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TIL the true word for ‘crab’ in Spanish.
I was sitting at lunch with my God son’s uncle. I was having chicken, he was eating a seafood soup. After a minute or two he fished out a small crab and placed it on the plate beside his bowl. Full of confidence in my Spanish speaking ability I asked him”No te vas a comer tu ladilla?” He looked at me with utter shock on his face.
To explain.
The word ladilla is colloquial and refers to the parasite which may be found in the pubic region of someone with poor personal hygiene. In English we call these parasites ‘crabs’. The other, more common meaning of the word (in Spanish) is an irritation and it is common to hear the exclamation ”Que Ladilla!” when someone is annoyed.
At the time of the lunch I was unaware of these not so subtle distinctions and confidently asked my good friend if he was going to eat his parasitic louse. In retrospect I understand his shock.
There was a pregnant pause as I absorbed the look on his face. After a moment I pointed to the small crab on his plate and said ”ladilla, no?”
No, No, No!” He said. ”Cangrejo!”
As long as I live I’ll remember this lesson.
Have a great day
Pronunciations:
Ladilla – La dee ya
Cangrejo – Can greh ho