¿Qué es una Juani? – Vocab delights!
The on-line newspaper 20minutos.es is a great place to pick up the richer nuances of the Spanish language, and culture. Take today’s article about a new type of young lady, Juanis. The term was coined after the title of a recent (apparently terrible actually great) film, and refers to a certain type of young lady living happily in small town neighbourhoods across Spain:
Son las chicas del suburbio, las pibas del barrio, las peluqueras de tu madre, las novias de los tarzanetes de pelo-cenicero… En tiempos descreídos y petulantes de marujeo frígido-liberal, ellas se alzan, orgullosas de la tierra natal…
There’s enough slang in there to keep most of us going for a while, and the girls turn out to be, well, an interesting bunch. As the first comment below the article says, Vaya elementas.
So, with just what we have from this post alone, can anyone tell me what the following mean: pibas, tarzanetes de pelo-cenicero, marujeo, and elementas. Answers in the comments please!
Posted in: Spanish slang | Comments: 15
Comments:
Comment from Maria Perez
Hola desde Barcelona,
soy una profe de español de 25 años y creo que os puedo ayudar un poco con esa jerga que usaron en 20 minutos para hablar de la película. Esos términos slang son muy variables porque cambian según la comunidad autónoma o la ciudad donde se sea.
Tarzanetes de pelo cenicero: son chicos que van al gimnasio o, al menos, quieren aparentar que están fuertes, de ahí tarzán o diminutivo tarzanete. Pelo de cenicero es un corte de pelo que e artista Prodigy puso de moda hace ya años con el video clip de Smak my bitch up, y que ese tipo de chicos sigue llevando.
Pibas: son chicas jóvenes o no tanto 
Elementas: un elemento o una elementa es u chico o chica que no se comporta muy bien, un poquito mal educado o del que no te puedes fiar. A los adolescentes cuando hacen algunas “travesuras” nada inocentes se les dice: ¡Vaya elemento estás hecho!
Espero haberos ayudado un poquitín, me ha encantado visitar vuestra web.
Saludos y !buenas clases!
María
Comment from Pepino
los tarzanetes de pelo-cenicero is casuing some confusion amongst my Spanish colleagues so I’ll leave that one for someone else to have a go at, but there’s universal agreement here that marujeo is another word for Cotilleo (gossip). “Las marujas” refers to housewives who spend their lives at home watching Telenovelas and programs about celebs like “Dónde estás corazón” or “Dolce Vita” (here in Spain).
Comment from culebra
It appears to me that the only resource is to know a spaniard! (or read enough of the periodicals to keep up with the shifts in language). I do like the “cool spanish” page of the BBC
Comment from ben
Muy bien a todos, y Maria, ¡se ve que eres una experta en la jerga¡ – ¡ni Marina ni yo sabiamos lo del pelo cenicero!
Comment from Eline
I read the article in 20 minutos. My spanish is not so good, som I am wondering: is the article making fun of the suburben girls, or praising them?
Comment from ben
There is definitely an element of making fun in there I’m afraid… and not always undeservedly – the girl who had fun throwing eggs at a bus doesn’t invite a sympathetic standpoint for example!
Comment from Maria Perez
¡Hola otra vez!
Lo del pelo de cenicero creo que lo se debido a mi pasado reciente como adolescente por ambientes no muy recomendables De todo se aprende.
I agree with Ben, on the article they are making fun of these girls. They are not an example to be followed, but definetly it’s a social problem and it’s not the fault of the “juanis” be like that.
Felicidades por la web otra vez y buen miércoles!
Comment from anahi
Piba de barrio es una chica sencilla, de buen corazon, romantica, de poca educacion sin mayores aspiraciones que casarse con un buen chico y tener una familia. En los tangos muchas pibas de barrio terminan enganadas, seducidas por las luces de la ciudad, por hombres que las seducen, usan y abandonan. De ahi, a una vida de perdicion hay solo un paso. “Ya no sos mi Margarita, ahora te llaman Margot” reza uno de los tangos mas conocidos.
Tal vez este comentario me salio un poco arido, voy a tratar de escribir algo mas divertido la proxima vez!
Anahi
Comment from Joe
Pues…
que significa en ingles Marujeo
Comment from ben
Marujeo – gossip. Think gossiping middle age and middle class housewives – the whole concept of that.
Comment from Steve W
I´ve heard piba as just meaning a girl e.g. Que hermosa piba!
Also, Que hermosa mina!
This is from an Argentinian, so take with a pinch of salt.
Comment from marin
Piba is also used in Spain but I belive that the use is slightly different from the Argentinan one, here it is really informal whereas in Argentina I think it is a normal way to address any girl. (Anyone from Argentina can correct me if I’m wrong)
Mina is not used in Castellano.
Comment from Rafa
As the first comment below the article says, Vaya elementas
Elementas (or Elementos for guys) makes reference of those “easy” girls that, even not been a bad person, you cannot trust in because they have no word and they change their minds continuously and usually forgot to notice you about their new plans.
Comment from Ingrid Freedman
Piba is a term for a girl normally used when guys are on the pull or referring to someone maybe their mate go off with. I think it’s a little bit derogatory!
Comment from Matt
Wow. Those are tough. If anyone figures them out (other than from prior knowledge), I’d be curious where they went to get them. Any good resources for slang out there? Is there a Spanish version of the “Urban Dictionary”?