Mexico, Innovation, Indirect Reception

The Freezer

Mexican journalists speak of la congeladora, “the freezer,” for bills that wait without a vote. In February 2023, Expansión reported that the Congress of Mexico City had more than 1,000 initiatives “en la ‘congeladora'” (in the “freezer”).

In January 2024, El Financiero reported that the federal Chamber of Deputies had received 6,389 initiatives in its current legislature. It had approved 618 and rejected 266, and 5,030 were pending. Of an earlier legislature, Expansión wrote: “la mayoría ni siquiera se desecha, simplemente queda pendiente” (most are not even rejected, they simply remain pending).

Avoiding Disagreement in Puebla

In 2017, the linguist Niktelol Palacios of El Colegio de México published a study of softened speech in Puebla in the journal Anuario de Letras. Lingüística y Filología. It drew on the PRESEEA corpus of Puebla, among speakers with little formal education.

The study names one aim of the softening devices that these speakers use: “se trata de evitar al máximo el desacuerdo” (the point is to avoid disagreement as far as possible).

Ways to Avoid Saying No

Yo te aviso, “I’ll let you know.” Ahorita, a la vuelta, “in a little while, on my way back,” said to a street vendor. Ahí para la otra, “next time, then.” Déjame pensarlo, “let me think about it.” En un ratito, “in a little while.” In 2017, Matador Network in Spanish listed these among nine expressions Mexicans use to avoid saying no.

Refusals in Mexican Spanish

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.

Atole with the Finger

Mexican Spanish has several phrases for keeping someone content without delivering.

Dar atole con el dedo, “to give atole with the finger.” Atole is a warm corn drink. BBC Mundo, citing the Diccionario de mexicanismos of the Academia Mexicana de la Lengua, glosses the phrase as engañar, to deceive.

Dar el avión, “to give the airplane,” to brush someone off.

Dar largas, to keep putting off an answer.

Saying No Without Saying No

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).

Leaving a Good Impression

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.