# It flings the mango? Can I get some Cuban help here? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795 "2006-03-10T04:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/1 "2006-03-10T04:56:52Z")
I heard something on the radio today that mentioned what I assume to be a common Cuban phrase that literally translates as, “It flings the mango”. Which somehow means that something is unbelieveable. Does anyone know this phrase and how it came to be that flinging mangoes equates to the improbable? While I’m at it, what does “No me frias huevos a mi” (Don’t fry eggs at me!) mean? It seemed to have something to do with resisting a command. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/2 "2006-03-10T05:14:55Z")
Hm, it looks like “mango” is also a Spanish word for ‘handle.’ At least, according to babelfish. That may have something to do with it. Or not at all. I’m so helpful! ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/3 "2006-03-10T06:01:11Z")
Around here, in English, “Don’t fry eggs at me” means, “Don’t make a fuss, just let me sleep and fend for myself.” I won’t venture a guess as to whether “It flings the mango” means “It jumps the shark.” It could just as easily mean the same as throwing overripe tomatoes at a poor player on a stage, signifying nothing. No, that was fiction. I had a good time writing it (and borrowing it.) I hope you enjoyed reading it. ---
**Author:** ![aurelian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@aurelian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurelian)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/4 "2006-03-10T15:08:21Z")
> [@Bomzaway](#): > > While I’m at it, what does “No me frias huevos a mi” (Don’t fry eggs at me!) mean? It seemed to have something to do with resisting a command. I’m not familiar with this particular saying, so I might be wrong, but _huevos_ is one of many slang words for ‘testicles’. I would think it’s rather like “Don’t bust my balls”, or “Don’t give me a hard time”. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/5 "2006-03-10T15:56:46Z")
My various “Street Spanish” and slang dictionaries are no help with the “mango” one, other than offering that mango can be slang for “hot (sexy) person” or sometimes “penis.” Neither seems to apply to the Cuban expression, which may be local to that country. (I have never heard anything like it here in Panama.) On the other hand, The “don’t fry [something]” phrase is rather common for telling somebody to go take a flying leap/fly a kite/soak your head. My Street Spanish dictionary provides: _¡Vete a freir chongos!_ Go fry buns! _¡Vete a freir espárragos!_ Go fry asparagus! _¡Vete a freir mocos!_ Go fry boogers [snot]! _¡Vete a freir monos!_ Go fry monkeys! Other equivalents for the same idea are: _¡Vete a bañar!_ Go take a bath! _¡Vete a echar pulgas a otra parte!_ Go throw fleas somewhere else! _¡Vete a ver si ya puso la cochina/puerca!_ Go see if the sow has already laid an egg! I particularly like the last one. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/6 "2006-03-10T19:17:54Z")
How would you say, “Go pan-fry your semen”? ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/7 "2006-03-10T19:49:27Z")
I heard that report on NPR, as well, and the “Don’t fry eggs at me” was referring IIRC to a chucking or clicking noise the daughter made when asked to speak spanish instead of english. The noise sounded like eggs frying in oil, and was just a frustrated noise made by an adolescent to her parents. Like a verbal equivilant of eye rolling. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/8 "2006-03-10T22:54:57Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > How would you say, “Go pan-fry your semen”? _¡Vete a freir la leche!_ This guy would undoubtedly end up with _mala leche_, “spoiled come,” that is, be in a shitty mood. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/9 "2006-03-10T23:44:35Z")
Are you sure the phrase wasn’t “tirar la manga” ? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/10 "2006-03-11T01:35:29Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > Are you sure the phrase wasn’t “tirar la manga” ? I heard the story too, and the woman translated the phrase. Anyway, I don’t know what it’s supposed to mean, but I love the expression. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/11 "2006-03-11T02:27:27Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > Are you sure the phrase wasn’t “tirar la manga” ? Yup, as Cliffy said, she translated the phrase and what was meant by it. Check it out [here.](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5254863) It’s a nice story too. And the Sonoran Lizard King is right, I listened to it again and I think the egg frying thing had something to do with the noise she was making. So never mind about that question. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/12 "2006-03-11T09:55:42Z")
Upon listening: Heh. _Raspacoco_ for a certain type of finger-rubbing of the head – it translates kinda as “coconut scraper”. Those wacky Cubans. But I cannot for the life of me figure out the verb used in the “flings the mango” bit. It sounds almost like it might be “sube”, but that doesn’t make sense here, nor does it mean “fling”. Curiouser and curiouser. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/13 "2006-03-11T14:03:21Z")
The verb is _zumbar_, “le zumba el mango”. In Cuba it must be used colloquially as throw or toss. ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/14 "2006-03-12T01:27:36Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > The verb is _zumbar_, “le zumba el mango”. In Cuba it must be used colloquially as throw or toss. Oh excellent, thanks! I was also wondering what word she was using for fling. Babelfish wasn’t returning anything that sounded right. Thanks to all for trying. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/15 "2006-03-12T01:57:49Z")
How about: “I burning your dog?” ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/16 "2006-03-12T02:07:16Z")
> [@Bomzaway](#): > > Oh excellent, thanks! I was also wondering what word she was using for fling. Babelfish wasn’t returning anything that sounded right. > > Thanks to all for trying. And now that we have it, we can Google it. “Le zumba el mango” returns a whole bunch of results where it is used and translated, but not a single one where it is explained why it means what it does. In standard Spanish, zumbar means ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/17 "2006-03-12T02:10:29Z")
> [@Bambi Hassenpfeffer](#): > > And now that we have it, we can Google it. “Le zumba el mango” returns a whole bunch of results where it is used and translated, but not a single one where it is explained why it means what it does. In standard Spanish, zumbar means to buzz or to hum, or to thrash. How it got to mean “fling” in Cuba, and why flinging a mango is so incredible, are not explained. This is going to bother me for quite a while. Interesting though – I’ll break it out the next time I’m talking to my dominicana friend. She’ll probably get a little kick out of it too. ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/18 "2006-03-13T18:17:54Z")
I just asked a co-worker about this term. She’s from Venezuala. According to her, Le zumba el mango is an offensive term in her country as well as parts of Central America. It still relates to something being unbelievable, but it’s usually attributed to the size of a woman’s breasts or posterior. Essentially, it’s something a construction worker would yell out to a very busty woman walking by. You should have seen the look she gave me when I said it. :eek: We both guessed that in Cuba it might not be an offensive term, and could mean something as harmless as simply “unbelievable”. Which is a common thing in the Spanish language…actually, many languages I suppose. No clue as to how the term came about, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/19 "2006-03-13T18:27:35Z")
It flings the mango in the bucket. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795/20 "2006-03-13T18:34:41Z")
Si no, trae la manguera otra vez. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-flings-the-mango-can-i-get-some-cuban-help-here/347795.md?page=2)