In 2006, the linguist J. César Félix-Brasdefer published a study in the Journal of Pragmatics on how male speakers of Mexican Spanish refuse. He examined the effect of formality on their refusals and the link between politeness and protecting face.
In a study published in 2008, he observed 18 male Mexican students refusing a request, an invitation and a suggestion from a peer. They refused mainly in indirect ways, and they softened what they said.
On January 1, 1993, the currency change took effect. One nuevo peso, new peso, was worth a thousand of the old ones. The coins and bills carried the words “nuevos pesos” and the symbol N$.
In 1996, the word nuevos and the symbol N$ were removed.
The forces of the Mexican Revolution took their names from their leaders. The villistas followed Francisco Villa and his División del Norte. The zapatistas followed Emiliano Zapata in Morelos. The carrancistas followed Venustiano Carranza, the Primer Jefe, the First Chief. The obregonistas followed Álvaro Obregón.
A teaching text of UNAM describes General Saturnino Cedillo as passing from zapatista to villista and finally to obregonista.
Ni modo is one of the most common expressions in Mexican Spanish. It means roughly “no way around it” or “oh well.” The dictionary of the Spanish Academy marks it as colloquial and Mexican. It is used “to indicate that something no longer has a remedy.”
People say it when a bus is missed, a deal falls through or a plan fails, and the conversation moves on.
In Mexico, a person who tiene palanca, “has a lever,” has a connection who can open a door. In a 2021 article, the researchers Arellano-Gault and Trejo Alonso describe the palanca as a mechanism for exchanging favors among acquaintances and “acquaintances of acquaintances.” It forms a network “that rests on relationships of trust.”
One participant in their focus groups said: “En México, la vida se compone de una serie de palancas” (In Mexico, life is made up of a series of levers).
Compadrazgo is the bond between a child’s parents and the child’s godparents, who become each other’s compadres. A study in the Revista Mexicana de Sociología on communities of the Huasteca describes it as “a true bond of friendship” that ties the whole community together.
The godfather may take the father’s place in providing for the home if the father dies. The study observes that “a well-chosen godfather is worth more than a modern life insurance policy.”
In 2019, BBC Mundo asked Mexican scholars why it is hard for Mexicans to say no. Alí Albarrán of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at UNAM said: “Decir que no a alguien que te está ofreciendo algo de buena voluntad es considerado una ofensa” (Saying no to someone who offers something in good will is considered an offense). The anthropologist Roger Bartra said that “it is not very polite to say no openly.”
The article describes the common solution: “para no decir no, dicen que sí, pero no ponen un plazo” (to avoid saying no, they say yes, but they set no date).
Quedar bien, “to come out well,” means to leave a good impression and keep things pleasant. Mexican Spanish has many phrases that serve it.
Sí, cómo no: “Yes, of course.”
Primero Dios: “God first,” meaning “God willing.”
Ahí lo vemos: “We will see about it.”
Ahí nos vemos: “See you there.”
Each can be a firm promise. Each can also be a kind way to leave a request open.