November 23, 2008

Resignifying the Porkchop

Quico says: A tiny observation: isn't it funny how the word "chuleta" (meaning cheat-sheet - but literally, porkchop) has been resignified over the last few days?

When I was a kid, a chuleta was, by definition, naughty: the thing you weren't supposed to bring with you to a test. But since CNE declared that it's ok to bring a cheat-sheet with you when you come to vote, I keep hearing all these people-in-authority reminding folks again and again to bring their chuletas...

This is a minor concession to sanity: the voting process today is mind-numbingly complicated. People in Petare, for instance, are expected to vote ten times (mayor, metropolitan mayor, and various numbers of votes for municipal council, state assembly and metropolitan city council) and the number of candidates and parties on the ballot is downright dizzying. Still, there's something weird about hearing, say, Julio Borges telling people again and again how important it is to, in a way, cheat!

(Of course, chigüire just did some resignifying of his own...)