Cuba - Lonely Planet [402]
c/u – cada uno; used in vegetable markets to denote price per unit
Cubanacán – soon after landing in Cuba, Christopher Columbus visited a Taíno village the Indians called Cubanacán (meaning ‘in the center of the island’); a large Cuban tourism company uses the name
cuerpo guardia – emergency-services area at hospitals
daiquirí – rum cocktail made with crushed ice and other ingredients, named for the Río Daiquirí, near Santiago de Cuba, where it was invented in 1899
danzón – a traditional Cuban ballroom dance colored with African influences, pioneered in Matanzas during the late 19th century
décima – the rhyming, eight-syllable verse that provides the lyrics for Cuban son
diente de perro – jagged rock shelf that lines most of Cuba’s southern shore
duende – spirit/charm; used in flamenco to describe the ultimate climax to the music
el imperio – ‘the empire’; a term used in the official Cuban media to refer to the US, which is led by the imperialistas
El Líder Máximo – Maximum Leader; title often used to describe Fidel Castro
el último – literally ‘the last’; this term is key to
mastering Cuban queues (you must ‘take’ el último
when joining a line and ‘give it up’ when someone new arrives)
Elegguá – the god of destiny in Cuban religions of African origin such as Santería
embalse – reservoir
encomienda – a section of land and an indigenous workforce entrusted to an individual by the Spanish crown during the early colonial era
entronque – crossroads in rural areas
espectacular – show/extravaganza
esquina caliente – where baseball fanatics debate stats, teams, history and who’s up and who’s down; literally ‘hot corner’; also called a peña
fiesta campesina – country or rural fair
finca – farmhouse
flota – a fleet of Spanish ships
Gitmo – American slang for Guantánamo US
Naval Base
Granma – the yacht that carried Fidel and his companions from Mexico to Cuba in 1956 to launch the Revolution; in 1975 the name was adopted for the province where the Granma arrived; also name of Cuba’s leading daily newspaper
gringo/a – any Caucasian; see also americano/a and yuma
guagua – a bus
guajiro/a – a country bumpkin or hick
Guantanamera – a girl from Guantánamo province; the title of the popular song ‘Guajira Guantanamera’ means ‘country girl from Guantánamo province’
guaracha – a satirical song for a single voice backed by a chorus
guarapo – fresh sugarcane juice
guayabera – a pleated, buttoned men’s shirt; tropical formal-wear
guerillero – fighter, warrior
Habanero/a – someone from Havana
herbero – seller of herbs, natural medicines and concocter of remedies; typically a wealth of knowledge on natural cures
ingenio – an antiquated term for a sugar mill; see central
inmigración – immigration office
jardín – garden
jefe de turno – shift manager
jején – sand flea
jinetera – a woman who attaches herself to male foreigners for monetary or material gain; the exchange may or may not involve sex
jinetero – a male tout who hustles tourists; literally ‘jockey’
joder – to mess up, spoil
kometa – hydrofoil
libreta – the ration booklet
loma – hill
luchar – literally ‘to struggle/fight’; used in all sorts of daily situations
M-26-7 – the ‘26th of July Movement,’ Fidel Castro’s revolutionary organization, was named for the abortive assault on the Moncada army barracks in Santiago de Cuba on July 26, 1953
Mambís – 19th-century rebels fighting Spain
mamey – delicious fleshy tropical fruit that resembles a red avocado
maqueta – scale model
máquina – private peso taxi
maraca – a rattle used by musicians
mercado – market
merendero – outdoor bar; picnic spot
mirador – lookout or viewpoint
mogote – a limestone monolith found at Viñales
mojito – cocktail made from rum, mint, sugar, seltzer and fresh lime juice
Moncada – a former army barracks in Santiago de Cuba named for General Guillermo Moncada (1848–95), a hero of the Wars of Independence
moneda nacional – abbreviated to MN; Cuban pesos
mudéjar – Iberian Peninsula’s Moorish-influenced