When making a crossword, one of the useful words is the Spanish cry “ole!” There’s a theory that it is derived from the Muslim cry “Allah!” from the days when the Moors invaded Spain, with the pronunciation changing over the years, so that instead of meaning God it has become a shout of triumph or encouragement, associated especially with bullfights and flamenco dances.
Puzzler Keith Brook recently wrote about our use of the word toreador, meaning bullfighter. It is really an archaic name, nowadays referred to as torero in Spain, but we are probably familiar with the word toreador because of The Toreador Song , one of the most famous arias from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. Sung by the matador Escamillo, it describes various situations in the ring, the cheering of the crowds and the fame that comes with victory. If you think you’ve never heard it, I challenge you to listen to it and I’m sure you’ll find you’ve heard it before.
The picador is the lancer horseman and is often jeered by the crowds for weakening the bull by piercing his neck, but in the past the picador was the star of the bullfight. It was only when the matador started to face the bull on foot that the picador was relegated to the unpopular role of lancer. The matador is the one who kills the bull in the end.
Aficionado is now used to mean a person who is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a particular subject, but once meant a bullfighting buff and comes from the Spanish aficionar ‘to inspire affection’.
The ballroom dance Paso Doble (meaning double step) is based on the bullfight, the man playing the part of the matador and the woman represents the matador’s cape.
The first bullfight can be traced back to 711 Ad, when it was staged to entertain the crowds at the coronation of King Alfonso VIII of Spain. It has now been banned in Barcelona and activists are hoping it will soon be banned as a cruel sport in the whole of Spain.
Happy Puzzling!
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