Milongas in Buenos Aires are social occasions and more, they are opportunities for bouts of lighthearted flirtation or potential romances. Ladies who have danced in BA would have discovered, Argentino men will shower any fairly decent-looking gal (regardless of age and race) with a flurry of compliments. The Italian blood runs deep ☺
I had a few, usually from portenos old enough to be my father. There are a couple that I remember which went more or less like this:
Case 1
"Your eyes are so pretty. I want to take a photo of them and keep it in the shirt pocket, next to my heart."
My private reaction
awww…how rather sweet. Especially said by an above middle-age porteno who dance the most divine valses.
Btw, I would have dissolved into laughter if the same lines came from a younger guy, Argentine or not.
Case 2
"How well we dance together. I want to enter the Campeonato Mundial with you!"
My private reaction
a fit of hilarity when I finally understood...
Actually for Case 2, I didn’t understand exactly what he said at first - I thought he asked if I came to BA for the Campeonato Mundial de baile de Tango (World Tango Championship) held in August yearly. I kept replying in broken Castellano "No, no, I didn't come to BA for the championships". My porteno partner (another above middle-age gentleman) finally had to ask my girlfriend to translate for him and by then, he was rather exasperated at the “waste” of his fulsome compliment :D
Which translates more or less into:
I had a few, usually from portenos old enough to be my father. There are a couple that I remember which went more or less like this:
Case 1
"Your eyes are so pretty. I want to take a photo of them and keep it in the shirt pocket, next to my heart."
My private reaction
awww…how rather sweet. Especially said by an above middle-age porteno who dance the most divine valses.
Btw, I would have dissolved into laughter if the same lines came from a younger guy, Argentine or not.
Case 2
"How well we dance together. I want to enter the Campeonato Mundial with you!"
My private reaction
a fit of hilarity when I finally understood...
Actually for Case 2, I didn’t understand exactly what he said at first - I thought he asked if I came to BA for the Campeonato Mundial de baile de Tango (World Tango Championship) held in August yearly. I kept replying in broken Castellano "No, no, I didn't come to BA for the championships". My porteno partner (another above middle-age gentleman) finally had to ask my girlfriend to translate for him and by then, he was rather exasperated at the “waste” of his fulsome compliment :D
Now, there is an amusing column featured monthly in the tango magazine B.A. Tango with the title
MENTIME
Que me Gusta
Frases lindas que dicen los hombres en la milonga.
Que me Gusta
Frases lindas que dicen los hombres en la milonga.
Which translates more or less into:
LIE TO ME
Because I like it
Pretty lines spoken by the men in the milonga.
Because I like it
Pretty lines spoken by the men in the milonga.
This monthly column features the submissions by female readers, who are the likely recipients of these chat-up lines in the milongas. Those published get 2 free milonga entry tickets!
Here are a few inventive or interesting ones:
"(To xxx): The next time my wife asks me for a public retraction of the flattering comments I tell you, I'll get divorced and marry you"
"(A xxx): La proxima vez que mi esposa me pida una retraction publica por los piropos que te digo me divorcio y me caso con vos"
“You are so pretty that when I look at you, I take a wrong step”
“Sos tan linda, que al mirarte me equivoco el paso”
(...hmm.. useful for men with more charm than dancing skills?)
“With your dance and joy you entered my life, and I don’t want to lose you”
“Con tu baile y tu alegria entraste a mi vida y no quiero perderte”
“To dance with you I have to line up, but the wait is worth the prize”
“Para bailar con vos hay que sacar numero, pero la espera vale la pena”
“I want to dance the last set of the night and take with me the perfume of your skin”
“Quiero bailar con vos la ultima tanda de la noche y llevarme el perfume de tu piel”
You may think these lines are corny or just right down silly. But judging from the title of the column in B.A. Tango, obviously the delivery is done correctly by the portenos :D
P.S/ My intial interpretation of the title was incorrect, so it has been rectified.
Here are a few inventive or interesting ones:
"(To xxx): The next time my wife asks me for a public retraction of the flattering comments I tell you, I'll get divorced and marry you"
"(A xxx): La proxima vez que mi esposa me pida una retraction publica por los piropos que te digo me divorcio y me caso con vos"
(March/April 2007)
“You are so pretty that when I look at you, I take a wrong step”
“Sos tan linda, que al mirarte me equivoco el paso”
(...hmm.. useful for men with more charm than dancing skills?)
“With your dance and joy you entered my life, and I don’t want to lose you”
“Con tu baile y tu alegria entraste a mi vida y no quiero perderte”
“To dance with you I have to line up, but the wait is worth the prize”
“Para bailar con vos hay que sacar numero, pero la espera vale la pena”
(May 2007)
“I want to dance the last set of the night and take with me the perfume of your skin”
“Quiero bailar con vos la ultima tanda de la noche y llevarme el perfume de tu piel”
(August 2007)
You may think these lines are corny or just right down silly. But judging from the title of the column in B.A. Tango, obviously the delivery is done correctly by the portenos :D
P.S/ My intial interpretation of the title was incorrect, so it has been rectified.
