> "It takes a virile man to make a chicken pregnant."

I knew there must be an explanation for this red comb my wife wears ...

> It's a funny one, but I can't think of any Spanish words for tender that come anywhere close to any of the words for aroused, much less pregnant. May be a bit of web apocrypha.

I think it can be explained. Tender in its first sense can be translated to Spanish as “tierno” as in “Love me tender” or in “tender beef” with no problem at all. But there is a difference in its verbal form so to make tender shouldn’t be translated as “poner tierno” but as “enternecer” because “poner tierno” can be used locally as to arouse or even as to get drunk.

I remember when I was a kid, some eons ago, there used to be “Avery” brand coin-operated scales in most shopping centers. Well, I never dared inserting a coin in any of those scales because “averia” is the Spanish word for failure and I supposed that this “Avery” sign was an “Out of order” sign.


Juan Maria.