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No seas capullo

 

An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not readily apparent based on the individual words in the expression. This forum is dedicated to discussing idioms and other sayings.


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  #1  
Old April 23, 2009, 03:16 PM
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No seas capullo

I came across this phrase that I find amusing. I know it means don't be so
naive. I this commonly used?

Would you say no soy capullo if you wish to say, I wasn't born yesterday.
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Old April 23, 2009, 03:34 PM
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I don't know the American Spanish meaning but the European Spanish is certainly stronger than just "naive".
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Old April 23, 2009, 04:17 PM
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I don't think "capullo" is used with that connotation anywhere in Latin America, but our equivalent will certainly use a much stronger word than "ingenuo".
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Old April 23, 2009, 04:20 PM
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For example Angelica you are a campullo chiquita.
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Old April 24, 2009, 01:48 AM
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perhaps at the beginning it has a naive point, but now it's not so "soft"
Now it's an insult like "hijo****" or "cabr**", meaning the other person is egoistic, evil, malicious.
Examples:
"No seas capullo y devuélveme las llaves de mi coche"
"No seas capullo, dime lo que sabes"
"No seas capullo, necesito que me hagas ese favor"
In all those sentences you can change "capullo" for another *-word and will also work.

The only appropiate use of "capullo" in the original meaning are things like:
"No seas capullo, tu novia te está engañando"
"No seas capullo, nadie da nada gratis"
you're calling him naive, but also idiot or silly.
Saludos
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Old April 24, 2009, 06:04 AM
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Oh, thank you Sosia. Now I see that it can also mean : don't play dumb with me.
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Old April 24, 2009, 06:06 AM
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I would certainly say that you are naive, Poli, but I would never call you capullo. Definitely not a pretty word...
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Old April 24, 2009, 07:02 AM
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Me naive? Bueno la gente naive nunca saben que son naive.--that's part of the charm.
There I was, thinking I was mondano, but like Joseph Cotton in "The Third Man" the truth was evident to all except him.
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Old April 24, 2009, 07:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
Me naive? Bueno la gente naive nunca saben que son naive.--that's part of the charm.
There I was, thinking I was mondano, but like Joseph Cotton in "The Third Man" the truth was evident to all except him.
You wanted to say mundano?
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