Comments on: Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez launches affordable “Penis” phone

By: VERDAD

VERDAD — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:54:16 +0000

Vergatario in Venezuela (Zulia state) means excellent/very good. For example, people would say “el carro esta vergatario (the car is very good/nice).” It may mean something different in other places but the phone is produced and sold in Venezuela and by no means was the name used in disrespect…in my view! I guess we should curtail the name “John Thomas” in the U.S.A because in England it means to engage in “sexual intercourse” and it is also a slang for “penis” in that country…or the word “nosh” in the USA it can be used as “food/meal” but in England it can be used to define “oral sex”. This article and its intent is a bunch of rubbish! VIVA EL VERGATARIO VENEZOLANO

By: Not you

Not you — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:16:10 +0000

Well, I guess we all know what Chavez should with this phone after putting it on vibrate. And I think this translation is hilarious! We should all just laugh about it instead of trying to be the “smartest” one.

By: sain mena

sain mena — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:30:27 +0000

Yes the name VERGA is a day world at Mexican lenguage, and it is a bad world.

By: EjS

EjS — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:16:00 +0000

Edgard’s comment (May 13) is absolutely correct. The translator did a poor job on this one. But furthermore, the word “verga” is not even Venezuelan. It is classic, original, Spanish (from Spain that is), already used in Cervantes’s Quixote. The name chosen by Chávez refers to what Edgard says: something excellent, first class, way above-average. Applies both to people as well as things. It is vulgar, gross, but it does not have a genital connotation used in this way. Oh, yes, Chávez still sucks, but let’s be fair on this.

By: Mariano

Mariano — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:32:25 +0000

Sorry, “I still can say the true meaning of vergatario” should read “I still can’t say the true meaning of vergatario”

By: Mariano

Mariano — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:30:26 +0000

No, I’m not . I still can say the true meaning of vergatario because it’s jargon from Venezuela, but I refuse to think that Chavez, whether you like him or not, is that stupid. On the other hand, being Chavez provocative, I don’t see him calling this cellphone “magic” or “dream”
I guess we all learnt a little with all this.

Saludos/regards

By: gerardo

gerardo — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:25:58 +0000

from La Real Academia Española: http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=vergatario

1. adj. vulg. Ven. Dicho de una persona: Que se destaca o sobresale por alguna cualidad, sobre todo por su valor o su fuerza.

Which translates to:

“Ones that highlights or excels especially for his courage or his strength.”

It’s not even Venezuelan-specific, but spanish-specific. So, this article is innacurate, and stupid BTW.

By: REY

REY — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:11:32 +0000

Learn Spanish IDIOTS:

http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=vergatario

And get the REAL translation

By: Greg Wilson

Greg Wilson — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:48:19 +0000

Valmore says:
This phone more than a noble vision; it´s a political tool to try to make people focus attention on him

Uh, you work for San Antonio Internacional. It’s a large SA oil company based in Houston. Of course you believe this…

By: TRUTH

TRUTH — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:19:40 +0000

Mariano: Your information is misleading (or partially correct). If you read the complete information in the “Real Academia” about “Vergatario” you will also notice that it is consider a vulgar adjective in Venezuela, because it is derived from P…S. Am i right?

By: Matias Matute

Matias Matute — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:56:52 +0000

First, excuse my bad English. Second, I must clarify that the word “Vergatario” has nothing to do with exactly the word “cock” or penis. Vergatario is like saying “Excellent” and gives reference to something that is extraordinary in terms of their capabilities. The word is used in the plains of Venezuela, which are agricultural areas. There, “vergatarios” were cowboys who had the capacity to do all things rural, and have skill in using a sort of soft leather whip. In this case, President Hugo Chávez refers to the word vergatario over the mobile phone, as it has a wide range of features at a very low cost (approximately $ 13.95).

By: Jose Prada

Jose Prada — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:49:39 +0000

This is the real intention: Venezuela’s goberment will not aprove US dollars for new cell phones importation. So, Chavez has started this cell phone fabrication because it will be the only cell brand availaible in Vzla…

By: Juan Carlos

Juan Carlos — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:04:18 +0000

I’m afraid you’re wrong about Venezuelan Slang.

In Venezuela “verga” is referred to something pretty big, impressive, so “Vergatario” is most accurately translated as “Most Excellent”. It is *not* referred to p__s as you said. However, in Puerto Rico, República Dominicana,etc; it is referred to p__s.

Please research a little more before before making such affirmation. I will give you some tips about how the very same words different meanings depending the country which is spoken.For example: In Venezuelan Slang “mamar gallo” is a folk expression to a very funny person who likes to mock their friends. But it is a very offensive and obscene phrase in Chile. “Concha” (translated as “shell”) it is not offensive word in most latin american countries.But in Argentina, it referred to female sexual organ (in a very, very derogative way).

This is why “neutral spanish” (i.e neutral castilian) have come to exists.However Chavez is not using it beacause he is talking -mostly- to their fellow Venezuelans, so , at least for us: this is NOT a p___s cellphone.

By: MJ23

MJ23 — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:21:10 +0000

Mariano is completely right about the meaning of the word. Myself, a venezuelan native, confirm it.
On other hand, the word itself is too tacky to be used as a commercial product name.

By: Luis Peña

Luis Peña — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:10:41 +0000

Beyond your typo of thing instead of thing. You must accept that the origins of the word Vergatario comes from the context of a big penis in our predominantly macho society. Something that in our culture is good and hence the meaning accepted by RAE: Something that should be translated (loosely) as hot or cool.

By: Angela

Angela — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:04:34 +0000

I’m definitely not a fan of the guy and his no sense political antics, but for you guys to say that his launching a pe..is phone is just ignorant. A poor translation attempt because as the writer before me states Vergatario the slang word is like saying amazing. I.E a product labeled F..cking great, translated as very good for intercourse!

By: JC

JC — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:04:09 +0000

You’re right about the wrong translation of “vergatario”, but wrong about no one to be so stupid, he is it despite this translation mistake.

By: Tortugo

Tortugo — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:00:07 +0000

From Venezuela: He is just a stupid who likes attention instead of solving the real problems we have here ( crimes, poverty,and the list goes on)… And the word “vergatario” is considered bad word here…

By: Eloy

Eloy — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:55:43 +0000

I’m afraid that the author of this article is extremely naive. I do not have any doubt that this mobile is heavily subsided by the Venezuelan state as the manufacturer is state owned company. Its retail price is approximately £7.50 at official rate. It is impossible to find a cheaper phone from Nokia or Samsung at that price.

I believe that all this promotion is aimed to keep the venezuelans distracted from the real problems that the country is having.

By: T

Wed, 13 May 2009 15:52:50 +0000

How is nationalizing a private company, stealing a product they spent years and millions developing, and using your government status to sell it noble?