Chi Trib editorialists flunk Spanish
February 29th, 2008 at 05:21pm Pat Cunningham
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The top EDITORIALÂ in today’s Chicago Tribune is headlined: “Mano a mano with Cuba”; and the body of the piece includes this: “Obama was ripped by his opponents this week after he said he would meet with Raul Castro, mano a mano, if Castro agreed to discuss human rights, press freedom and the release of political prisoners.”
In both instances, the Trib seems to have used “mano a mano” to mean either “one to one” or “man to man.” Either way, it’s wrong.
“Mano a mano” means “hand to hand.”
Granted, Obama likely would shake hands with Raul Castro if they met, but I don’t think that’s what the Tribune meant.
UPDATE: I find that I’m perhaps not entirely correct about this matter. (See comments section for rare Applesauce apology.)
Entry Filed under: Barack Obama
3 Comments Add your own
1. Kaus | February 29th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I know I prefer the Register Star over the Tribune any day of the week, but mano a mano in current Spanish usage describes any kind of competition between two people where they both compete, but somehow cooperate in achieving something….kudos wikipedia.
2. Pat Cunningham | February 29th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
There are numerous other sources that support the view I’ve taken in this matter, but I will bow to the reference you cite from Wikipedia.
And I apologize to the Tribune. The paper’s editorialists might have had in mind that same current usage. So, as Emily Litella (Gilda Radner) used to say: Never mind.
3. Kaus | March 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am
Despite my mental illness of always taking the opposing viewpoint, I learn something almost every time I read your blog….and had I never bothered to look, I would have thought “mano a mano” meant man to man, but for entirely different reasons.
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