Desmadre

D is for desmadre

This is a spanish word that I discovered recently that I kind of love and am rather hoping to slip into a conversation sometime soon down in the pueblo. Opportunities may arise over the meat counter or in the post office. Maybe the library? Surely.

Desmadre means disaster, chaos, f*ck-up and other such negative stuff. As in:

¡Es el desmadre total! – It’s complete chaos!

And, in the manner of such words like wicked, bad and bitching, un desmadre also means a riot, a blast, a rave. As in:

¡La fiesta fue un desmadre! – The party was a blast!

Literally the word means without a mother. Like descafeinado – yup, you guessed it decaffeinated. Putting aside the sad image of a child without a mother, and doffing more than a token cap at single dads, I do kind of enjoy the idea that without mum, ie. without me, it is just a disaster. And yet, at the same time a riot.

Let’s face it, things can truly go tits-up when mum’s not around, right?

This word could so fantastically apply to the state of things when I come down on Sunday morning, after my weekly lie-in (it’s the life of riley here, sure it is), to find the desmadre total that awaits me in the kitchen and sitting room and sometimes the garden. Bibs and Mr B have breakfast club on Sunday mornings.

Another complete and utter desmadre is this:

Go ahead, use desmadre today. It’s a great word. You won’t be disappointed.

If you enjoyed this particular desmadre  please do nominate me  here for a MADS 2012 blog award. I suspect there is bound to be a category for shambalas such as me.