Note this one is not a very friendly mexi-vocabulario word. I first heard it being used to describe someone who was a little on the heftier side and who had kind of a not so nice attitude. Since then tamalona, or tamalon as I’ve also heard it used, has been employed to detail anything with a larger than life aspect. From señoras groseras – ha, there’s another mexi-vocabulario word to add to the list – to overstuffed bags of groceries or clothing. My poor little feet have even been described as tamalones! For the record, I don’t think they are!
Online there isn’t any clear definition for the word. That may be a good thing as you may recall from our exploration of the word Mexi-Style, which is very incorrectly defined by the Urban Dictionary… por lo menos according to me. Nonetheless, I did find this definition of tamalona on tuBabel: mujer gorda, lenta/heavy set woman, lazy. Ouch! I don’t necessarily condone that definition as my immediate reference has always been closer to the root of the word, tamal.
So in my head tamalona has always implied something more similar to a tamal that is over sized.
Hence: Tamal + ona = ¡Tamalona!
¿Quién sabe? If nothing else, this mexi-vocabulario word is yet another example of how rich our Spanish language actually is. Some words and ideas just don’t translate to many other language. Or as some of my family would say ¡el español está bien perron! Yes, that’s another good one to add to the list. It’s also a great excuse to share the following awesome video which a reader had the kindness of sharing with me earlier this week. Enjoy!
I’m always on the hunt for new mexi-vocabulario.
What other words would you like me to include in the mexi-vocabulario? If you have one that you would recommend please share it with me here.
Writer’s Disclaimer: When I say mexi-vocabulario I don’t necessarily mean these words are exclusively Mexican, or only used by Mexicans. This is simply an expression of how they were introduced to me in our Mexican Spanish.
More Mexi-Vocabulario
