Chancla

[poli]

Well, this word made me get out of my "lurking" mode and log in to say that this word "chancleta" brought many funny memories and it is a word that is used not only for slippers in Puerto Rico, but any child of Puerto Rico knows full well that the mere mention of a "chancleta" will make you behave properly or a "chancletazo" is coming your way when you get home. It is the best form of making a child behave with just the mere mention of this word. Mothers are masters of the chancleta. Good word.
That's one of the things that Spanish is good for: words like chancletazo
and cocotazo. We don't have that in English. Welcome back Gomey.

[Amanpour]

No, they are not. Chanclas and chancletas are the same (flip-flop, but not sandals). Zapatillas can be tennis shoes or the shoes you were at home. Then, you say zapatillas de andar por casa. But in some places in Spain they don't call tennis shoes, zapatillas, but playeras, playeros...

What about tennis shoes? Do you usually call tennis shoes to any kind of sport shoes, or did I invent this?

All these vocabulary usages are referred to what I know it occurs in Spain.
My children say the sports shoes are better known as sneakers, trainers, canvas, then there are walking shoes, running shoes..., and though they disagree, I know there´s tennis shoes too.
The zapatillas de andar por casa is the house slippers...

[Alfonso]

Thanks a lot, Amanpour. I think these names for sport shoes given by young people have got something to do with their peculiar way of talking. Their sport shoes are beloved items and part of their personalities, so they don't agree with you if you don't call them as they do. To be inside the group or outside the group depending on your slang, to shoe or not to shoe, that is the question. :rolleyes:

[Amanpour]

Thanks a lot, Amanpour. I think these names for sport shoes given by young people have got something to do with their peculiar way of talking. Their sport shoes are beloved items and part of their personalities, so they don't agree with you if you don't call them as they do. To be inside the group or outside the group depending on your slang, to shoe or not to shoe, that is the question. :rolleyes:
I guess you´re right.
I love the expression; to shoe or not to shoe.