“TRUCHA ESE LOCO, VAMOS AL BORLO “Watch out, crazy dude, lets go to the party “Downey… ¡Rifa!” a rallying cry applied after the name of a region/area “DONDE BAILAN SWING.” “where they dance swing.” “COMO LOS PACHUCONES DOWN IN L.A.” “like the pachucos down in L.A.” (Puts hat back on and turns.) (Puts hat back on and turns.) To put on a Zoot Suit and play the Myth to put on a Zoot suit and play the Myth In or out of the Chicanada in or out of the neighborhood It was the secret fantasy of every bato It was the secret fantasy of every dude Is a plant, purslane – the implication is that the audience is “green”). No, you know what, you are very naïve(verdolaga Aliviánese con mis calcos Check out my threads, dude. Vamos a dejarnos caer un play, ¿sabe? We’re going let ourselves get lost in a play, you know? ¿Sabes qué, carnal? You know what, brother?Įstas garras me las planté porque I put these old rags on myself because “¿Que le watcha a mis trapos, ese? “What, you’re looking at my clothes, dude? Ya me estás cayendo gordo – you’re being a pain in the ass Tacuche – the whole kit and kaboodle, the Zoot Suit threads, the fancy duds, the whole look. Pendejadas – stupidities, nonsense (literally “things like pubic hairs”) Gabacho – Anglo, gringo, paddy, white American The following Spanish or Caló words and phrases appear throughout the script:

– “What’s going on, you melon?” “Nothing, nothing, lemonade.”īelow is a glossary of terms used in the play grouped in order by Act and Scene, including Caló words and phrases but also terms in Spanish, English, or historical terms that Valdez employs to craft his scenes and characters. ¿Qué te pasa, calabaza? / Nada nada limonada. The word “vato” (friend) is pronounced and spelled with a “b.” Contrariwise, words like “barrio” (neighborhood) become “varrio.” This literally means “see you later, my friend” (or more like “see ya later alligator”). Caló incorporates a lot of rhyming, code-switching, and alteration of phonemes and spelling. Of particular interest is the use of Caló, or “Pachuco Slang,” a language that is not Spanish nor English nor “Spanglish” but a unique language which the Pachuco culture brought to LA from El Paso and Cuidad Juaréz. ZOOT SUIT is written in a style that is at once deeply specific to the period and population of the characters and setting of the play, but also manages to reach out and achieve significance to audiences of many backgrounds. Like Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, and August Wilson, Luis Valdez is known for his masterful use of heightened and highly poetic language.

Vato o bato significado