From Sunny Spain:Lesson 8

Lesson 8:From Sunny Spain

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      _______________

��t � � � �� P�� ornucopia                   corpulent                     plethora

5. erotic                       wandering                   digression                    desultory

IV. Fill in the Blank

Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below

1. When the package was opened, out poured a veritable ______________ of goodies.
2. Filling fifty bags of leaves from our lawn in two hours proved to be a __________ task.
3. Like the ____________, our last place team rose from the ashes to become champions.
4. The designer filled her dark showroom with _____________ fabrics, which brightened it considerably.
5. As I read the autobiography, I followed the author’s _____________ from poverty to riches.
6. Receiving an Academy Award is akin to scaling ____________ heights.
7. Although he had been an ordinary looking teenager, Maxwell developed into a genuine ______________.
8. When smallpox destroyed the model’s good looks, she was cured of her ____________.
9. I always anticipate a victory but my sister remains a _______________.
10. The choir and organist launched into a beautiful _______________ as the bridal couple entered the chapel.