My twenty five year old, hard worn Langescheidt Pocket Spanish dictionary explains quite clearly the use of the double LL in the Spanish language. It mentions that the correct pronunciation of two LL’s together in Spanish print sound no different than the English use of a J. That’s why the famous Peruvian pack animal is not known as a Llama down South….. it is instead called a Jama. I need mention all of this in hope it may help you better understand my story about wine…..
Yesterday’s tour of the MalWart aisles tossed me a surprise when the wife said something in Spanish quite unexpected….
“Don’t get beer today….get some cheap wine instead…… Get the Rooster.”
Happily I abandoned her in the ladies undies department to peruse the cheap wine rack in search of the “Rooster” only to stumble immediately upon her request. The picture of the appropriate bird emblazoned on the label along with the correct spelling …”Rooster”…made it quite clear I had found the appropriate wine. I was quickly back to place the bottles in the cart.
“No…No… I said Rooster… Rooster” she berated in Spanish.
And so I pointed out the ornate figure on the label along with the correct English spelling of the bird while explaining in English…..
“This IS a rooster Hon…. A friggin rooster.”
Turns out I had forgotten that the correct spelling of a California wine is exactly the same spelling of Langenscheidts description of a Spanish rooster………. a Gallo.
