" is a disappointment as in the definition below from the Maria Moliner dictionary.

chasco1 (de or. expresivo; "Dar, Darse, Llevarse, Sufrir, Tener un") m. Impresión que recibe alguien cuando espera una cosa agradable, que va a producirle placer, etc., y resulta que no ocurre o que no es agradable o que, por el contrario, es desagradable.

Right. Unless the bot is playing tricks today, out of all days in the year. :rolleyes:

That's what I thought at first but apparently, it doesn't seem to be. Just had a look at the RAE and it says "Burla o engaño que se hace a alguien"

Ambarina - I like you. :) I'm glad you've joined us in the forums - I'm learning as much from you already as I do from Chileno and Angelica and Rusty! :) Will you please give me a link to that dictionary you're using? After initial trepidation, I have come to enjoy using the RAE, but would always like to have an alternative for comparison purposes. Thanks!

My bad, I did not go to RAE. Just relied on what (little) I knew about the word. :-)

@laepelba: She went to RAE. :)

That's why now in chile they are using chascarros when they talk about tv bloopers ...

I wonder when was that word accepted by the RAE.

Es una dia de los chascos?

jajajaja I guess! :D :lol::lol:

She also mentioned a different dictionary ... Maria Moliner?

I agree with Ambarina that the most common idea for "chasco" is a disappointment.

--¿Cómo estuvo la obra de teatro? --Fue todo un chasco.
--How was the play? --It was a huge disappointment

The idea of "chasco" as "burla" is clear in the sense of "mockery". Despite the dictionary, I have always heard "chasco" used is a synonym of "chiste" or "broma" that one endures, not something one does to others.
The most common kind of sentence I've heard with this meaning is rather like:

"Me llevé un chasco cuando salí del baño y vi que me había escondido mi ropa."
"I felt mocked when I came out of the bath and saw he had hidden my clothes."


@Lou Ann: The María Moliner is a very serious dictionary (to many specialists, better than the RAE's), and I doubt there is a link to it. As far as I know, it can only be bought as a printed book. And one has to be careful... there are a couple of apocryphal versions of it.

Right. Thank you for conserving a clear mind. :-)

Burla as in mockery, and not as practical joke.

And, yes. She mentioned Maria Moliner too, just that as per quote I thought laepelba was referring to RAE... :o

So I have had a full intention of looking up a bookstore in Lima or in Rivera (Uruguay) this summer and coming home with some stuff that I wouldn't be able to find in the U.S. Is this Maria Moliner dictionary something that would be so big and heavy that I wouldn't want to bring it home in my suitcase?

@Lou Ann: I think it will be very bulky and heavy indeed, but I think you can cast a glance on it in Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The publishing house is called "Gredos". Don't buy the "Edición Abreviada".

The expression chasco is most used when you did something bad. Good it's at least in my country.

La clase hacía un chasco de la profesora. ¡Ellos ponía una chincheta en la silla a ella!

Yes. It's accurate.

wasn't there another Daily Spanish Word that had a word meaning joke? Oh, never mind, it's broma, :P

No me gusta la pelíqula; el fin fue chasco.

Yes it were.

A singular subject takes a singular verb.
they were
he was

My father has a "Maria Moliner", its a good one but VERY BIG.
It's a USAGE dictionary, gives examples and more information than a usual one.
It's a VERY good Christmas gift. :D
it's the first one here
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?...=Maria+Moliner
About 1500 page each volume, and expensive (295 dolars)
It's cheaper in Spain, for example (162 dolars)
http://www.casadellibro.com/libro-di.../2900001200033
but you need to have free place in your package.
Saludos :D

PD: Look, in barnes & Noble you have a good price (152 $)
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Dic...4928865/?itm=1
If you REALLY want it (as sayed, it's expensive) it's better to buy it there online.
Due to the price, it's considered the dictionary for sybarites.

That word sybarite works better in Spain than it does here. I think we
would more likely use epicurian. But an epicurian would more likely buy
French champagne and real caviar and silk cushions (not polyester) than a great dictionary so I'm not sure sybarite and epicurian are synonimous.
Pleyade is another word that Spaniards seem to know and we English speakers should know but don't.

Anyway, it must be a wonderful dictionary. For now, RAE, Tomissimo and
Word Reference on line are what I use.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!! This is all so very extremely helpful!!! I agree that it's expensive. And I agree that you can often find a lot of information about definitions online. But sometimes there are simply things that work better when looking in a paper dictionary. One of the issues I've had is that EVERY dictionary I find in bookstores here is a Spanish/English dictionary. I can't find a physical copy of a dictionary that is ONLY in Spanish (Spanish word defined by Spanish-worded definition). Online, yes - but then which one to buy? Now I have some ideas.

(In the meantime, I'm using an Oxford Spanish/English dictionary that I really like......)

Minor correction. And it has been ages since I've heard the word "Sybarite"!!! :)

I don't really know the english usage, but....
So a person devoted to pleasure (linguistics) and luxury (has money to afford it) will buy the Maria Moliner :D

Pero como ha dicho Poli, "Hay una pléyade de diccionarios disponibles" :D
Saludos :D

I agree that there are many alternatives. A good dictionary doesn't have to be so expensive. For an intermediate learner any "Pequeño Larousse Ilustrado" will be helpful, and it doesn't even have to be the latest edition. :)

Thanks, Malila!! :)