# In the song "Hotel California," what does "colitas" mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 24, 2001, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589 "2001-01-24T18:34:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/41 "2004-04-14T21:44:53Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > There seems to be a minor mistake in this column. _Culitas_ and _colitas_ are two words that sound similar and differ in spelling by only one letter, but are pretty different in meaning. > > _Culo_ is rude slang for rump or anus (the meanings are not well differentiated for this word), meaning something similar to “ass” or “hole” but a bit more crude. _Culitas_ or “little asses” is sometimes used (by men, go figure) to refer to women in a…shall we say…not entirely respectful way. > > Looking for _culitos_ would be something you’d probably only do in West Hollywood or the Castro district in San Francisco. Calling a straight Spanish-speaking man _culito_ is an excellent way to start a fight since you’re basically calling him, “my little bitch.” I’m fairly certain about the spelling since I asked my Urugayan roommate about it when I learned this word. Oi, if I may correct a fellow Uruguayan I should say that “culo” is a perfectly natural and unloaded word for butt in Spain. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/42 "2004-04-15T16:02:19Z")
Wow. A question to the moderators - would it be OK if I adopted **the unveiler** ’s last post as my signature? Hey! Put that knife down! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/43 "2004-04-15T16:27:46Z")
Don’t be silly, **Shodan** , everyone knows you don’t use an entire post for a sig; you select a pithy snippet that summarizes one of the more trenchant highlights of the post. Just use the last paragraph. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/44 "2004-04-15T16:49:11Z")
My bad. What must I have been thinking of? I was hoping this quote - > [@](#): > > I realize that my posts have had various tones of wit, humor, mockery and biting sarcasm. But at this critical point, here, now, if you hear in me any voice of condemnation or mockery, you’re listening to the wrong voice. might be best. Just to remind me to listen to the right voice. You know, of all the voices. In my head. And not to listen to the one tellling me about Jodi Foster. All seriousness aside, **the unveiler** , that was a remarkable piece of work. Better than Helter Skelter, at least. Peace be with you. And welcome to the Straight Dope. > [@](#): > > Fasten your seatbelts - it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/45 "2004-04-15T19:17:24Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > Unless you do it with crustaceans. Hey, to each his/her (but mostly her) [own](http://www.snopes.com/risque/juvenile/lobster.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/46 "2004-04-15T20:39:26Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > All seriousness aside, **the unveiler** , that was a remarkable piece of work. > Better than Helter Skelter, at least. > Peace be with you. And welcome to the Straight Dope. I don’t think he’s going to see you’re welcoming note. His last activity was in August of 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/47 "2004-04-15T20:41:13Z")
… “you’re” should be “your” … I HATE that mistake. Where’s that damned smackie when I need it. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/48 "2004-04-16T12:42:33Z")
He must have shot the wad then. God knows it would take me three years to recover from composing posts like those. So much for my new sign. Sigh. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/49 "2004-04-16T13:46:37Z")
I think this thread must set a record between the time it was started and the time it made Threadspotting. Over three years. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/50 "2004-04-26T02:14:16Z")
Maybe he’s working on an interpretation of Lord of the Rings. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/51 "2004-04-26T13:07:09Z")
“If Lord of the Rings was interpreted by **the unveiler** ”. And you thought the “If Lord of the Rings was written by another author” thread was long. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589/52 "2004-05-01T13:40:05Z")
another vote in support of Unveiler’s efforts. So he cites the Bible & interprets the song as giving moral lessons against sexual, substance & occultic addictions. It takes real blinders NOT to see some Biblical/spiritual allusions. I’m really surprised tho he passed up “they just can’t kill the Beast” with no Book of Revelation references. Btw, congrats to him for passing up the Church of Satan interpretation, which is based on the very wrong ‘factoid’ that it was founded in 1969 when it was actually founded April 30, 1966 (tho another interpretation is that the LaVey mansion/CoS HQ in San Francisco was not obtained until 1969- I have no idea if that is true.) Now I’ll admit to being curious about the tape he has on American Pie… I wonder if it’s the Aryan Nations interpretation (yes, there actually is one! :eek: ) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/51589.md?page=2)