1. aficionado: a fan; devotee. Although this word originally described bull-fighting fans, it is now used to refer to devotees of all sports.2. barrio: part of the city where Spanish-speaking people live; ghetto.
3. bonanza: rich pocket of ore; any source of wealth. In Spanish it means “fair weather at sea.” A popular television program of the 1960s was entitled “Bonanza”
4. bravado: pretended courage
5. desperado: bold outlaw; dangerous criminal. The relationship to our word “despair” is apparent. One who is without hope can be a dangerous criminal.
6. flotilla: a small fleet. The Spanish word flota means “fleet” Flotilla, then, is a diminutive form of flota.
7. grandee: a nobleman of the highest rank
8. hacienda: large estate; country house. The Old Spanish word facienda meant “estate.” The change from f to h is apparent in many words.
9. lariat: lasso; a rope used for tethering grazing horses. Reata is “rope” in Spanish.
10. machismo: manly self-assurance; masculine drive; virility.
11. manana: tomorrow; at some indefinite time in the future. There is a perjorative twist to manana, suggesting laziness.
12. palmetto: small palm tree
13. renegade: deserter; turncoat; traitor. In Spanish, the word renegado means “to deny.”
14. siesta: midday nap. In Spanish and Latin American countries businesses often close at midday to allow for siesta time.
15. torero: bullfighter on foot. The toreador was a bullfighter on horseback, but that term is no longer used since all bullfighters today are toreros.
Exercises
I. Which word comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.
1. You go to see a performance of the opera “Carmen”
(lariat, flotilla, torero)
2. The calendar pictures a man asleep under a tree next to a lawn mower.
(barrio, bravado, manana)
3. A young man starts a fight to impress his girlfriend.
(machismo, siesta, renegade)
4. You win the lottery
(aficionado, bonanza, palmetto)
5. There is a wild police chase after the bank robber
(desperado, grandee, hacienda)
6. The FBI arrests a man for selling U.S. secrets to a foreign country
(aficionado, renegade, grandee)
7. Stores in Spain close for two hours after lunch
(siesta, hacienda, palmetto)
8. The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria
(flotilla, barrio, manana)
9. David stands up to Goliath
(desperado, lariat, bravado)
10. A bull-fighting fan shouts, “Ole!”
(bonanza, aficionado, barrio)
II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.
____ 1. A truly courageous person does not have to resort to bravado.
____ 2. Feminists have contempt for those men who display machismo.
____ 3. Ordinarily a grandee might take a siesta in his hacienda
____ 4. The Spanish Armada was too awesome to be described as a flotilla.
____ 5. A lariat can be the high point of a Spanish meal when it is seasoned properly.
____ 6. The spectators applauded the torero for his fearlessness.
____ 7. We bought an expensive barrio as a wedding gift
____ 8. Our winning lottery ticket proved to be a bonanza
____ 9. General Parker promised amnesty for any renegade who turned himself in.
____ 10. Because of his lifelong philanthropy, the desperado was honored at a White
House ceremony.
III. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.
1. Since Teddy is an _____________ of baseball, we got him two tickets to the World Series.
2. Refreshed by her ______________, Maria was ready to go to work.
3. As fish prices declined, the ______________ of shrimp boats was cut in half.
4. Our new mayor proposed to tear down sections of the _____________ and build middle-income housing.
5. The _____________ was caught up on a horn of the bull and badly injured.
6. With unexpected _______________, the young man confronted the bully.
7. Movie cowboys generally are proficient with a ________________.
8. “Au revoir, so long, ciao, _____________” she said as her taxi pulled away.
9. A photograph of the ______________ appeared on the Most Wanted list in our post office.
10. On Navy Day, we stood upon the pier to watch the ____________ sail into the
Harbor.
IV. What’s the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?
1. cowardice _______________
2. patriot _______________
3. today _______________
4. weakness _______________
5. lawman _______________
6. loss _______________
7. state of alertness _______________
8. shack _______________
9. peon _______________
10. wealthy neighborhood _______________
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