If you speak even a little Spanish you're probably familiar with the word "pendejo". It can be used in that friendly, guy-insulting-guy way as in, "Hey, Pendejo, how's it going?" Or, it could be directed at someone who just did something really stupid, like backing out of their parking space without looking and almost running you over...."you stupid Pendejo (kind of redundant, but you get the jist).

Well, last year during our very fun visit with Dave and Lilka aboard Scappatella, we had an unforgettable "pendejo" moment. We had left our favorite little bar in Culebra, Mamacita's, and were riding back in the dinghy at night, with no light. I briefly saw something in the water and yelled, "hey, what the...". This was immediately followed by a loud CRUNCH and then several "Oh Shit's". We had run the dinghy aground, right into the rocks off of Point Something-or-Other. I can't remember what the official name of the point was, but after that experience we all jokingly referred to it as "Punta Pendejo". Louis, being the Captain of the dinghy that evening, was the object of that affectionate but insulting term, loosely translated to "Point of the Stupid Idiot Driving the Dinghy"....although, as Lilka pointed out, we were all the "pendejos" that evening! Since then, Punta Pendejo has become a sort-of code phrase among the four of us to describe something really stupid one or the other has done.

Well, a few nights ago we were at a farewell party for our Venezuelan friend, Julio, who's finally leaving Curacao after 3 months, 14 days, and 6 hours. (He had a rough time in the yard). Anyway, a friend Moss asks about the use of the word "Pendejo". She was told it meant pubic hair, and wanted confirmation of its meaning. (us yachties have many such high-falutin' conversations). She was immediately corrected by several people who threw around other meanings like "asshole", "stupid idiot", and "dumb-ass". Louis hears all of these definitions and looks up at me with disbelief in his eyes. "Pendejo?" he says softly. "No....not pendejo....that means dangerous, doesn't it?"

I just about spewed my wine all over the cockpit, I began laughing so hard! It seems Louis had conveniently forgotten the meaning of "pendejo" that Lilka had clearly explained in the dinghy - "No, it's not just an idiot...more like a STUPID idiot" - and apparently confused it with the word "peligro", meaning "danger". So all this time "Punta Pendejo" has meant "Dangerous Point" to Louis, instead of "Point of the Stupid Idiot"!

Amazing what the mind is capable of!