Comments on: Thoughts on ‘Siútico’ by Oscar Contardo

By: Kevin Murray

Kevin Murray — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:25:52 +0000

In Australia, we have a way of disparaging the ‘toffs’. You don’t think there’s something of that in the way Chileans are sceptical of the arribistas, like Pinera? There’s nothing like the proud plebian culture of Guachaca in Australia, certainly not in the cities.

By: Philip Ayres

Philip Ayres — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 05:31:38 +0000

Oh, and the next rung down on the bad-taste ladder in Chile is “turco”, meaning Turkish, a-la “Turkish”-type immigrants to Chile, the sort who hang fluffy dolls from their rear view mirrors. And the last rung downwards is “rotto” which is now very politically incorrect but means the broken ones, the derelict, and the lower class. A very race-conscious country, Chile, not a good country to be a rotto in, matter of fact one of the the most class-conscious country in South America.

By: Philip Ayres

Philip Ayres — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 03:36:52 +0000

None of the above gives a clear meaning of “siutico”. Having lived in Having lived in Chile, with people who occasionally used the word, let me describe it this way. If you see a woman or man dressed a little too self-consciously, too carefully, a little too “smartly”, overly “neat”, trying too hard (basically), then that’s siutico. In English we say “neff” which is similar. So there you have it. The upper class don’t dress siutico. Only people pretending and patently failing to look classy look siutico.

By: Patricio McLelland

Patricio McLelland — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:47:09 +0000

I grew up in Santiago, live in the US and have on occasion been asked to “explain” Chile and Chilean politics, people and idiosyncrasies.
I’ve found this book to be an important tool for understanding how we Chileans live and think. It has made me smile, laugh and see myself and my countryfolk in a more thoughtful, critical and sympathetic light than the simple glow of nostalgia. Almost every page has made me stop and relive episodes and conversations with a new hindsight and sometimes a little remorse.
A huge thanks and my best to Oscar Contardo.

(“Qué tiene la respuesta a Siútico sido” should be: “Cómo ha sido la respuesta a Siútico?”)