I was watching the last Almodovar movie, Hable con ella, and there's a line where the secretary at the psychologist's office is talking on the phone to a friend and she says something like:
Oye, t�o, acabo de echar una mierda de celer�n
This isn't by any means an exact or accurate quote (she's talking a mile a minute, in true madrile�a fashion), but gives the gist, which is that she had just relieved herself of quite a load. I think the English subtitles translated it as "I just took an elephant dump."
My questions: What is a celer�n? I can't find a definition in any of my dictionaries, not even my strictly Spanish ones.
Does anyone actually say this or is it an Almodovarism?
P.S. Just so I don't dwell completely in the gutter (or is it the sewer?)... I'm reading the new translation of Don Quixote by Edith Grossman. I can't recommend it highly enough to hispanophiles--it finally makes the story and writing style of Cervantes accessible to English readers.
Posts: 1070 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 10 December 2002
Interesting...Irene and I were watching that same movie at midnight on New Year's Eve, as we toasted with Spumante and flan. We saw the "celerin" remark and were also wondering about it.
"An honest man is always a child" - Socrates ...no wonder I'm so immature!
I'm not sure but I think celerin is a medicine, a kind of spray for asmathic people or something like that, they spread it in the mouth ... 'coger una mierda' means like getting drunk... I haven't watched the film yet...
Posts: 153 | Location: Madrid (Spain) | Registered: 10 June 2003
I think Celerin (Estradiol benzoate) is a Vetinary drug used on young beef cattle. They apply it subcutaenously on the ear and it encourages weight gain ???
So, not quite sure about the relevance of the expression
PS - I don't want any
Jo
Posts: 137 | Location: Holmfirth, UK | Registered: 25 May 2001
Well, I can almost answer this question myself now, though I'm still a bit mystified.
Today I was watching the director's commentary for the film and Almodovar actually talked about what a "celer�n" is, because he said no one--presumably even in Spain--knew the word.
He said it was an antiquated/pre-metric unit of measure for wheat (trigo). Apparently a really huge unit of measure, given the context. I think he's orginally from La Mancha, so maybe it's something the old-timers down there say.
So I guess it's time to ask those abuelos and abuelas about it...
Now tell me more about "cheli"! My dictionary which has every filthy word translated accurately just says "Madrid Slang" with no additional definition. I know this has got to be a good one, because I haven't even heard my SO's often foul mouthed family utter it...
Posts: 1070 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 10 December 2002
originally posted by mariposita: [qb] He said it was an antiquated/pre-metric unit of measure for wheat (trigo). Apparently a really huge unit of measure, given the context. I think he's orginally from La Mancha, so maybe it's something the old-timers down there say.
So I guess it's time to ask those abuelos and abuelas about it...
[/qb]
Oh, that... unit of measure... then it has to be a "celem�n"... Although I'm not an abuelo, I've heard it in my mother's hometown ("un celem�n de cebada"). And in a good dictionary like that at www.rae.es you'll find that a celem�n is both an area and volume unit of measure, and is equivalent of 537 square meters, 4,625 litres or 4 cuartillos, which in turn is 1/4 celem�n if we are talking about solids and 1/4 azumbre if it's liquid, and also a coin that... (ok, enough... this is gettin lenghty...)
Crazy, isn't it? Reminds me of those medieval british measurement units... wait a minute, they still use it, don't they? :-P
cooool!!! i think alex-jandro just solved the mystery of "celer�n", and on his first board post!!! showing promise alex-jandro
the original phrase...
quote:
Oye, t�o, acabo de echar una mierda de celer�n
... makes more sense as "Oye, t�o, acabo de echar una mierda de celem�n".
only problem with the "zepelin" theory is, if it was that word he used why would Almodovar say that no one--presumably even in Spain--knew the word and that it was an antiquated/pre-metric unit of measure for wheat (trigo) in the commentary that mariposita mentios above. the zepelin theory makes no sense.
i think alex-jandro nailed it on the head.
saludos, jer...
p.d. mariposita, it would now seem the phrase was not cheli at all but see the page HERE anyway.
Yes, Alex Jandro--you are absolutely right, it was celem�n. Very interesting, and quite a big unit of measure given the context. Just out of curiosity, where's your mom's hometown?
And thanks for solving the mystery!
I love the language in Almodovar's films, particularly that of the old-timers in the pueblos (like in Flor de mi secreto, when the main character goes back to her mom's hometown).
P.S. Jer--does that mean "cheli" is too vile to define in this forum?
Posts: 1070 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 10 December 2002
???
- rent or buy a cell phone from me for your stay in spain, more info at 
- already have a cell phone, get a spanish SIM card for it at ![[Embarassed]](redface.gif)
