Some Snappy Answers

A few years back I came across a very fascinating book that I frequently go back to whenever I feel stuck in a rut with my Spanish learning. I use it as a sort of sampler to expand my horizons, to get in the vernacular of the language maybe so I might feel more like a local (¡Seguro! meaning yeah, right). It's called "Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish" and the author is a gringo and longtime Mexican resident Joseph Keenan. He has a very keen sense of humor, making amusing points in regards to incorrect usage. I highly recommend it.

The chapters in Mr. Keenan's book have very amusing and compelling titles, and I'll mine a favorite of mine called "Snappy Answers" for today's blog post.

• ¿Como? - A great ways to mildly suggest disbelief - such as when a taxista informs you the fare is going to be $100 to get to the airport. You say ¡Como! - this is a politer way of saying what the.... You can try adding decir to it for some embellishment, ¿Como dijo? or ¡Como dice!
• ¿Y Que - Essentially "So What?" - here your inflection denotes the level rudeness to want to convey, if the situation is friendly, it comes off as "What's the point" ¿Y eso que? is another variation.
• N'ombre - An abbreviation of No hombre, it sounds more like nombre, a slangy way of saying no way with a fair amount of emphasis or surprise.
• Ni Loco - Notching up "no way" to a more insistent level using this term - as in in even if I was crazy I wouldn't jaywalk across that street in rush hour. Remember to match the gender with the action - Ni loca, ni locos, ni locas.