# S O C K S- Spanish translation question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2001, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185 "2001-08-20T17:16:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/1 "2001-08-20T17:16:45Z")
I used to work in a Mexican restaurant and the owner had a menu on his office wall that was signed by a local news celebrity. Besides having the man’s autograph, it also said > [@](#): > > S O C K S I ask what the socks meant and was told the if you spelled it out loud it meant something in Spanish, though he wouldn’t tell me what (or he didn’t know). So, what’s it mean? I tried “eso si que es” in Babelfish and got “that if that is” which doesn’t seem to make sense, if I’m even spelling it right. Any help? ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/2 "2001-08-20T17:41:04Z")
I changed the thread title to attract more people who might know the answer to this. I speak Spanish fairly well, and the closest I can come is, “That is how it is” but that would be “SOSKS.” I dunno. - Jill ---
**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:** [August 20, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/3 "2001-08-20T17:49:26Z")
I think the “si” should be interpreted as “yes,” not as “if.” (Si can mean either in Spanish, depending on context). It is inserted to give emphasis: Eso _si_ que es. “That’s _sure_ what it is.” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/4 "2001-08-20T17:50:22Z")
Maybe you have to spell it in in Spanish in order for it to mean something in Spanish? I don’t think the letter “O” is referred to as the “oh” in Spanish, or the “S” as the “ess”, and so forth. Unfortunately, I don’t speak Spanish and therefore don’t know how they prounounce the names of the letters. ---
**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:** [August 20, 2001, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/5 "2001-08-20T18:05:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \* > \*\*Maybe you have to spell it in in Spanish in order for it to mean something in Spanish? I don’t think the letter “O” is referred to as the “oh” in Spanish, or the “S” as the “ess”, and so forth. > > Unfortunately, I don’t speak Spanish and therefore don’t know how they prounounce the names of the letters. \*\* Essay-oh-say-kah-essay {or in Spanish orthography, ese-o-ce-ka-ese) Doesn’t mean anything that way, as far as I can see. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/6 "2001-08-20T18:15:55Z")
Several years ago there was a local radio ad for a series of tapes that would help you to learn Spanish by teaching you various mneumonic devices. The one used in the ad had to do with spelling out the word for what you wear under your shoes (“S-O-C-K-S”), and according to the ad it means “That’s what it is”. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/7 "2001-08-20T18:20:48Z")
The same series of ads that **lamia** is referring to also taught me my one German expression - ‘mach shnell’ ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/8 "2001-08-20T20:01:32Z")
Don’t forget “low see in toes”, I’m sorry. IIRC ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/9 "2001-08-20T20:21:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\* > Doesn’t mean anything that way, as far as I can see. \*\* This is what I was told by a Spanish professor (and native of Guadalajara, Mex.)–that “S O C K S” is simply “nonsense Spanish”. ---
**Author:** ![23skidoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f04885/32.png) [@23skidoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/23skidoo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/10 "2001-08-20T20:39:40Z")
Doing a google search on “eso si que es” returned some results, so it can’t mean _nothing_. It may be an idiom which is peculiar to one (or more) Spanish speaking countries, but not to others. ---
**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:** [August 20, 2001, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/11 "2001-08-20T21:29:47Z")
I just asked a couple of my colleagues in the next office, who are Panamanian and of course native Spanish speakers. (I live in Panama, and am fairly fluent in Spanish.) They both confirmed that the phrase “Eso si que es!” simply means “That’s it!” (or more explicitly “That’s what it is!”) The “si,” which seems to be what’s confusing matters here, is just an intensifier, meaning “yes” in this case. I think the meaning would be the same in any Spanish-speaking country. **Pantellerite** , I didn’t mean the phrase itself means nothing. I meant that **AHunter3’s** guess about it meaning something when spelled in Spanish was not likely. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/12 "2001-08-20T22:31:27Z")
Maybe he did tell me what it meant and I just thought he was screwing with me. “What does SOCKS mean?” “That’s what it is!” That’s for the help everyone! ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/13 "2001-08-20T22:59:31Z")
I heard this, many many years ago, as the punchline to a joke. Which I had to have explained to me, as I don’t speak Spanish. Spanish-speaking guy goes into a store. He wants to buy some socks, but he doesn’t know the English word for “socks.” So the clerk points to all the various articles of clothing, and the customer keeps shaking his head. Finally the clerk points to a pair of socks, and the customer exclaims “Eso si que es!” (S-O-C-K-S) To which the clerk replies, “Why didn’t you say so?” I didn’t think it was all that funny even then, but that’s how I heard it. Hope that’s some help. ---
**Author:** ![Beruang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/14 "2001-08-21T03:25:58Z")
Curse you, MrAtoz! I read this whole thread, salivating over the chance to tell this hoary old joke, and you beat me to it! Fie! ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/15 "2001-08-21T03:54:44Z")
Ha! I’ve finally beaten somebody to posting something! This is a proud day for me indeed! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![fecal\_nugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@fecal\_nugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fecal_nugget)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/16 "2001-08-21T04:42:58Z")
one of my former high school teachers (who is a mexician immigrant) told me that it is an idiom meaning “it is the way it is” similar to the french “se la vi” (i know i didn’t spell that correctly, but i think you get the point). so it basicly means “you can’t change it, so don’t worry about it.” (off topic: where is the “post reply” button? i had to “reply w/ quote” and delete the quote to get this here…) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/17 "2001-08-21T05:39:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fecal\_nugget \* > \*\*(off topic: where is the “post reply” button? i had to “reply w/ quote” and delete the quote to get this here…) \*\* There’s one up top and one down below, but they’re easy to miss because they’re light blue lettering on the dark blue horizontal bars. Don’t confuse them with the “new thread” buttons, please. ---
**Author:** ![jaimest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jaimest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaimest)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/18 "2001-08-21T05:49:27Z")
As far as I know (Chilean dad, Spanish g-parents, lived in Mexico) “eso si que es” is like saying “indeed it is”. I think the eso and que es are “meaningless intensifyers”… like in English “sure as \_\_\_ is” “what the \_\_\_\_ is”…you can insert several words in there to beef up the sentence. “Así es la vida” would be closer to “c’est la vie”. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/19 "2019-06-09T19:10:12Z")
I’m glad I found this ancient thread, because posting my question would have been difficult. Regarding this “joke” or maybe, “pun” where you spell “S O C K S”, using the Spanish words for the letters, “eso o che que eso” (or some variant spelling) to get the nonsense phrase “Esso si que esso.” I want to know others. I know Henri Duchamps put a mustache on a print of the Mona Lisa, and wrote “L H O O Q”, which transliterates in French to (again something like) “elle hache ooh ooh qu” which you can then read as “elle 'ha chaud au cul” – she has a hot ass. Is there a term for this sort of pun? I believe there’s one using Latin or Ancient Greek – someone spells a word and it comes out “loes it dotes and does eat oats” or something like that. But I’d need to know the term for this sort of pun to find something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185/20 "2019-06-09T20:24:07Z")
It can be done with lots of numbers [in Japanese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_wordplay#Goroawase). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-o-c-k-s-spanish-translation-question/77185.md?page=2)