# tamale



## rsweiner

In English the word tamale has meanings other than the food that we eat. In Spanish does el tamal have meanings other than the food?


----------



## 50something

We call it "huminta" over here. I believe the Quechua language has something to to with this name.


----------



## Pepita

En Chile tamales (singular tamal) son humitas, muy similar a la palabra boliviana.  No sé que más decirte, pero creo que la palabra es tamal, y no tamale.  Tamale is la versión inglesa.
~Pepita~


----------



## 50something

Interesante detalle Pequeña Josefina, es decir que esa palabra quechua se extendión desde el norte de Chile hacia las demás regiones!.

Y tienes razón sobre "tamale", it is either missing the "s" atthe end or one "e" too much.


----------



## elbosqueterno

The op used tamale only as the English word, there is no e when the op asks about Spanish.  Read for yourselves before posting "corrections".


----------



## 50something

Ok Eternalforest, loud and clear, don´t get upset man, I agree about your explanation.


----------



## lapachis8

Hola,
La palabra tamal, viene del nahuatl, (lengua originaria de México) tamalli:

Los antiguos mexicanos consideraron sagrados tanto al maíz como al fuego, dos elementos inseparables de su cocina. El segundo transforma al maíz, para darle la diversidad de formas que prevalecen hasta la actualidad. Entre estas destacan los *tamales*, presentes desde hace siglos en la alimentación mexicana. 

La palabra *tamal* procede del vocablo náhuatl*tamalli*y significa una especie de pan sabroso y delicado, hecho con la masa de maíz y envuelto en hojas naturales. Los antiguos habitantes de México empleaban* tamales* como ofrendas y como parte de los ritos que llevaban a cabo a lo largo de los meses que integraban su año ritual y también adornaban las mesas de los emperadores aztecas. 

En inglés aumentaron una e.
saludos


----------



## VenusEnvy

elbosqueterno said:


> The op used tamale only as the English word, there is no e when the op asks about Spanish.  Read for yourselves before posting "corrections".


elbos: There's no reason to be so curt.....  But, I agree with you that the original post by rsweiner mentioned the anglicised word "tamale". But, he/she _does_ ask for other meanings in Spanish. So, I think the other posts are valid and provide necessary information.

Just my $0.02.  


By the way, what other meanings does it have in English? Am I missing something?


----------



## larinoriani

cochabamba said:
			
		

> I agree about your explanation.


It wasn't exactly an explanation, but a very rude observation... 
Volviendo al tema, en El Salvador, aparte de ser un platillo típico muy reconocido, es también un sinónimo de ladrón: "_Esos dos son los tamales que me robaron la cartera"_


----------



## fenixpollo

I've never heard of the English "tamale" having other meanings besides referring to (a) the typcial dish tamal or (b) the cinnamon candy Hot Tamales.

rsweiner, please post again and clear up this misunderstanding.


----------



## lapachis8

fenixpollo said:


> I've never heard of the English "tamale" having other meanings besides referring to (a) the typcial dish tamal or (b) the cinnamon candy Hot Tamales.
> 
> rsweiner, please post again and clear up this misunderstanding.


 
Fenixpollo,
Cinnamon candy hot tamales (I love Cassandrá Wilson´s version of it) are they the typical ones you find in the States?
Here the typical ones are salty, (there are sweet ones too) and mostly the south of Mexico has a huge variety and in some places they are ritual.
cheers


----------



## VenusEnvy

According to what rsweiner has told me, 

"In English slang a tamale may refer to a sexy woman and the online urban dictionary also gives a meaning as tomorrow. "

You can see the UrbanDictionary entry here. It's worth noting that entries #3 and #4 received more  from viewers than . Maybe these two usages are regional... VERY regional. ?


----------



## cbland

I agree with larinoriani  

here tamal  is slang for    thief ,


----------



## Moritzchen

No lapachis, acuérdate que en ciertas regiones, como acá el sur de California hay una gran población mexicana y centroamericana. Hay tamales de todo tipo, de res, de puerco, de pollo, los hay dulces también.  Los que más me gustan a mí son los que están hechos con masa de arroz. Parece, puedo estar equivocado, que son de Guatemala.


----------



## fenixpollo

Me refiero a un dulce llamado "hot tamale", no a los tamales dulces, rellenos con fruta.





lapachis8 said:


> Fenixpollo,
> Cinnamon candy hot tamales (I love Cassandrá Wilson´s version of it) are they the typical ones you find in the States?
> Here the typical ones are salty, (there are sweet ones too) and mostly the south of Mexico has a huge variety and in some places they are ritual.


 The "Hot Tamales" candy that I know is simply a chewy cinnamon candy with sugar (foto). I would describe them as sweet and spicy (but not enchilosos). 

American's don't like to mix sweet, salty and spicy the way that Spanish-speaking cultures do. You can have two of them, but not all three. 

I don't think that UrbanDictionary entry is very credible, Venus. The usage of "sexy woman" is a song quote, which tells me it may be a poetic usage and not widespread. I have a feeling that most entries in the UD are specific to age groups or cultural groups, but not to regions. Even living as close to Mexico as I do, I haven't heard _tamale_ in any of the slang usages mentioned in this thread.


----------



## VenusEnvy

fenixpollo said:


> I don't think that UrbanDictionary entry is very credible, Venus. The usage of "sexy woman" is a song quote, which tells me it may be a poetic usage and not widespread. I have a feeling that most entries in the UD are specific to age groups or cultural groups, but not to regions. Even living as close to Mexico as I do, I haven't heard _tamale_ in any of the slang usages mentioned in this thread.



Mike: I agree with you, but this is the source the rsweiner quoted, so I had to check it out. I live on the east coast and I, like you, haven't heard "tamale" used in any other way.


----------



## rsweiner

Re:  English slang use of tamale.  The Dictionary of Slang and Euphemisms cites  the derogatory use of tamale in referring to an attractive woman of Mexican decent and the Cassell Dictionary of Slang cites the use of tamale in referring to gaudy Mexican crockery.


----------



## Mirlo

Moritzchen said:


> No lapachis, acuérdate que en ciertas regiones, como acá el sur de California hay una gran población mexicana y centroamericana. Hay tamales de todo tipo, de res, de puerco, de pollo, los hay dulces también. Los que más me gustan a mí son los que están hechos con masa de arroz. Parece, puedo estar equivocado, que son de Guatemala.


 
de acuerdo contigo, mi mamá hace unos tamales deliciosos,
Oops! ya me dió hambre, 
saludos,


----------



## Soy Yo

fenixpollo said:


> I've never heard of the English "tamale" having other meanings besides referring to (a) the typcial dish tamal or (b) the cinnamon candy Hot Tamales.
> 
> rsweiner, please post again and clear up this misunderstanding.


 
Nor have I. For me a "tamale" is a "tamal."  Of course, there's the weather-report joke "Cool today and hot tamale!"


----------



## rsweiner

Re: English slang use of tamale. The Dictionary of Slang and Euphemisms cites the derogatory use of tamale in referring to an attractive woman of Mexican decent and the Cassell Dictionary of Slang cites the use of tamale in referring to gaudy Mexican crockery.


----------



## pejeman

rsweiner said:


> In English the word tamale has meanings other than the food that we eat. In Spanish does el tamal have meanings other than the food?


 
Hi:

If a lady has a nice butt, we may say "¡Qué buen tamal tiene!"

When we wrap up a baby to protect him from cold weather we say "Te voy a envolver como (a un) tamal".

Saludos


----------



## Bilma

*tamal**.*(Del nahua _tamalli_).*1.* m._ Am._ Especie de empanada de masa de harina de maíz, envuelta en hojas de plátano o de la mazorca del maíz, y cocida al vapor o en el horno. Las hay de diversas clases, según el manjar que se pone en su interior y los ingredientes que se le agregan.*2.* m._ Am._ Lío, embrollo, pastel, intriga.*3.* m._ El Salv._ y_ Nic._ *ladrón* (ǁ persona que hurta o roba).


----------



## ksequen

IDIOM
We also use the word "tamal" for an idiomatic expression:
"Destapar el tamal" (also "destapar el pastel").

It basically means "let the cat out of the bag". i.e. reveal a secret carelessly or by mistake.

SAYING
There's a saying that goes:
"El que nació para tamal, del cielo le caen hojas"


----------



## rsweiner

Bilma, estoy escribiendo un informe sobre el tamal y quisiera usar en me bibliografía la información que escribió.  ¿De dónde es la definición?


----------



## larinoriani

rsweiner said:


> Bilma, estoy escribiendo un informe sobre el tamal y quisiera usar en me bibliografía la información que escribió.  ¿De dónde es la definición?


Uno de los vínculos me llevó al diccionario de la RAE.
http://www.rae.es/


----------



## Mafe Dongo

rsweiner said:


> In English the word tamale has meanings other than the food that we eat. In Spanish does el tamal have meanings other than the food?


 
Tamal also means _problema de dificil solucion/ lio/ embrollo/ intriga._


----------



## pejeman

ksequen said:


> IDIOM
> We also use the word "tamal" for an idiomatic expression:
> "Destapar el tamal" (also "destapar el pastel").
> 
> It basically means "let the cat out of the bag". i.e. reveal a secret carelessly or by mistake.
> 
> SAYING
> There's a saying that goes:
> "El que nació para tamal, del cielo le caen hojas"


 
Estimada ksequen:

Yo lo escribí el otro día asì: "El que nace para tamal, etc." y un compañero forista me corrigió, con justa razòn: "*Al* que nace..."

Saludos


----------



## ksequen

pejeman said:


> Estimada ksequen:
> 
> Yo lo escribí el otro día asì: "El que nace para tamal, etc." y un compañero forista me corrigió, con justa razòn: "*Al* que nace..."
> 
> Saludos



¿En serio? Nunca lo he escuchado así... pero tiene sentido. Gracias.


----------



## dinis.dinis

I have heard the expression *"a hot tamale"* used by my old Southern uncles in the sense of an attractive Mexican woman.

They are no longer alive and I am getting pretty old myself. They used the term playfully not derogatorily. I haven't the slightest idea if the phrase survives down South.

I have, also, heard *"the whole tamale" *used to refer to* "the whole enchilada" *that is to say to *"the whole kit and caboodle".

*Best Regards,
Dinis


----------



## Moritzchen

There was an old one-liner in elementary school:_ Chili today, hot tamale_. 
(tamale for tomorrow).


----------



## ribran

dinis.dinis said:


> I have heard the expression *"a hot tamale"* used by my old Southern uncles in the sense of an attractive Mexican woman.
> 
> They are no longer alive and I am getting pretty old myself. They used the term playfully not derogatorily. I haven't the slightest idea if the phrase survives down South.



Yes, yes, yes, Dinis, it most certainly does, at least in Central Texas.


----------



## Cerros de Úbeda

The expression "Where's the big tamale?" is used in the film "The Contract" (Bruce Beresford, 2006) to refer to "the boss" (min 3:00), as is mentioned in one of the threads on this dictionary:

- So, where's the big tamale?
- Just relax!

tamale



The phrase can also mean "it", "the whole thing", or "the shit", when referring to something particularly large, impressive or humongous.

It appears in a quote from the film "Independence Day" (Roland Emmerich, 1996), where it is used to refer to a big spaceship, according to the Urban Dictionary;


*(*) URBAN DICTIONARY
- The big tamale
*
What the crazy scientist calls a space ship.

_Big Tamale is used in Independence Day, a crappy film from the 90s or something, to describe a spaceship.

"Guess you wanna see the Big Tamale."_


----------

