Techo

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by JPablo

Well, I think if you go with DRAE, and learn and understand the definitions, you cannot go wrong in any area of the Spanish-speaking map... although I am sometimes very surprised at things... Here are a couple of DRAE definitions,
techo. (Del lat. tectum).
1. m. Parte superior de un edificio, que lo cubre y cierra, o de cualquiera de las estancias que lo componen.
2. m. Cara inferior del techo, superficie que cierra en lo alto una habitación o espacio cubierto.

cielo 4. m. Parte superior que cubre algunas cosas. El cielo de la cama, del coche.
(By extrapolation, you can say "techo" = "cielo", per this definition 4.)

tejado.
1. m. Parte superior del edificio, cubierta comúnmente por tejas.

And that reminded me a tongue twister that may be useful for you... (I include 2 versions) (The second one is the one I remembered from childhood, the first one is the first one I found on a Google search.)

María Chucena su choza techaba,
un techador que atento miraba
le dijo: «¿Qué haces, María Chucena,
techas tu choza o techas la ajena?»
«No techo mi choza
ni techo la ajena,
techo la choza
de María Chucena.»

María Chucena su techo techaba
y un techador que por allí pasaba
le preguntó:
María Chucena, ¿tú techas tu choza o techas la ajena?
Yo no techo mi choza ni techo la ajena,
yo techo la choza de María Chucena.

Also, at least in Spain, the film "Fiddler on the Roof" is "El violinista en el tejado" (Probably there are some version with "El violinista en el techo"?)

Okay, it took me a while to work through this, but it was very valuable for me. Thanks, JPablo!

It seems to me that "techo" is quite a generic term with a wide variety of uses. I like that it's flexible.

Question about one of the phrases that was in the RAE definition of "cielo": El cielo de la cama. - does this mean something like a bed spread or blanket or quilt or something that is put on top of the rest of the covers? Or am I completely missing the meaning of that phrase?

A second question, this about your trabalenguas. I get that Maria is roofing her home. Her own home, right? And the roofer comes along and asks if she is roofing her own home or that of someone else, right? And her answer is that she is not roofing her own or anyone else's home, right? But.... "that of Maria Chucena"? Huh? I don't get that very last part.....

Thanks again! I need to spend more time in RAE.....

[poli]

El cielo de la cama is a bed's canopy.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by poli

El cielo de la cama is a bed's canopy.

You know, I had a sinking feeling that's what it referred to ... but it seems so antiquated... Very interesting.........

[JPablo]

Well... glad to be of help... (@Laepelba) (Did you get all the 'evil' innuendos/puns of the next posts?) (If we go over your ceiling... I mean, over your head, let us know, although you may hit some reluctance at explaining the entirety of some subjects...) (Maybe Elaina not being the direct perpetrator will be willing...)

@Irma & Chileno... "el cielo de la boca" (paladar) is very common in Spain... I heard many times the sacrilegious expression, "te voy a dar de h*sti*s hasta el cielo de la boca"... Which of course, cannot be taken literally...

And since we are already up there on the roof, did you know the expression Tener el tejado de vidrio? It means, "Poder una persona ser censurada o atacada por lo mismo que ella critica en otros."

(Literally, To have the roof made of glass = to be able to be criticized/condemned or attacked for the same thing one criticizes/condemns or attacks another.)

And in Argentina (given that you are more familiar than myself with the country) they have para tirar al techo as in tienen plata para tirar al techo = they have money to burn, they have loads of money (literally, they have money 'to throw up over the roof/ceiling')

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by JPablo

Well... glad to be of help... (@Laepelba) (Did you get all the 'evil' innuendos/puns of the next posts?) (If we go over your ceiling... I mean, over your head, let us know, although you may hit some reluctance at explaining the entirety of some subjects...) (Maybe Elaina not being the direct perpetrator will be willing...)

I didn't really look closely at their back-and-forth. I'll go back and look at it again for meanings.

Originally Posted by JPablo

And since we are already up there on the roof, did you know the expression Tener el tejado de vidrio? It means, "Poder una persona ser censurada o atacada por lo mismo que ella critica en otros."

(Literally, To have the roof made of glass = to be able to be criticized/condemned or attacked for the same thing one criticizes/condemns or attacks another.)

In English, that reminds me of two phrases....
- First, "he who lives in a glass house shouldn't throw stones" (which is roughly equivalent to "that's the pot calling the kettle black" ... and I'm sure there are others), which I think is the same as what your phrase means...
- Second, "glass ceiling" often refers to a level of advancement (usually as employment within an organization) that is difficult or impossible for an otherwise qualified person of a certain gender or race (or with some disability).

[JPablo]

Hey, thank you! (I had heard or read the expression "he who lives in a glass house..." but I you'd asked me I would not have remembered...) (It sounds like a nice equivalent.)

Never heard the "glass ceiling" concept before. (I see it is amply covered in Wikipedia... interesting 'creative' quote by Sarah Palin, "And although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it.")

Thank you for the inspiration... looks like we are reaching higher 'ceilings' at every turn!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by laepelba

You know, I had a sinking feeling that's what it referred to ... but it seems so antiquated... Very interesting.........

It's not antiquated at all in tropical areas, where people have to protect themselves from mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

It's not antiquated at all in tropical areas, where people have to protect themselves from mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit.

Oh! So a mosquito net (which I've used when I've been in Africa) would be the linguistic equivalent of a "canopy"?

[JPablo]

Not sure for Latin America, for Spain, "mosquito net" is "mosquitera", it could be over a "dosel" (canopy) but I think it [dosel] is a little bit dated...

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Well, the ones used around beds, where I've seen them, are not only curtains, but have that specific function...

Many people prefer to have "mosquiteros" on windows and doors though.

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

Well, the ones used around beds, where I've seen them, are not only curtains, but have that specific function...

Many people prefer to have "mosquiteros" on windows and doors though.

Reminds me of a funny story......I was interpreting for a lady who had many, many mosquito bites and the doctor told her to use "something" to avoid geting bit to which the lady replied......."si ya mi esposo le va a poner esprines a la puerta".... and my mind is racing 100 miles an hour trying to figure out what the heck "esprines" are. So I asked her what it was and she said....."a poco no sabe lo que es un esprín?" No, no sé, le dije. Then she says......"la maya que le ponen a las puertas para que no se metan las moscas y los zancudos a la casa"......... I realized she was talking about a screen door.

Live and learn!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Adaptamos con una facilidad los sonidos extranjeros a los nuestros...

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by JPablo

And that reminded me a tongue twister that may be useful for you... (I include 2 versions) (The second one is the one I remembered from childhood, the first one is the first one I found on a Google search.)

María Chucena su choza techaba,
un techador que atento miraba
le dijo: «¿Qué haces, María Chucena,
techas tu choza o techas la ajena?»
«No techo mi choza
ni techo la ajena,
techo la choza
de María Chucena.»

María Chucena su techo techaba
y un techador que por allí pasaba
le preguntó:
María Chucena, ¿tú techas tu choza o techas la ajena?
Yo no techo mi choza ni techo la ajena,
yo techo la choza de María Chucena.

Also, at least in Spain, the film "Fiddler on the Roof" is "El violinista en el tejado" (Probably there are some version with "El violinista en el techo"?)

Originally Posted by laepelba

A second question, this about your trabalenguas. I get that Maria is roofing her home. Her own home, right? And the roofer comes along and asks if she is roofing her own home or that of someone else, right? And her answer is that she is not roofing her own or anyone else's home, right? But.... "that of Maria Chucena"? Huh? I don't get that very last part.....

Originally Posted by chileno

Perdón de antemano, pero no la puedo dejar pasar...

También:

Techo una o techo dos, no importa decía ella, sin remilgos.

Originally Posted by JPablo

Bueno, hablando de "techar" y de "techo", aunque me vaya un poquito por las ramas... había un cuplé, que decía: ¡Echa té, ¡echa té..., a la camarera le dice: ¡Echa té!

Que sólo significa "Pour tea!, pour tea! To the waitress he tells her, "pour tea!"... right?

Originally Posted by JPablo

Well... glad to be of help... (@Laepelba) (Did you get all the 'evil' innuendos/puns of the next posts?) (If we go over your ceiling... I mean, over your head, let us know, although you may hit some reluctance at explaining the entirety of some subjects...) (Maybe Elaina not being the direct perpetrator will be willing...)

Okay, JPablo, now that I've had a chance to read through these things, I do have some questions.

First, about your tongue-twister. I think you may have missed my first question about it, so I copied it above...

Next, I don't understand Chileno's statement that I highlighted in blue above nor your bit about the waitress and the tea....

Thanks for any guidance you can lend ... I want to be in on the humor!

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Next, I don't understand Chileno's statement that I highlighted in blue above nor your bit about the waitress and the tea....

Si te sirve de consuelo, yo tampoco lo entiendo (aunque me imagino por donde van los tiros ). "Piensa mal y acertarás" (this is a saying).

[laepelba]

¡Sí, me sirve de consuelo! Gracias. Siempre supongo que los chistes de Chileno son, errr, "sketchy"....

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

¡Sí, me sirve de consuelo! Gracias. Siempre supongo que los chistes de Chileno son, errr, "sketchy"....

To say the least!

By the way "techar = to roof"

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

By the way "techar = to roof"

Right - I know that. But it doesn't help me understand the banter....

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Right - I know that. But it doesn't help me understand the banter....

When you grow up... you will.

[JPablo]

Well, let me see if I can answer all the questions... (very difficult task!)
Yes, your understanding of the "traba lenguas" is fine, at the end, "yo techo la choza de María Chucena" she is "contradicting herself" as she says "I don't roof my hut (choza) nor someone else's... I roof the on one that belongs to María Chucena" (herself). I believe it is said like this just for the "sounding" effect and to make María Chucena a bit more "crafty" as she is saying she is roofing María Chucena's roof (which is true) but not revealing her identity to the roofer asking about it... (Does that make some sense?)

Okay, second "lingüistic" aspect to touch upon "techo una" sounds the same as "te echo una" (I throw you one, literally). Well, I think I don't have to explain now about the bees and the flowers... you know... (I think this is enough clue... let me know if otherwise.)

As far as "pour tea" "echa té" it is pronounced exactly as "échate" which means "lay down"...

And all this started with a simple roof!!

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by JPablo

Well, let me see if I can answer all the questions... (very difficult task!)
Yes, your understanding of the "traba lenguas" is fine, at the end, "yo techo la choza de María Chucena" she is "contradicting herself" as she says "I don't roof my hut (choza) nor someone else's... I roof the on one that belongs to María Chucena" (herself). I believe it is said like this just for the "sounding" effect and to make María Chucena a bit more "crafty" as she is saying she is roofing María Chucena's roof (which is true) but not revealing her identity to the roofer asking about it... (Does that make some sense?)

Okay, second "lingüistic" aspect to touch upon "techo una" sounds the same as "te echo una" (I throw you one, literally). Well, I think I don't have to explain now about the bees and the flowers... you know... (I think this is enough clue... let me know if otherwise.)

As far as "pour tea" "echa té" it is pronounced exactly as "échate" which means "lay down"...

And all this started with a simple roof!!

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! Got it. All of it!! THANKS!!