Everything was going well with the local butcher in Australia until he called me that horrible word.

I was home for my dad’s 70th birthday. As I’m the closest thing to a Mexican in those parts I was asked to make the carne asada.

Yes, I was the taquero. (The guy on the taco stands who makes the tacos.)

So I needed to get just the right kind of meat.

Over several visits to the butcher shop we refined the cut of the meat. Tacos are cut across the grain, which is an unusual request for an Aussie butcher. Also, the meat is cut very thin, not much thicker than prosciutto.

It turns out the butcher had a sister who manages a hotel in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. (That’s the tropical paradise Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman escaped to in the 1994 film Shawshank Redemption)

We chatted all about Mexico. I told him everything I knew about where his sister is living. He had been especially helpful getting the meat just right for my dad’s seventieth.

Then it happened.

He said, “anything else I can do for you Mr. Santamaria?”

Who the heck is Mr. Santamaria?

That’s the guy turning 70. It’s not me.

It was jarring to be called Mr. Santamaria. Especially as Nick is around my age and we got to know each other quite well. So what’s up with this mister business?

Yes, I’m getting older but don’t call me mister.

When I arrived in Mexico at 35 years old all the street vendors would get my attention by calling out joven (young man) or güerito (a term of endearment for a light skinned or blonde person)

Now in Mexico the vendors often call out to me señor.

Yet, being called señor by a Mexican vendor never smacked me between the eyes as hard as being called Mister by an Aussie butcher, who’s more or less my age.

All the connection I felt with Nick went out the window.

People often write to me that they don’t want to speak formal Spanish. They don’t want to make a mistake like Nick the Butcher.

They see themselves as friendly, casual, easygoing people, so they want to use language that reflects this.

BIG mistake!

The chance of doing a Nick is actually very slim. On the other hand you could get yourself in quite a fix by using informal Spanish at the wrong time.

Using informal Spanish in the wrong situation will make you sound arrogant.

If a policeman pulls you up on a traffic stop, he’ll probably speak to you formally. I’d like to be a fly on the wall if you speak back to him with informal Spanish. It’d be comical to watch. Worse it could end badly for you, as you would be disrespecting a policeman.

If you go to the doctor, do business with Spanish speakers or any kind of negotiation, formal Spanish is almost always the appropriate form to use.

When it’s all said and done you really need to know how to use both types of Spanish.

You’ll want to use formal Spanish to show due respect. On the other hand you’ll speak to your amigos with informal Spanish as it conveys warmth, intimacy and friendliness. Here’s how to start using both types of Spanish today. Order Shortcut to Spanish with this link and I’ll throw in the course Shortcut to Informal Spanish Conversations gratis.

http://www.how-to-speak.com/InformalSpanish.html

That’s an extra 3 hours of audio where you practice speaking just like you will with your amigos, kids and in casual situations.

http://www.how-to-speak.com/InformalSpanish.html

By the way, here’s a good rule of thumb to know which Spanish to use. If they speak to you formally speak to them formally unless you are speaking to a child.

If they speak to you informally speak to them informally unless you are speaking to someone who is a lot older than you.

Once you know the formal Spanish, speaking informally is not hard at all. It just takes a few very small changes.

The Shortcut to Informal Spanish Conversations course gives you those easy steps and plenty of real conversational practice. Here’s the link again to get both courses with your order of Shortcut to Spanish today.

http://www.how-to-speak.com/InformalSpanish.html