Refranes Famélicos [de
Colombia]
Hungry Sayings
[from Colombia]
EVELYN PRENTICE / CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS 2024
–2–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
[04]
S OBRE LA LECHE
/ TO CRY OVER SPILLED MILK
LLORAR
DERRAMADA
Introduction
Have you ever heard the expression: “To cry over spilled milk”? Somewhere, in our quest for understanding of the link between language and culture, sit those linguistic expressions, idioms, sayings, and phrases that can only be decoded correctly by particular groups of people.
Hungry Sayings [from Colombia] explores the intricate relationship between vernacular language, local culture, and bilingualism, aiming to question the agency of graphic communication design in the mobility of language across cultures. It focuses on translating traditional Colombian sayings bridging the lexical gaps between local expressions from my mother tongue, Spanish and my everyday language, English.
*
¿Alguna vez has escuchado la expresión: “No llorar sobre la leche derramada”? En algún lugar en nuestra búsqueda por entender el vínculo entre el lenguaje y la cultura, se encuentran esas expresiones lingüísticas, modismos, refranes y frases que solo pueden ser decodificados correctamente por grupos particulares de personas.
Hungry Sayings [de Colombia] explora la intrincada relación entre el lenguaje vernáculo, la cultura local y el bilingüismo, con el objetivo de cuestionar la agencia del diseño de comunicación gráfica en la movilidad del lenguaje entre culturas. Se enfoca en traducir refranes tradicionales colombianos, estableciendo puentes léxicos entre expresiones locales de mi lengua materna, el español, y mi lengua cotidiana, el inglés.
–3–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
Introduction to “Between sayings and proverbs... foods, meals, liquors and breads travel.” by Teresita Alzate Yepes.
Introducción a “Entre dichos y refranes... transitan alimentos y comidas, los licores y los panes” por Teresita Alzate Yepes.
Alzate Yepes, T. (2009) ‘RASTREANDO Entre dichos y refranes...transitan alimentos y comidas, los licores y los panes’, Perspectivas En Nutrición Humana, 11(2), pp. 213–216. doi:10.17533/udea.penh.
–4–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
“The linguistic richness of our language (Spanish) is evident in the multiple wordplays, double meanings, literary figures, and the many sayings, rhymes, and popular expressions that are passed down verbally from generation to generation. Those with ancestral memory, especially those who enjoy a rich oral tradition, say that this is the lifeblood of the people, as its proclamation of history illuminates the future.
Although this may have been true in the past, it gradually loses validity due to the much-vaunted globalisation, as the local connotations of certain expressions are lost as the internationalisation of food, ingredients, and meals leads to very similar diets, although the ways of appropriation, use, and relationship may vary in different contexts. Nevertheless, because eating is a mandatory and daily act, it lends itself to multiple manipulations and interpretations, some more serious and profound, others more comical or trivial, but undoubtedly, change also generates trans-formations in the ways we relate to food.”
(Alzate Yepes, 2009) *
“La riqueza lingüística de nuestro idioma (Español) está evidenciada en los múltiples juegos de palabras, en los dobles sentidos, en las figuras literarias y en los muchos refranes, retahílas y dichos populares que pasan de modo verbal de generación en generación. Dicen los que tienen memoria ancestral, y sobre todo aquellos que gozan de rica tradición oral, que ésta es la savia nutricia de la vida de los pueblos, pues su pregón de historia ilumina el futuro.
Aunque esto pudo ser cierto en el pasado deja de tener validez poco a poco a causa de la muy cacareada globalización, ya que las connotaciones locales de determinadas expresiones se van perdiendo a medida que la internacionalización de alimentos, ingredientes y comidas hace que tengamos una alimentación muy similar, aunque las maneras de apropiación, uso y relación pueden ser diferentes en distintos contextos. De todos modos, por ser la alimentación un acto obligatorio y cotidiano da pie a múltiples manejos e interpretaciones, unos más serios y profundos, otros más cómicos o triviales, pero sin duda, el cambio genera transformaciones también en las maneras de relacionarnos a partir de los alimentos.” (Alzate Yepes, 2009)
–5–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
Refranes Famélicos
[de Colombia]
–6–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
Hungry Sayings
[from Colombia]
–7–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
02 – [Chicken brand] – Referring to an unknown brand or one of dubious reputation.
01 – [White it is, hen lays it, it’s eaten fried] It’s said when pointing out something extremely obvious.
Blanco es, gallina lo pone, frito se come
03 – [Bread is bread, and wine is wine] – To speak candidly, saying things plainly and without beating around the bush.
04 – [Cry over spilled milk] - To lament things that can no longer be remedied or repaired.
–8–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
LLORAR SOBRE LA LECHE DERRAMADA [04] BLANCO ES, GALLINA LO PONE, FRITO SE COME [01]
Llorar sobre la leche derramada
Al pan, pan al vino vino
AL PAN, PAN. AL VINO, VINO
[03]
Marca pollito
MARCA POLLITO [02]
05 – [To be fried] – To be in a difficult or compromising situation with no possibility of getting out of it.
Estar frito
07 – [A ‘Chocolate Sol’ Day] – To have a hectic, challenging day with plenty to do.
Un día chocolate sol
06 – [Sanchochando] – An expression of experiencing intense heat.
“It an average holiday, and we had travelled to a different city to visit my grandma. She didn’t have a swimming pool, and I wish she did because the heat that year was unbearable. She didn’t have air conditioned either, so at the peak of the day I would often hear someone saying wholeheartedly: “me estoy sancochando!”. That’s right, “sancochando” as in the sense of being boiled alive in that thick South American soup (Also know as Sancocho) made of meat, potato and assorted vegetables.”
(Prentice, 2024)
*
“Eran unas vacaciones como cualquier otras, nos dirigíamos a una ciudad diferente a visitar a mi abuela. Ella no tenía piscina, y desearía que la tuviera porque el calor ese año era insoportable. Tampoco tenía aire acondicionado, así que en el punto más álgido del día, a menudo escuchaba a alguien decir agitadamente: “me estoy sancochando!”. Así es, “sancochando” en el sentido de hervirse vivo en esa espesa sopa sudamericana (también conocida como Sancocho Antioqueño) hecha de carne, papa y otras verduras.”
(Prentice, 2024)
–9–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
ESTAR FRIO [05] UN DÍA CHOCOLATE SOL [07] SANCOCHANDO [06]
09 – [Dancing Coca Cola] – A type of youth dance party typical of the 70-80s where no alcohol was served, and Colombian minors went to dance just for fun.
Coca Cola bailable
08 – [Sardine] – Term to refer to a teenager girl or young woman.
Sardina
10 – [Cocacolo] – Young person from the 80s
“The first rebellious criollo kids without a cause were the sons of wealthy parents, known back then as ‘cocacolos.’ They would sneak out the family car without permission and try to emulate their hero, James Dean. Their attire
consisted of American blue jeans, brightly coloured jumpers, moccasin shoes, white socks, leather bomber jackets, dark sunglasses, crew-cut hairstyles, the same as American military personnel. With them, the first youth gangs were born, alarming the puritanical society of the so-called ‘South American Athens.’” (Hozzman, 2012)
*
“Los primeros rebeldes sin causa criollos fueron los hijos de papi, conocidos entonces como ‘cocacolos’. Sacaban sin permiso el carro de la familia e intentaban emular a su héroe, James Dean. Sus atuendos eran bluejeans americanos, suéteres de colores vivos, zapatos mocasines, medias blancas, chaquetillas toreras de cuero, gafas de lentes oscuros, corte de pelo cepillo, el mismo de los militares americanos. Con ellos nacieron las primeras pandillas juveniles que alarmaban a la puritana sociedad de la llamada «Atenas suramericana».”
(Hozzman, 2012)
–10–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
[09]
COCA COLA BAILABLE
[10]
COCACOLO
[08]
SARDINA
11 – [The apple of discord] – Something or someone that causes conflict or disagreement among people.
La manzana de la discordia
13 – [Next to the ill eats the healthy] –To take advantage of an opportunity for one’s own benefit, even to the detriment of others.
12 – [Crazy cow] – A situation that’s difficult to handle or has completely gone out of control.
La vacaloca
14 – [Enguayabado] – En-gwah-yah-bah-doh.
The physical and mental discomfort experienced after a night of excessive drinking, or simply put, a hangover.
–11–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
LA MANZANA DE LA DISCORDIA [11]
Al lado del enfermo come el alentado
[14]
VACALOCA
AL LADO DEL ENFERMO COME EL ALENTADO [13]
ENGUAYABADO
LA
[12]
15 – [Jingle, jingle, but no ice lollies] – Conveys a sense of dissatisfaction when something promised or expected doesn’t materialise.
Tilin tilin y nada de paletas
17 – [To be like a lulo ‘Solanum quitoense] To be really pretty and well situated in life.
Estar como un lulo
16 – [To be like corn on the cob] – To have some allergy or skin rash.
Está como una mazorca
18 – [To be salty] – To have bad luck.
Estar salado
–12–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
EST AR COMO UN LULO [17]
ESTÁ COMO UNA MAZORCA [16]
TILIN TILIN Y NADA DE PALETAS [15]
ESTAR SALADO [18]
19 – [Make cow] – Hacer vaca
“We were young. We didn’t have much money and were careless. One of the guys from my block of flats would bring the guitar out and we would all sit in a circle outside the gym to sing breakup songs.
20 – [Fresh as a lettuce] – A person who is carefree and full of energy.
Fresco como una lechuga
Some other friend would make a call to “Make cow”, understood as the act of gathering coins, bank notes, whatever cash was available from each one of us to go and buy something, in this case the forbidden liquid… and a loaf of bread – to prevent our parents finding out we had been drinking.” (Prentice, 2024)
*
“Éramos jóvenes. No teníamos mucho dinero y éramos descuidados. Uno de los muchachos de mi conjunto sacaba la guitarra y todos nos sentábamos en círculo afuera del gimnasio para cantar canciones de despech.o. Mientras tanto, otro amigo empezaba a “Hacer la vaca”, procediendo a reunir monedas, billetes, cualquier efectivo disponible de cada uno de nosotros para ir a comprar el líquido prohibido... y un pan para evitar que nuestros padres descubrieran que habíamos estado bebiendo.” (Prentice, 2024)
21 – [Left like a guama seed] – To leave a place quickly and abruptly, as when a guama fruit (Inga edulis) is opened, due to its texture, the internal seed can slip or be ejected.
Salió como pepa de guama
–13–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
HACER VACA [19]
[21] FRESCO COMO UNA LECHUGA [20]
SALIÓ COMO PEPA DE GUAMA
Gráficas Molinari
[1952 - 1990]
–14–Hungry Sayings
GRAFICAS
MOLINARI –CALI, COLOMBIA
“Molinari Graphics was a popular print workshop founded in 1952 by the Spanish Antonio Molinari in Cali, Colombia. From its inception until 1990, the company reproduced religious, mythological, gender, portrait, entertainment, still life, and landscape images through chromolithographs, a printing technique that allows vivid and unusual colours. Its mass production, widespread distribution, and low cost made them popular objects that are part of collective memory.“ (Museo La Tertulia 2022)
The existance of this workshop in itself is an act of cross-cultural communication between Europe and Latin America. As Molinari himself embarks in a quest to shape and by shaped by the local culture through the printed image. The contents of this archive form the foundation of this body of work, as a reframed context comes to light by interveening, suberting and reimagining the image as a tool from cross-cultural communication in the 21st century.
*
“Gráficas Molinari fue un taller de impresión popular fundado en 1952 por el español Antonio Molinari en Cali, Colombia. Desde sus inicios hasta 1990, la empresa reprodujo imágenes religiosas, mitológicas, de género, retratos, entretenimiento, naturalezas muertas y paisajes a través de cromolitografías, una técnica de impresión que permite colores vivos e inusuales. Su producción en masa, distribución generalizada y bajo costo las convirtieron en objetos populares que forman parte de la memoria colectiva.” (Museo La Tertulia 2022)
“La existencia de este taller en sí mismo es un acto de comunicación intercultural entre Europa y América Latina. Cuando Molinari mismo se embarca en la búsqueda de dar forma y ser moldeado por la cultura local a través de la imagen impresa. El contenido de este archivo constituye la base de este cuerpo de trabajo, ya que al ser recontextualizado sale a la luz mediante la intervención, subversión y reimaginación de la imagen como una herramienta de comunicación intercultural en el siglo XXI.”
–15–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
22 – [To pretend to be a coffee with milk] –To be pretentious, vain, arrogant, boastful.
Se las da de cafe con leche
23 – [Red as a tomato] – To blush. When someone’s face turns red due to embarrassment, anger, or shame.
Se puso rojo como un tomate
24 – [To give papaya] – To make yourself an easy target for trouble or theft.
25 – [To uncover the cake] - To discover a big secret.
–16–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
ROJO COMO UN TOMATE [23] SE LAS DA DE CAFE CON LECHE [22]
DESCUBRIR EL PASTEL
Descubrir el pastel
[25]
Dar papaya
DAR PAPAYA
[24]
26 – [Fly in the milk] – To feel out of place among others.
28 – [A resurrection broth] – Hangover broth, typically after excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks.
27 – [Carrot hour] – A law established in 1995 that restricted the sale of alcoholic beverages in Bogota from 1am.
29 – [To be bad milk] – Is said of someone who is grumpy, pessimistic, or gives a bad omen.
–17–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
[26]
MOSCO EN LECHE
Mosco en leche
Hora zanahoria
Ser mala leche
Caldo levanta muertos
MALA LECHE
[29]
HORA ZANAHORIA
[27]
CALDO LEVANTA MUERTOS
[28]
30 – [Catfish] – An ugly person. Particularly if referring to an old woman.
Un bagre
32 – [A pear in syrup] - A difficult person that’s quick to anger, rather than benevolent and affectionate.
Una pera en dulce
31 – [Clear dealings, tick chocolate] It implies a desire for honesty and clarity in communication or dealings.
Cuentas claras chocolate espeso
33 – [To want bread and a piece] – To have or enjoy two desirable things that are mutually exclusive or contradictory.
–18–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
CLARAS CHOCOLATE ESPESO [31]
CUENTAS
Querer pan y pedazo
[33]
QUERER PAN Y PEDAZO
UNA PERA EN DULCE [32]
UN BAGRE [30]
34 – [Neither ‘chicha’ nor lemonade] – Not easily conforming to categorisation (nor this or that).
“According to the Muisca legend, chicha was discovered by an indigenous woman who, desperate because of the punishment she received for being unfaithful to her husband, fled to Lake Guatavita, finding solace only in the fermented corn drink she found on the shores of the pond.” (Hernández Abello, 2019)
*
Ni chicha, ni limonada
“Según la leyenda muisca, la chicha fue un descubrimiento de una mujer indígena que, desesperada por el castigo que recibió al serle infiel a su marido, huyó a la laguna Guatavita teniendo como único consuelo el fermento del maíz que encontró en las laderas del estanque.”
(Hernández Abello, 2019)
35 – [Rice in low fire] – Keeping a relationship informal, avoiding commitment.
Arrocito en bajo
36 – [To grab the pan by the handle] – Taking decisive action and assuming control of a situation.
Cojer la sartén por el mango
–19–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
NI CHICHA NI LIMONADA [34]
EN BAJO [35] COJER LA SARTÉN POR EL MANGO [36]
ARROCITO
The Jet Album
[The medium is the message]
–20–Hungry Sayings
JET NATURAL HISTORY ALBUM
“It could be argued that at some point in their lives, all Colombians have consumed a Jet chocolate bar or, at the very least, have collected the sticker album that has accompanied it throughout its history. Indeed, the brand created in 1962 was born with characteristics that set it apart from other chocolate bars. Why?
The chocolate bar was born with its characteristic flavor and with collectible stickers, which had a strong impact on children. –Explains Conrado Mora Velásquez, quality manager of the National Chocolate Company.” (Arango, 2016)
In this way, the Jet Natural History Album presents an opportunity to explore the intersection between graphic design and culture through endangered publishing formats, helping us to reframe and reimagine the way in which we can engage with locality not just through information and content, but by navigating the medium itself as a tool for ‘giving form’ to memories of culture and belonging.
* “Se podría afirmar que todos los colombianos en algún momento de sus vidas han consumido una chocolatina Jet o, al menos, han coleccionado el álbum de láminas que la han acompañado a lo largo de su historia. En efecto, la marca creada en 1962 nació con características que la diferencian de otras chocolatinas. ¿Por qué?
La chocolatina nació con su sabor característico y con las láminas coleccionables, que calaron muy fuerte en los niños. – Explica Conrado Mora Velásquez, gerente de calidad de la Compañía Nacional de Chocolates”. (Arango, 2016)
De esta manera, el Álbum de Historia Natural de Jet ofrece una oportunidad para explorar la intersección entre el diseño gráfico y la cultura a través de formatos de publicación en peligro de extinción, ayudándonos a replantear y reimaginar la forma en que podemos involucrarnos con la localidad no solo a través de la información y el contenido, sino navegando el propio medio como una herramienta para ‘dar forma’ a los recuerdos de la cultura y la pertenencia.
–21–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
37 – [To suck pinapple] – Making reference to a pasionate kiss.
38 – [To catch someone with the hands in the dough] –Discovering someone in the midst of committing an offense, or “to catch someone red-handed.
Cojer con las manos en la masa
Someone who switches sides or opinions several times, often for convenience.
–22–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
Chupar Piña
COJER CON LAS MANOS EN LA MASA
[38]
CHUPAR PIÑA [37]
40 – [Voltiarepas] - “vohl-tee-ah-reh-pahs”
VOLTIAREPAS [40]
39 – [Churro/a] – A good looking man or woman.
CHURRO
[39]
41 – [To speak with a potato in the mouth] – To imitate the way of speaking of Bogota’s upper class people.
Hablar con la papa en la boca
43 – [Don’t eat story] – Not believing something without ensuring it is true.
No comer cuento
42 – [Eaten bread] – Describes something that is very easy to do or accomplish.
Pan comido
44 – [The fish dies by its mouth] – To speak more than necessary either exposes themselves or gets into trouble due to their indiscretion.
El pez muere por su boca
–23–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
HABLAR CON LA PAPA EN LA BOCA
[41]
POR SU BOCA [44] PAN COMIDO [42] NO COMER CUENTO [43]
EL PEZ MUERE
45 – [To sweeten someone’s ear] – To flatter or speak in a pleasing manner to someone, usually with the intention of gaining favor or manipulating them
47 – [To be in the pot] - To be in the midst of a difficult situation, mainly poverty.
Estar
la olla
46 – [Sugar cube] – A cute person, particularly when referring to a child.
– [Get rid of
–24–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
Terron de azucar
TERRON DE AZUCAR
[46]
48
cassavas] – Crack your knuckles.
Sacar las yucas
SACAR LAS YUCAS [48]
ESTAR EN LA OLLA [47]
en
Endulzar el oido
ENDULZAR EL OIDO [45]
– [Go as a duck] – Travel in the passenger seat.
49 – [To be like a mushroom] – To feel out of place, alone or to be as lonely as a cloud.
Estar como un hongo
51 – [For the one who doesn’t want soup, three cups are served] – Refusing something initially may lead to an even greater quantity or intensity of it later on.
Al que no quiere caldo se le dan tres tazas
52 – [There’s no room even for a coffee] –When a place is so crowded that not even a cup of coffee can make it in.
No le cabe ni un tinto
–25–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
AL QUE NO QUIERE CALDO SE LE DAN TRES TAZAS [51] ESTAR COMO UN HONGO [49]
50
Ir de pato
IR DE PATO [50] NO LE CABE NI UN TINTO [52]
Bibliography
–26–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
Alzate Yepes, T. (2009) ‘RASTREANDO Entre dichos y refranes... transitan alimentos y comidas, los licores y los panes’, Perspectivas En Nutrición Humana, 11(2), pp. 213–216. doi:10.17533/udea.penh.
Arango, D. (2016) La Historia de la chocolatina jet, Producto Que No Pasa de Moda, Portafolio.co. Available at: https://www.portafolio.co/ negocios/empresas/chocolatina-jet-historia-de-un-negocio-que-nocambia-501307 (Accessed: 06 May 2024).
Díaz, R.J. (2018) Las Populares Gráficas Molinari: Versión, subversión Y perversión de las imágenes. Bogotá, Cundinamarca: Ministerio de Cultura.
GraficasMolinari (no date) Archivo, GraficasMolinari. Available at: https://graficasmolinari.com/archivo (Accessed: 08 May 2024).
Hozzman, E. (2012) Sólo para Mayores de 40 Años: La época de los cocacolos, camajanes y pandillas., Verbien magazin. Available at: https://verbienmagazin.com/solo-para-mayores-de-40-anos-la-epocade-los-cocacolos-camajanes-y-pandillas/ (Accessed: 29 April 2024).
Las Populares Gráficas Molinari (2022) Museo La Tertulia. Available at: https://museolatertulia.com/las-populares-graficas-molinari/ (Accessed: 21 April 2024).
Nacional de Chocolates (2019) Evolución del álbum de chocolatinas jet, Chocolates JET. Available at: https://chocolatesjet.com/historia/ evolucion-del-album-de-chocolatinas-jet/ (Accessed: 08 May 2024).
Ospina, A. (2012) Bogotalogo: Usos, Desusos y Abusos del Español Hablado en Bogotá. Available at: https://centrodocumentacion. idpc.gov.co/opac-tmpl/cendoc/apariencia%20cendoc/site/images/ descargas/bogotalogotomoII.pdf (Accessed: 22 April 2024).
–27–Hungry Sayings [from Colombia]
This album explores the intricate relationship between vernacular language, local culture, and bilingualism, aiming to question the agency of graphic communication design in the mobility of language across cultures.
Este album explora la intrincada relación entre el lenguaje vernáculo, la cultura local y el bilingüismo, con el objetivo de cuestionar la agencia del diseño de comunicación gráfica en la movilidad del lenguaje entre culturas.
HUNGRY SAYINGS [FROM COLOMBIA]