Yucatán

I’ve read several times now that when the Spaniards first landed in Mexico, running into a bunch of locals, they asked them what the name of their land was. The polite version has it that one of them responded in Mayan: “Yucatán”, meaning “I don’t understand what you’re saying!”

My theory is that a down to earth, passing Mayan peasant probably didn’t express himself quite as ‘correctly’, more likely exclaiming to a pal “Who are these weirdoes?” and then “What the fuck are they saying?”, sounding something like “Yucatán!”, Pancho Tecuatl, an old Mayan acquaintance of mine assures me.

So that if you wished to be historically correct, next time you book a flight to Mérida, in Mexico, just ask “Any specials to What the Fuck are they Saying? in October?” and I’m certain the airline will be most impressed.

Nuts Over Italy

– This summer, I want to rent a house on the Labia Majora!

– I bet you do. Perhaps you mean the Lago Maggiore?

– Yeah, whatever!