Caramba In English From Spanish

[Zada Odome]

Thefictional character Bart Simpson (voiced by Nancy Cartwright) popularized the phrase "Ay, caramba!" in the animated sitcom The Simpsons. He said it first in the 1988 short The Art Museum, one of several one-minute Simpsons cartoons that ran as interstitials on The Tracey Ullman Show from April 14, 1987 to May 14, 1989 on Fox, and he has used the catchphrase consistently throughout the series.[6] The Simpsons even self-parodied Bart's use of the catchphrase, as well as the catchphrases of many of its other characters, in the 1994 episode "Bart Gets Famous".[7]

Dear Mexican: For as long as I can remember, Mexicans were knownfor doing three things: Drinking lots of cerveza, having lotsof nios and saying, "Ay, caramba!" While Ican vouch for the first two, I've never, ever personally heard aMexican utter those famous two words. Is this an urban myth, orwhat?

I live in Houston and find it depressing to see beggars in themiddle of most busy intersections. I'm equally irritated when I amaccosted for change when I leave a drug store. (I always fish thereceipt out of the bag and call the store from the car to report thepanhandler.) Why is it I never see a homeless Mexican or a Mexicanpanhandler? (I haven't noticed any Asian or Middle Eastern homeless orpanhandlers, either.) Is there a lesson in responsibility to be sharedhere?

The University of Texas at Arlington's Center for Mexican AmericanStudies, which graciously allowed the Mexican to give its DistinguishedLecture last week. A packed house had a bueno old time as Ishared stories, read my favorite columns and stole white women fromtheir esposos. Colleges: If you want the Mexican to invade yourcampus, e-mail me!

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