Friday, June 23, 2006
Where's Herb?
Because of the Random Kids, my interest in soccer is probably above that of the average U.S. sports fan. Of course, that's the rough equivalent of claiming to be more animated than Al Gore or less self-involved than Ann Coulter; it's not a hard standard to surpass.
Even as the U.S. has gone crashing out of the World Cup these past couple of weeks, I've enjoyed watching the action, and been amazed at some of the skills on display. Brazil, the defending champions and odds-on favorites once again, are particularly entertaining, and because of their plethora of singly-named stars past and present, actually easy to follow. Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Dida, Cafu, and the amusingly monikered Kaka ("Honey, I played like...") roll off the announcer's tongue.
But one of their players needs to get a refund from the Brazil Name Factory.
"...Ronaldinho lofts a pass to Ronaldo... he plays it back to Kaka... he dribbles and squares it out to Cafu who chips it in to... Fred."
Yep, one of their forwards goes by "Fred." In a universe of Adrianos and Juninhos, he got tagged with "Fred." No extra syllables -- Fredinho? Fredfu? -- not even an appellation such as the one his teammate Bob got: "Ze Roberto," a name that just sizzles with cool.
Of course, there's consolation in being really, really good, and Fred is all that. I'm sure he'd rather be Fred than dead, like the U.S. squad.
But I bet he'd rather be Fresco* than Fred.
* Fresco = cool in Portuguese
Even as the U.S. has gone crashing out of the World Cup these past couple of weeks, I've enjoyed watching the action, and been amazed at some of the skills on display. Brazil, the defending champions and odds-on favorites once again, are particularly entertaining, and because of their plethora of singly-named stars past and present, actually easy to follow. Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Dida, Cafu, and the amusingly monikered Kaka ("Honey, I played like...") roll off the announcer's tongue.
But one of their players needs to get a refund from the Brazil Name Factory.
"...Ronaldinho lofts a pass to Ronaldo... he plays it back to Kaka... he dribbles and squares it out to Cafu who chips it in to... Fred."
Yep, one of their forwards goes by "Fred." In a universe of Adrianos and Juninhos, he got tagged with "Fred." No extra syllables -- Fredinho? Fredfu? -- not even an appellation such as the one his teammate Bob got: "Ze Roberto," a name that just sizzles with cool.
Of course, there's consolation in being really, really good, and Fred is all that. I'm sure he'd rather be Fred than dead, like the U.S. squad.
But I bet he'd rather be Fresco* than Fred.
* Fresco = cool in Portuguese
Comments:
Are you certain that "Fred" isn't an exotic-sounding name to Brazilians?
They probably think the same thing about the American team...well, not the "man, these guys are good" part, obviously, but the exotic American names. Um, whatever those are.
And, for the record, I am less self-involved than Ann Coulter. A little, anyway.
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They probably think the same thing about the American team...well, not the "man, these guys are good" part, obviously, but the exotic American names. Um, whatever those are.
And, for the record, I am less self-involved than Ann Coulter. A little, anyway.
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Thanks to Babelfish, I know what "Fred" means in Portuguese:
Fred.
I'm marking you down as "< Ann Coulter." But then, she knew that already. Does she own any clothes that actually fit?
(Once again, Blogger's word verification hits the mark: she needs to get a "blsona" for a change.)
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Fred.
I'm marking you down as "< Ann Coulter." But then, she knew that already. Does she own any clothes that actually fit?
(Once again, Blogger's word verification hits the mark: she needs to get a "blsona" for a change.)
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Frankly... e(a)rnestly... I think I'd be happier to be named Fred than Kaka. Call it a personal preference.
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I have learned Spanish watching the World Cup.
Yes, it's true. Allow me to demonstrate:
GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
Gracias.
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Yes, it's true. Allow me to demonstrate:
GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
Gracias.
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At a hardware store in Bacliff TX, there are pallets of plastic-sacked fertilizer with the shipping wrap still tightly wound about the sacks (waiting for sale). Spray painted on the side: CACA DEL TORO. I nearly wrecked my car, I was laughing so hard.
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# posted by 
: June 29, 2006 9:14 AM
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: June 29, 2006 9:14 AMLinks to this post:
