La Cava del Tequila (wrong grammar?)

[bigAWL]

I guess my Spanish is even more rusty than I thought (it never was any good, I admit). But am I crazy to think that the name of this place should be La Cava de la Tequila? Please help me out.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Eh, either way, it appears to translate to "It Digs it of the Tequila" according to the website freetranslation.com

Of course, what do I know? I sometimes get calls at work from customers who don't speak English, so I decided to learn how to say, "I don't speak ___ but someone who does will call you back" in three languages (no way to transfer). As SOON as they hear my admittedly bad attempt, they're off and going. I'm trying to interrupt with "I don't speak ___" and my two adjacent coworkers are doubled over with laughter...

 

[TDC Nala]

It's acquired the nickname "The Ditch" because an online Spanish/English dictionary translated "Cava" as "ditch or excavation" and "excavation" is too difficult to say after a couple of shots.

It appears that Tequila may take the masculine form "El Tequila" rather than the feminine form "La Tequila" but someone with greater knowledge of Spanish and Mexico would have to confirm that.

 

[scot@dvcstore]

Interesting.

 

[skier_pete]

I don't know Spanish at all, but...

Costa del Sol = The Sun Coast or literally "Coast of the Sun"

So it seems plausible...though I am not sure what cava is supposed to mean in this case. Tequlia Dig?

 

[BigTex71]

The Tequila Hole... as in either a.)The Tequila Watering Hole, or b.) your mouth (for drinking Tequila)

Of course, this is just my humorous translation and I have never taken Spanish (but I do live in Texas.)

 

[TangaroaTiki]

I thought it translated to 'The Tequila Cave'

 

[bigAWL]

According to my trusty Spanish-English dictionary:

the cave = la cueva

la cava = the digging
de = of
del = of the (followed by a masculine noun)
de la = of the (followed by a feminine noun)
tequila = tequila (duh!)

It says tequila is a feminine noun, so it seems to me the proper grammar would be ...de la tequila.

 

[bigAWL]

The Google translation tool translates "the tequila" as "del tequila" so I suppose this is some kind of irregular case. I dunno.

 

[bangzoom6877]

I teach Spanish and Italian, and the free translation websites are horrible! The problem is that when you type in something, the website does not understand the context of the words so it will go for a literal translation word for word, and that is not the proper way to translate something. There are many expressions, called idioms (or idiomatic expressions), which are not translated word for word into English, but they have an equivalent phrase in English which will give you the definition of such expressions. "La cava" means "ditch"; tequila is a feminine noun. Therefore, it should not say "del" which is a contraction of "de + el" meaning "of the" in English, followed by a masculine singular noun. Technically it should be "de la" in front of "tequila". However, if it was called "La Cava de Tequila" I believe that would be a better name for the place. It translates to "The tequila ditch" or literally, "The ditch of tequila". You really don't need the definitely article in front of the word "tequila" for this.

OK, now that the foreign language lesson is over, how about a quiz for you guys?

 

[BigTex71]

Cool. A ditch is a hole. I was somewhat right!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Cool. A ditch is a hole. I was somewhat right!

Absolutely! You'd pass my class!

 

[bigAWL]

iFantastico! Muchas gracias.

So I'm not quite as crazy as I thought I was.

 

[bangzoom6877]

iFantastico! Muchas gracias.

So I'm not quite as crazy as I thought I was.

De nada.

No, you're not crazy!

 

[TDC Nala]

quiz me while I'm drinking in The Ditch this weekend. It kind of changes the meaning of the phrase "drunk in a ditch somewhere"

 

[BriarRosie]

Maybe the ditch/excavation could literally mean how they dig out the agave plants for harvest. The entire tequila making process is beautifully shown in a massive mural on one wall. Although the Avenging Angel of Tequila hanging from the ceiling at the back corner and the chairs with Frida Kahlo's portait can be unnerving.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Maybe the ditch/excavation could literally mean how they dig out the agave plants for harvest. The entire tequila making process is beautifully shown in a massive mural on one wall. Although the Avenging Angel of Tequila hanging from the ceiling at the back corner and the chairs with Frida Kahlo's portait can be unnerving.

Oh wow, that portrait can be scary after having too much tequila!!

Maybe the "ditch" refers to the hole we create in the floor when we fall down from too much tequila!

 

[saradela]

Mexican Here!!!!!


La Cava, is a place where they put wine or The Tequila to rest for a second fermetation after it has been botteled, with controled humidity, underground, usually cold and no light. There are two kinds of Cava, The private Cava of the Owners where they put , the best of that season for their own use, and the one for the rest of the wine that are going to sell. In fact, one of the best Mexican Tequilas is called Tequila Patrón, so that means that it comes from his Cava.

Cava is femenine, so it is La Cava, Tequila in spanish is a He, we dont have the it, so it is La Cava del Tequila. Remember that to be able to call a Tequila, Tequila it has to come from a place called Tequila, in Jalisco, Its like Champane, it has to come from Champagne France, it has been extended to some cities around, but definitely it has to come from Jalisco.

 

[bigAWL]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for clearing this up once and for all. Through all this discussion, I couldn't really understand how Disney could possibly allow an error as simple as that.

 

[TillyMarigold]

I'm a Spanish interpreter and Spanish professor.

"La cava" is the Mexican word for "the cellar" in the sense of a wine cellar (other countries use other words, e.g. in Spain it's "la bodega" but in Mexico that means a warehouse).

"Tequila" is masculine, so it takes "el."

"La Cava del Tequila" means "The Tequila Cellar" and is absolutely correct.

BigAWL needs a new dictionary.