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Ben Lahnger · 04-02-2006, 03:59 AM

A TRIP TO TENERIFE - 14b

A little local culture from The Lanzarote Gazette (February 2006 issue) - www.gazettelive.com :

ISLAND NAME CALLING

The Brits call the French "frogs"; the French respond by talking about the "rosbifs". Everyone's got their own nicknames for locals or outsiders and Lanzarote's no exception. "Guiri", "Godo" or "Conejero", what flavor are you?

What A Guiri Might Look Like

CONEJEROS
While the word "Lazaroteno" is the correct term to refer to someone born and bred on Lanzarote, most Canarians prefer to use their own nicknames for islanders.

As a result, Fuerteventurans are called "majoreros", which means "the oldest ones", in reference to their island's claim to have the most ancient Canarian civilization. Tenerifenos are called "chicharreros" after the small fish that formed their staple diet. Lanzarote islanders are proud to be known as "conejeros". The word means "rabbit hunters" and harks back to the days when island life was a perpetual struggle to find food and water.

The rabbit is about the only wild animal worth eating on Lanzarote, and hunting for it is a long-standing tradition that still takes place today. However, that's not the only reason. Lanzarote men are proud to be conejeros - "rabbit" is also a term for the female private parts in Spain, giving the nickname a more raunchy double meaning!

GUIRIS
If you're reading this article, chances are that you're a "guiri" (pronounced "girry"). It's the term used throughout Spain for Northern Europeans, usually tourists, who are easily identified by their pale or bright red skin, fair hair and general cluelessness. You may have lived here for 30 years, survive on gofio and papas, and be able to say which Saint's day it is on any given date, but if you're over 5ft 8in and have hair mouse-brown or fairer, you'll still be a guiri. Come on, you didn't really think that after 30 years of serving Brits and Germans in bars, cleaning their hotel rooms, and doing night classes to learn our impossible languages, they wouldn't have a name for us, did you?

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04-02-2006, 03:59 AM	#19
Ben Lahnger Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Um, lower, oh yeah, uh, uh ... YES THERE! Posts: 6,738	A TRIP TO TENERIFE - 14b A little local culture from The Lanzarote Gazette (February 2006 issue) - www.gazettelive.com : ISLAND NAME CALLING The Brits call the French "frogs"; the French respond by talking about the "rosbifs". Everyone's got their own nicknames for locals or outsiders and Lanzarote's no exception. "Guiri", "Godo" or "Conejero", what flavor are you? What A Guiri Might Look Like CONEJEROS While the word "Lazaroteno" is the correct term to refer to someone born and bred on Lanzarote, most Canarians prefer to use their own nicknames for islanders. As a result, Fuerteventurans are called "majoreros", which means "the oldest ones", in reference to their island's claim to have the most ancient Canarian civilization. Tenerifenos are called "chicharreros" after the small fish that formed their staple diet. Lanzarote islanders are proud to be known as "conejeros". The word means "rabbit hunters" and harks back to the days when island life was a perpetual struggle to find food and water. The rabbit is about the only wild animal worth eating on Lanzarote, and hunting for it is a long-standing tradition that still takes place today. However, that's not the only reason. Lanzarote men are proud to be conejeros - "rabbit" is also a term for the female private parts in Spain, giving the nickname a more raunchy double meaning! GUIRIS If you're reading this article, chances are that you're a "guiri" (pronounced "girry"). It's the term used throughout Spain for Northern Europeans, usually tourists, who are easily identified by their pale or bright red skin, fair hair and general cluelessness. You may have lived here for 30 years, survive on gofio and papas, and be able to say which Saint's day it is on any given date, but if you're over 5ft 8in and have hair mouse-brown or fairer, you'll still be a guiri. Come on, you didn't really think that after 30 years of serving Brits and Germans in bars, cleaning their hotel rooms, and doing night classes to learn our impossible languages, they wouldn't have a name for us, did you? (continued next)