3 ms·

I don't buy "cacafuego" as a real name any empire would give its ships. HMS Spitfire was real enough, but who'd ever take seriously HMS Sh...

defrost 2y ago
Nuestra Señora de la Concepción a 120-ton Spanish galleon that sailed the Peru–Panama trading route during the 16th century. This ship has earned a place in maritime history not only by virtue of being Sir Francis Drake's most famous prize, but also because of her colourful nickname, Cagafuego ("fireshitter") https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuestra_Se%C3%B1ora_de_la_Concepci%C3%B3n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuestra_Se%C3%B1ora_de_la_Conc... > but who'd ever take seriously a vehicle officially named Pajero ? https://www.drive.com.au/showrooms/mitsubishi/pajero-sport/ https://www.drive.com.au/showrooms/mitsubishi/pajero-sport/ https://tureng.com/en/spanish-english/pajero https://tureng.com/en/spanish-english/pajero
- throwanem 2y ago
  Okay, but in entire fairness, I did say "any empire would give". If she wasn't actually commissioned under the name as the Merriam-Webster blog suggests, I believe this qualifies as having successfully weaseled out. Certainly it makes a lot more sense as a nickname! Those have vastly broader range than commissioned names typically do. In any case, I appreciate your effort in finding a more reliable reference, especially one that adds such color and provenance to a swear I grew up around and have favored since earliest childhood.
  - defrost 2y ago
    No drama, I was curious myself and looked up the ship in question. It was a close call for the RRS Sir David Attenborough although at least the world now has the ALR Boaty McBoatface. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boaty_McBoatface https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boaty_McBoatface
AlbertCory 2y ago
I can tell you haven't read Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series. Cacafuego is the name of a much bigger ship that Jack Aubrey captures. Of course, that's fiction, and the speculation is that POB chose that name as a sort of inside joke.
- throwanem 2y ago
  I regret to report I have not, though they've been on my list for some years. But the joke sounds, by reputation at least, very much of the sort O'Brian would enjoy.
treetalker 2y ago
Definitely something that Beavis and Butthead would murmur repeatedly. Huh huh.
lkuty 2y ago
"caca" in french means "shit". It is the common word for "shit" used by kids, the other one being "merde" (more vulgar).
- dieselgate 2y ago
  My family always uses it when talking about the dog going caca. It used to confuse me when I was a kid but we’d say shishi for pee. Family is mixed so it’s not really pidgeon but more just mixed. A Korean friend heard me say shishi once and said they say the same in Korean, which was surprising to learn but like caca it’s probably a fairly universal word Don’t have any Korean or French heritage myself
  - emptiestplace 2y ago
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - thaumasiotes 2y ago
    > but like caca it’s probably a fairly universal word It's not a universal word. It's derived from the Greek word for "bad".
dieselgate 2y ago
Spitfire is a pretty common for vessels/planes. It’s a name for a type of headsail/jib

defrost 2y ago

Nuestra Señora de la Concepción a 120-ton Spanish galleon that sailed the Peru–Panama trading route during the 16th century. This ship has earned a place in maritime history not only by virtue of being Sir Francis Drake's most famous prize, but also because of her colourful nickname, Cagafuego ("fireshitter") https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuestra_Se%C3%B1ora_de_la_Concepci%C3%B3n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuestra_Se%C3%B1ora_de_la_Conc... > but who'd ever take seriously a vehicle officially named Pajero ? https://www.drive.com.au/showrooms/mitsubishi/pajero-sport/ https://www.drive.com.au/showrooms/mitsubishi/pajero-sport/ https://tureng.com/en/spanish-english/pajero https://tureng.com/en/spanish-english/pajero

throwanem 2y ago
Okay, but in entire fairness, I did say "any empire would give". If she wasn't actually commissioned under the name as the Merriam-Webster blog suggests, I believe this qualifies as having successfully weaseled out. Certainly it makes a lot more sense as a nickname! Those have vastly broader range than commissioned names typically do. In any case, I appreciate your effort in finding a more reliable reference, especially one that adds such color and provenance to a swear I grew up around and have favored since earliest childhood.
- defrost 2y ago
  No drama, I was curious myself and looked up the ship in question. It was a close call for the RRS Sir David Attenborough although at least the world now has the ALR Boaty McBoatface. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boaty_McBoatface https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boaty_McBoatface

AlbertCory 2y ago

I can tell you haven't read Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series. Cacafuego is the name of a much bigger ship that Jack Aubrey captures. Of course, that's fiction, and the speculation is that POB chose that name as a sort of inside joke.

throwanem 2y ago
I regret to report I have not, though they've been on my list for some years. But the joke sounds, by reputation at least, very much of the sort O'Brian would enjoy.

treetalker 2y ago

Definitely something that Beavis and Butthead would murmur repeatedly. Huh huh.

lkuty 2y ago

"caca" in french means "shit". It is the common word for "shit" used by kids, the other one being "merde" (more vulgar).

dieselgate 2y ago
My family always uses it when talking about the dog going caca. It used to confuse me when I was a kid but we’d say shishi for pee. Family is mixed so it’s not really pidgeon but more just mixed. A Korean friend heard me say shishi once and said they say the same in Korean, which was surprising to learn but like caca it’s probably a fairly universal word Don’t have any Korean or French heritage myself
- emptiestplace 2y ago
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- thaumasiotes 2y ago
  > but like caca it’s probably a fairly universal word It's not a universal word. It's derived from the Greek word for "bad".

dieselgate 2y ago

Spitfire is a pretty common for vessels/planes. It’s a name for a type of headsail/jib