Esperpento

[poli]

I am confused about this word and how it's used. Someone told me it means absurd, but dictionaries say it means bad manners?

[Tomisimo]

I just asked a Mexican who says it means "muy feo", "deformado", o "mal formado".

[Elaina]

gross, ugly close to being something that would scare you if you saw it.

Of course, the word is also used to exaggerate something. For example,

Fuí al salon de belleza a tiñarme el cabello y quedé como un esperpento!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Elaina: You're right. But there's a little correction: "tiñarme" should be "teñirme".


En general, lo he oído como algo/alguien muy feo o deforme. Por extensión, se utiliza en sentido figurado con respecto a hechos o declaraciones que deforman la realidad.

El Jorobado de Notre-Dame era un esperpento.
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame was a monster.

Ya viste al esperpento que vive en el piso de arriba? Nunca se peina y usa ropa rota.
Did you see the freak living upstairs? He never combs his hair and wears torn clothes.

El informe que hizo Juan es un esperpento. Tuve que corregirlo letra por letra.
Juan's report is a complete disaster. I had to correct it letter by letter.

El Secretario de Hacienda dijo que no teníamos crisis. ¿Cómo se le ocurre semejante esperpento?
The Secretary of Treasury said we didn't have a crisis. How dares he to say such nonsense?

[poli]

Thanks a lot for the examples. Now I know it generally means something outstandingly wrong, messed up or absurd.

[irmamar]

There is also a sort of literary gender called "esperpento", created by Ramón del Valle Inclán. There are some theater plays by Valle Inclán, such as Luces de Bohemia. I recommend you

[sosia]

RAE

esperpento. (De or. inc.).
1. m. Hecho grotesco o desatinado.
2. m. Género literario creado por Ramón del Valle-Inclán, escritor español de la generación del 98, en el que se deforma la realidad, recargando sus rasgos grotescos, sometiendo a una elaboración muy personal el lenguaje coloquial y desgarrado.
3. m. coloq. Persona o cosa notable por su fealdad, desaliño o mala traza.

The common one is the last one
- "Juan, no salgas así a la calle que pareces un esperpento"
- "La ciudad tras la riada quedó hecha un esperpento"
- "El asesinato de la pobre anciana fue un esperpento"

meaning bad manners? I don't think so.....
Saludos

[poli]

Originally Posted by irmamar

There is also a sort of literary gender called "esperpento", created by Ramón del Valle Inclán. There are some theater plays by Valle Inclán, such as Luces de Bohemia. I recommend you( I recommend it to you)

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[irmamar]

Thanks, Poli

[EmpanadaRica]

Really interesting word!!

Thanx a lot Angelica, Irma and Sosia for the explanations and very good and illustrative examples!

So I guess it would be generally used to talk about something or someone quite grotesk.

In Dutch we would use the word 'gedrocht' by the way. This can be used either for people or objects being very ugly or for figurative meaning as well, such as your example of the Secretary.

[irmamar]

I've looked up "gedrocht" in a dictionary and it says that its meaning is monstruo. Sometimes, something "esperpéntico" means something that frightens you as, for instance, the description of the hell in Dante's La Divina Comedia. One can say that "la descripción del infierno es esperpéntica"

[Elaina]

I think I recall someone telling me that an "esperpento" can also mean "poltergeist", you know the kind..... one step beyond ghost!

[irmamar]

I thought poltergeist meant a naughty ghost . Sometimes some things have disappeared from home (once a book fell on the floor and when my husband ducked to take it , there wasn't any book -and we've never found it again). I always say that we live with a poltergeist.

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I thought poltergeist meant a naughty ghost . Sometimes some things have disappeared from home (once a book fell on the floor and when my husband ducked to take it , there wasn't any book -and we've never found it again). I always say that we live with a poltergeist.

Naughty and quite noisy but if you see it, it would be ugly! Es un esperento! Oh, almost like the ghosts from "6th Sense" not like Casper the Friendly Ghost or the ghosts from "Ghost Whisperer".

OMG! That happened to my friend but with his car keys. He got home from work around midnight, opened his house door with the keys, and then they disappeared. We re-traced his footsteps from the car to the house to his living room and nothing..... They were never found.

[EmpanadaRica]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I've looked up "gedrocht" in a dictionary and it says that its meaning is monstruo. Sometimes, something "esperpéntico" means something that frightens you as, for instance, the description of the hell in Dante's La Divina Comedia. One can say that "la descripción del infierno es esperpéntica"

Haha yes it's correct, it means something similar to 'monster' or 'monstrosity'. I really love Dali's depictions of La Divina Comedia in the but lovely small Dali museum in Montmartre, Paris by the way!! Eventhough surely 'cuadros esperpénticos' could probably be applied.. I like the adjective form of it too, quite dramatic and the sound of the word fits the meaning quite well I think!

¡Gracias Irma!

Originally Posted by Elaina

I think I recall someone telling me that an "esperpento" can also mean "poltergeist", you know the kind..... one step beyond ghost!

Una pelicula muy esperpéntica..

[irmamar]

Yo no quiero ver fantasmas, poltergeists, mosntruos ni otros esperpentos (con verme a mí cada mañana, tengo bastante )

[Elaina]

Yo tambien digo lo mismo.......

Pero el esperpento que mas susto me sacó y nunca podré olvidar y que si pudiera retroceder el tiempo no miraría esa película es .........The Exorcist.

Yo no sé porqué estuve de acuerdo en verla.......OMG... me traumatice yo sola..... hasta la fecha...

[irmamar]

No la he visto ni la pienso ver...¡Qué miedo!

Pero si queréis ver un esperpento...

[Elaina]

UGH!!!!!

Me recuerdo de una película Navideña donde un hombre compra una lámpara en la forma de una pierna de mujer con un zapato con tacón stiletto .... no me recuerdo el nombre de la película.

[irmamar]

También debía ser esperpéntica