'Váyase al Carajo'
And I'm not saying a dirty word
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By Miguel Pérez
In English, we call it “the crow’s nest,” although it’s not really for birds. It’s meant for sailors to use as a lookout over the horizon in search for land or other ships. But its original name in Spanish, “el carajo,” has taken many other meanings. It goes back to the times when the Spanish conquistadores sailed on galleons and caravels and depended on sailors who were sent up to el carajo to serve as lookouts, especially when searching for new lands to discover. Yet, given the terribly unstable top of those caravel masts, and the likelihood of getting dizzy and sick once you were up there, getting sent to “el carajo” was considered a punishment. So if you were a sailor on a caravel and you committed some sort of infraction, you could have been sent to serve as the lookout. Of course, "el carajo" was not used when the sea was too rocky, unless the infraction was severe. “Váyase al Carajo,” the captain would shout. |
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However, with time, “Váyase al Carajo,” became commonly used whenever someone wanted to send you to any undesirable place. And with more time, many people have lost track of the phrase's original meaning, to the point that they will be sending you to el carajo with no idea of where they are really sending you.
That's because, other than its original definition, all other uses of el carajo are vague and undefined. If people are mad at you, when they send you to el carajo, they could be sending you to hell, lol, which is perhaps the most common misrepresentation and misuse of that word. |
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But el carajo has become a very flexible term. If people are describing a far away place, they might tell you that it is in "casa del carajo." Or when they are expressing surprise, they might ask you, "™que carajo es esto?" Or when they are inviting you to another place, they might say, "vámonos pa'l carajo." Or when they tell you that something is difficult, they'll say, "esta del carajo," without realizing that they are actually talking about the difficulty of enduring a couple of hours on the masts of a caravel.
The list of uses of the term el carajo now seems endless. Yet, because el carajo is often used to describe an undesirable place, without knowing its definition, some people assume it is a curse word. It isn't. I can think of much stronger Spanish words to send you to an undesirable place. lol In fact, nowadays not all carajos are undesirable. Some things can be better; "más bueno que 'el carajo," or even prettier "más linda que 'el carajo.'" But definitely, someone who is "más feo que "el carajo" is beyond ugly! |
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For God's sake, you can even be dumber or smarter than el carajo! So when you look at el carajo this way, you have to accept that the term has become somewhat humorous.
That's why I felt that using these photos of el carajo to respond to nasty comments on social media could be a good way — light comedy — to deescalate a potential online argument. But, on second thought, if I have to explain the original meaning of el carajo, maybe I need to send them this article. I wouldn't want anyone to go to the wrong "carajo." lol |
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Of course, the phrase is more commonly used in some Hispanic communities than in others. The frequency of getting sent to el carajo depends on cultures and nationalities. lol But there is no question that most Hispanics have heard this term, even if they don't know what it really means.
BTW, The "carajos" in these photos are from San Salvador, a replica of the first Spanish galleon to sail the coast of California. That's right! Captain Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo's ship! But for that, you will have to wait until my Hispanic history road trip gets to San Diego! And yes, of course, I interviewed the crew members. They climb up those ropes and go to el carajo frequently. The real carajo! |
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Follow my: California Road Trip 2025
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