Spanish Word of the Day: tramador

[Sam Wilson]

LiCR,

tramador/a 📣 - weaver

Literally, a tramador is one who works the weft/woof (English) or trama (Spanish) -- the thread or yarn that goes crossways in and out of the warp (English) or urdimbre (Spanish.)  The secondary meaning you are much more likely to hear in Spanish unless you are into playing with weft, woof, or warp, is the tramador/a as one who "weaves" a plan or plot, especially to deceive. Or a tricky conspirator.  One who cunningly prepares a bad deed with ruses and deception.

• El tramador me mostró los nuevos diseños.
  The weaver showed me the new patterns.
  
  
• Para ser político se necesita tener mentalidad de corrupto, de tramador, ambicioso.
  To be a politician you need to have a corrupt mentality, that of a plotter, and be ambitious.
  
  
• tramador al suave
  smooth schemer
  
  
• la mentira más tramadora
  the most conspicuous lie
  
  
• el tramador de la fuga
  the plotter of the escape
  
  
• La dueña es una tramadora que se hizo millonaria por engaño.
  The owner is a schemer who became a millionaire by deception.
  

--

Sam

[Joe Harrison]

Hi, Sam:  Linguistically interesting, and my dictionary shows it can also be a verb, tramar (to plot; to weave). 

 But around these parts, unless my ancient ears deceive me, I only hear the word with a "p" in the middle:  trampa.  So, looking it up in the dictionary, I find it's a different word but with a very similar meaning:  a trap; a trick.  Una trampa para ratones;  los delincuentes tendieron una trampa a la policia.  A person engaging in such acts can be called a tramposo/a.  (Same as an engañador/a) (I think I've been called a trampador  by someone close to me.) The verb form seems to be hacer trampa.  However, my dictionary also shows the verb trampear (to cheat).

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Living in Costa Rica" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to costa-rica-liv...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/costa-rica-living/CAMrVHUS4wbkV4b2pthqMJpzj2PVrXeqxQta9B8pOHJYrzNd6Ew%40mail.gmail.com.

[Sam Wilson]

Hi Joe,

Yes, I think of those as 2 different things:  a trapper and a weaver of deceit.  Of course a trapper often uses bait, or camouflages a trap.  That could certainly be considered deceitful by the trappee -- especially if one uses fake lures.  But I assume the heart you trapped doesn't see it as a deceitful thing, so there is one difference.  To trampear (cheat) is clearly from "to trap" but to trap as a fur trapper or hunting with traps it would be atrapar.  Dang!  This gets confusing quickly.  There are so many double-meanings around here.  Of course that is true in English as well.  A sand trap is a bunker in golf, a water trap is something in plumbing, etc.

I think trampador would be used with affection and tramador would not.  jejeje.

 

--

Sam

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/costa-rica-living/CAMAkr%3DKRA3808aEZ6CdsjfSj74mEpCmwjWq1rq%3DeoOGeeA5Zig%40mail.gmail.com.

[Joe Harrison]

Sam, Q tu ultima frase sea correcto!!!  (Yeah, I think she says it in a playful, loving way, jejeje)

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/costa-rica-living/CAMrVHUSXFhBDQc2HvOV-oPwY%3DkvaFV0ddAKDA%2Bu-HMxwVaf-_g%40mail.gmail.com.