salamander a limbed, tailed amphibian with a soft, moist skin.
sastreria seamstress; tailor.
"she wears dark nylons . . . ." style of dress and makeup that would have been considered sexually provocative.
"the sickness . . . ." Aunt Lupe's illness; apparently Esperanza is somewhat confused about whether her aunt was ill or injured in some sort of accident; what she says about her having been swimming, and the fact that she was paralyzed, suggests that Lupe contracted polio, relatively common in the 1950s and often spread through the use of swimming pools.
solteronas unmarried women.
sopa de fideo noodle soup.
"Soy infeliz" I'm unhappy.
Tahiti one of the Society Islands, in the South Pacific; perhaps Lucy (or whoever says this) is thinking about the Polynesian dances performed by Tahitians.
"También yo te quiero/ y te quiero feliz" (epigram to the section) I also love you / and want you happy.
tan chistoso. Muy bonachón, muy bromista so funny. Very good-natured, a real jokester.
tan tán the famous end to Mexican movies.
Te ofrezco este . . . . Adela O. "I offer you this photo of my children. Watch them, dear God, and if you take away the drinking of my son I promise I'll light candles. Help us with our bills, Lord, and that our income tax check may arrive soon so we can pay our bills. Give us a good life and please help our sons to change their ways. You who are so generous, listen to these requests that I ask of you with all my heart and all the faith of my soul. Have pity, my Lord. My name is Adela O.
"Te quiero" "I love you"; "I desire you."
tembleque (Spanish) a trembling fit; "the shakes" — i.e., delirium tremens.
Thank you por el milagro . . . . Thank you for the miracle of having me graduate from high school. Here I give you a picture of my graduation.
"that boy who is my cousin by first communion or something el" nonsense; "first communion" is what Catholics call the occasion on which a person first receives the sacrament of the Eucharist, usually as a child of about seven, so Esperanza is probably searching for a phrase here ("first cousin once removed," perhaps) and coming up with the wrong one, maybe suggested by the fact that she is at a party held in a church basement and celebrating a sacrament.
300 Spartans an American movie made in the 1950s about the Battle of Thermopylae (in the Persian War) where, in 480 b.c., a Persian army commanded by Xerxes destroyed a Spartan army led by Leonidas. The Spartans, who held the pass against tremendous odds, became an exemplum of bravery and physical courage.
Tikal, Tulum, Chichén Ancient cities of the Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula.
tlapaleria a hardware store.
tlapaléria a little lunch stand.
tocaya a namesake, or another person who shares one's name.
"Tres vicios . . . y enamorado . . . ." "Three vices I have, and they are deep-rooted in me: being a drunk, a gambler, and a lover." (Lyrics from El Abandonado ["The Abandoned One"], a popular song; see the Glossary for Part Four, later.)
