Hey! Behave, Pay Attention, and Stop Crying
From across the room, it didn’t matter how far away we were, or where we were, most of the time, all my parents had to do was give us that look. Without any words, it meant so many things. A warning basically, letting us know that if we didn’t stop now, we were going to get it later. My dad was especially scary with his boisterous tone. My mother, more calm and collected, that is until her nerves got the better of her. Then nobody within earshot was safe!
In all honesty, they weren’t quite that bad, although I will say, all seven of us did get our fair share of cintarazos over the years – some more than others, yes – and in the end their advertencias now are what you’ll hear filling the air, from every direction, at grandma and grandpa’s whenever all of us get together for anything. Their scolds perhaps, part of our herencia.
These are just a few of the ones I use all of the time:
- ¡Si no tienes para todos mejor ni lo saques! – If you don’t have enough for everyone, don’t even bring that out!
- ¡Si no comes lo que hay es que no tienes hambre! – If you don’t eat what there is, then you’re not hungry!
- ¡Horita vas a ver cuando lleguemos a la casa! – You’re going to get it when we get home!
- ¡No salgas afuera así, te acabas de bañar! – Don’t go outside like that, you just took a bath!
- ¡Vale más que ya no estés llorando! – You better stop crying!
- ¡Entiende! – Understand what I’m telling you!
- ¡Te estoy viendo¡ – I’m watching you!
- ¡Haz caso! – Pay attention!
- ¡Pórtate bien! – Behave!
- ¡Ya párale! – Stop it!
- ¡Ey! – Hey!**
**My dad’s personal favorite, I think because of its short and swift delivery. We’d feel ourselves shivering every time that ‘Ey’ would come torpedoing in our direction.
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