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I've known quite a few Latin Americans and, for me, it's the Cubans hands down.
Not only that, their accent is the most comical of all Spanish accents. They speak very fast and leave out all the "s"s, as in "high ecool," and "Key Bicayne" et. al. And they have crazy words like "guagua" for what Spaniards would call an "autobus."
We Cubans are humorous because of our accent? What? Many Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Panamanians, Colombians, and Venezuelans speak similar to us. Guagua comes from the canary islands and it's used in PR, the DR, and the Canary Islands. 75% of Cubans trace their ancestry to the Canary Islands? No offense but this thread is flawed. By humorous do you mean who are the funniest (tell the best jokes, etc) Latin Americans? Or who are the funniest to make fun of (like Cubans trying to speak English apparently)?
We Cubans are humorous because of our accent? What? Many Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Panamanians, Colombians, and Venezuelans speak similar to us. Guagua comes from the canary islands and it's used in PR, the DR, and the Canary Islands. 75% of Cubans trace their ancestry to the Canary Islands? Your post is so flawed.
Most theatrical - interpret that any way you want. Read on.
Two things:
1) It was meant as a compliment. If I didn't find them humorous and jovial, I wouldn't have hung around them so much as a kid. Our neighborhood's largest Spanish speaking component was Cuban. The kids parents' were a riot and now, in retrospect, one wonders how they had such positive energy after having their shyt taken away by Castro. Everybody was a "come mierda." Chicks were "la tipa." They shrugged off the sexual stupidities of teenagers, whereas a lot of uptight parents would not have. They were very demonstrative. I think it's because, collectively, they have a healthy self-esteem. I wish I could say that for the Mexicans I knew in SoCal. I love people watching in Little Havana (Miami) and watching the Cubans come into the cafe at Versailles to have their cafecito Cubano. If I could legally go to Cuba, I would. Instead, I've been to the Canaries twice.
2) Then correct me. Canario culture went from the Canaries to the Caribbean, not the other way around. I've read that 75% statistic in a travel book or elsewhere. If you have the right percentage, then let us know. Yes, I might believe that there is some similarity in the accent with the DR and PR, though I don't know many DR folks and, let's not be in denial, there have been some PR "anger" issues in The Bronx and in the NE. I know a few, and they have never been as friendly to me as Cubans. Colombians and Venezuelans, to me, speak differently. They speak the textbook Spanish I learned in college. Then, taking it back further, being in the Canaries almost implicitly means the person has roots on what is now modern Spain, including Catalunya. One of the funniest things that ever happened to me was walking up to 3 elderly Canario gentlemen on the boardwalk in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and asking them for the whereabouts of a Cuban restaurant. I think they were all wearing "guayabera" shirts, and they started bickering with each other as to which streets I should take to get there, and their accent reminded me exactly of that I heard in my friends' parents.
Funny is a good thing. If someone said the Italians were funny or nuts, I would laugh and not take offense, because it's true. Listening to them and their high-drama on the trains in Italy, watching them buzz around on their motorized scooters, or watching them act like peacocks on a piazza while eating gelato is a good time. The Latin sensibilities are there. In fact, when they speak of Cuba in Italy, they refer to "l'allegria Cubana."
?Comprende, tipo/tipa?
Last edited by robertpolyglot; 09-19-2012 at 07:48 PM..
Reason: guayabera
Okay, well I just misinterpreted your motives I guess. So many people insult Cubans for some reason (just go look at the Miami section), so yeah, I was a little defensive. Jw, are you Latin American? Or American? And maybe you just have better ears and are able to place accents, but to me, Venezuelans and coastal colombians speak like other Caribbean Hispanics. Honestly, not many people like the Cuban/Caribbean accent...You're just rare lol.
To answer the thread, I'll say the argentines are the most humorous. I love their accent and they speak so lively.
Okay, well I just misinterpreted your motives I guess. So many people insult Cubans for some reason (just go look at the Miami section), so yeah, I was a little defensive. Jw, are you Latin American? Or American? And maybe you just have better ears and are able to place accents, but to me, Venezuelans and coastal colombians speak like other Caribbean Hispanics. Honestly, not many people like the Cuban/Caribbean accent...You're just rare lol.
To answer the thread, I'll say the argentines are the most humorous. I love their accent and they speak so lively.
Born in the US, to immigrant Italian parents. Spanish was the easiest course I've ever taken, if you catch my drift.
It's the total effect they have on you and it's an opinion - it's the way they speak English and it's their collective personal style, for example ...
I'd go with the Argentines next, largely for their personal style ...
Ah. I guess I can't understand your OP because to me I don't have a Caribbean/Canarian accent in Spanish (I don't have a foreign accent in my English, I got rid of it), everyone else does
If you understand the slang, many cultures can be very funny but OP I have actually asked myself the same question
I live in Miami and I find Cubans hilarious. I also interact with a lot of Colombians, Dominicans and Peruvians and find them pretty funny. I hate Mexican humor and don't find their slang or accent funny. Also Argentinans and Venezuelans are not funny.
If you understand the slang, many cultures can be very funny but OP I have actually asked myself the same question
I live in Miami and I find Cubans hilarious.
Thank you. I've got a Cuban magnet or something. I agree with this. The funny thing is that they're not even trying to be.
One time, I was at a gift shop in South America buying a t-shirt. Looking at the same rack was a married couple. I don't know how a conversation even started, but they were Cubans from Miami. We talked for about 10 minutes. The wife took out a piece of paper, scribbled down her number, and said if ever in the Miami area to come over for an "asado" (what Argentines call a barbecue).
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