Bless Me, Ultima Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

abrazo

an embrace

absolution

a release from the consquences of a sin

acequia

an irrigation ditch or gutter

adobe

sun-dried bricks made of mud and straw

Agua Negra

a Spanish phrase meaning "black water"

Ah la veca!

a Spanish slang phrase referring to the penis

alfalfa

a small plant with purple flowers, often used as hay for cattle

amigo

a male friend

Arrimense vivos y difuntos, aqui estamos todos juntos

"They approach alive and deceased here we are all together"

atole

a porridge made from cornmeal and milk or water

audacity

boldness, often with an arrogant element

Ay Dios, otro dia!

"Oh God, another day!"

Benas dias te de Dios, a ti y a tu familia

"Good day to God, to you, and to your family"

bile

a yellowish-green liquid used in the process of digestion

bizcochitos

little biscuits

bosque

a grove of cottonwood trees

bruja

a witch who practices black magic

bulto

a bulk or shape

cabrón

a Spanish slang word meaning "bastard" or "cuckold"

cabritos, cabroncitos

kids, or small goats; used in this case as a term of endearment

campana

a church bell

campo santo

burial grounds

catechism

a form of instruction in Catholic doctrine based on the fundamental principles of Christianity

chango

a Spanish term of endearment meaning "little monkey" or "little child"

chicos

dried corn

chile

a type of red pepper used commonly in Southwestern cooking

chingada

a Spanish slang word meaning "sexual intercourse" or "what a nuisance!"

comanchero

an Indian trader

Como te llamas?

"What is your name?"

compadre

an associate or friend

conquistador

a conqueror or an adventurer

contrivance

a scheme or plan

corral

a fenced-in area for horses

crudo

hung over from drinking too much alcohol

cuento

a story based on folklore

cuidado

a Spanish word meaning "care" as in "take care!"

culvert

a drain that crosses under a road

curandera

a female folk healer who uses herbal remedies

desgraciado

a Spanish word meaning "miserable" or "unhappy"

diablo

a devil

diente

a Spanish word meaning "tooth"

disquietude

uneasiness

Donde esta?

"Where is he?"

dulce

sweet

eddie

a small whirlpool

el policia

a policeman

el Rito

the Bito Creek

empanadita

a pastry or turnover filled with ground meat, vegetables, or fruit

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo, y el Espiritu Santo

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit"

encanto

a charm or spell

entremetido

a Spanish word meaning "busybody"

Es una mujer que no ha pecado

"It is a woman who has not sinned"

Es verdad

"It is true"

Espiritu de mi alma

"Spirit of my soul"

Esta sola, ya no queda gente en el pueblito de Las Pasturas

"She is alone, there are not people in the village of Las Pasturas"

farol

a lantern

gabacha

a white woman

Gracias a Dios que venites

"Thanks to God who comes"

Gracias por mi vida

Thank you for my life

grillo

a cricket

hechicera

a Spanish word meaning "enchantress"

heresy

a belief that is contrary to accepted religious doctrine

hermano

a Spanish word meaning "brother"

hi-jo-la

a reference to "hijo de la chingada," which means "son of the screwed one"

hijo

a Spanish word meaning "son"

hombre

a Spanish word meaning "a man"

huevos

balls or testicles

iglesia

a Spanish word meaning "church"

Jason no esta aqui

"Jason is not here"

jodido

a Spanish slang word meaning "shitty"

kerosene

a type of thin oil used as fuel for heat or cooking

la llorona

"the crying woman"; in New Mexican folklore, the ghost of a woman who is weeping for her drowned children

la muerte

a Spanish word meaning "death"

la tristesa de la vida

a Spanish phrase meaning "the sadness of life"

las putas

a Spanish slang phrase meaning "the whores"

lazo

a long rope with a loop, used for catching horses and cattle

llama

a Spanish word meaning "flame"

llano

an open plain with few trees; common in the Southwestern United States

Lo mató!

"He killed him!"

Madre de Dios

a Spanish phrase meaning "Mother of God"

maiz

Indian corn

maldito

a Spanish word meaning "cursed"

manta

shawl

manzanilla

chamomile, a type of plant with medicinal purposes, often used to make tea

melancholy

depressed or gloomy

mesquite bush

a type of tree or shrub common to New Mexico; characterized by spiny leaves and resistance to drought

mira

a Spanish word meaning "Look!"

mitote

a riot or an uproar

molino

a mill

mollera

the top of the head

monotonous

boring or tedious

muchacho

a Spanish word meaning "boy" or "chap"

mujer

a Spanish word meaning "a woman"

muy sabrosos

a Spanish phrase meaning "very tasty"

nopal

a prickly pear from a cactus

novena

a series of Catholic prayers that take place over the course of nine days

ominous

dark foreshadowing or foreboding

oregano

a type of herb used in cooking; also used by Ultima to cure cough and fever

oshá

a medicinal plant

partitioned

divided into parts

Pase, Grande, pase. Nuestra casa es su casa

"Come in, Grande. Our house is your house"

penance

a punishment undergone to show sorrow for a sin or wrong-doing

perdón

a Spanish word meaning "I'm sorry"

Pero qué dices?

"What are you saying?"

pesadilla

a nightmare

pinon

a type of pine tree common in the Southwestern United States

Por la sangre de Lupito, todos debemos de rogar, que Dioes la saque de pena y la lleve a descansar

"For the blood of Lupito, all must pray that God remove the sorrow and take him to rest"

posole

a thick hominy stew with pork or chicken, chile peppers, and coriander

precarious

unstable or insecure

puto

a Spanish slang word meaning "a male prostitute"

Que Dios te bendiga

"May God bless you"

Que pasa aqui?

"What is going on here?

Que pasa?

What happened?

que suerte

a Spanish phrase meaning "what luck!"

Quien es?

"Who is it?"

ranchero

a rancher

ristra

a rope, usually made from chile

sala

a living room

sangre

a Spanish word meaning "blood"

satchel

a small bag

scapular

a small object made up of two squares of cloth attached to one another; worn underneath the clothes, the devotional scapular is said to provide spiritual benefit to the wearer

shellack

a thin varnish

spectral

ghostly

stupor

a daze

Te voy a matar, cabron!

"I am going to kill you, goat!"

tejano

a native of Texas

tenacious

to be persistent and stubborn

tio

a Spanish word meaning "uncle"

tortilla

a thin pancake made from cornmeal or wheat flour

treacherous

dangerous; also untrustworthy

tripas

intestines

turgid

swollen or distended

un momento

a Spanish phrase meaning "one moment"

Una mujer con un deinte, que llama a toda la gente

"A woman with a tooth, who calls all the people"

vagabond

an unsettled nomad who wanders from place to place

vaquero

a cowboy

velorio

a wake for the dead

ven aca

a Spanish phrase meaning "come here"

vieja

a Spanish word meaning "an old woman"

Voy a tirar tripas!

"I am going to throw up!"

war sickness

post-traumatic stress or trauma related to war

Y las companas de la iglesia estan doblando

"And the church bells were tolling"

Ya vengo

"I'm coming"

yucca

a type of plant with sword-shaped leaves and white flowers; the yucca flower is the state flower of New Mexico