We continue in the arduous task of making known those peculiarities that make Valencians so special. This dictionary has no other intention than to promote the knowledge of a people, which constitutes the safeguard of the most atavistic branch of the melting pot of civilizations that have populated the shores of the Mediterranean.
ARRANCAORA: Magic potion that gives super powers to the residents of Xeraco and other towns in La Safor and La Ribera, or at least that is what some believe. Immediate effects: euphoria, appetite and deterrent qualities, especially with a corbella in hand.
BIKE: Throwing weapon of the Valencian political class, also the most popular personal mobility vehicle until the arrival of the electric scooter. Bicycle rental is a buoyant business in the city. The Dutch who have arrived in Valencia are a danger because they go wherever the tulip leaves them.
BOUS AL CARRER: Cultural manifestation typical of another era maintained over time, to demonstrate the attachment of Valencians to their traditions, no matter how sadistic and anachronistic they may be. The culture councilor is a bullfighter, what more could you ask for.
CALIQUEÑO: Handmade Valencian cigar, traditionally made by hand by women. Those made in Canal de Navarrés and L'Horta Nord are highly appreciated. Since tobacco cultivation is a state monopoly, making caliqueños at home is illegal. Despite their irregular and twisted shape, they are highly appreciated by cigar connoisseurs. There is no known case of a person being attacked by a tiger mosquito while smoking a Caliqueño.
CAPTAIN MORO: Maximum authority in all social and economic levels in the territories of the Valencian Community. Carlos Mazón? What more would I like! Captain Moro has prestige, authority and the wallet to plug any hole. Hence the famous phrase: “Això ho pagan jo!”
COLUMBUS: There has always been controversy around Columbus, since the discovery of America. Who was Columbus, was he Genoese, was he Neapolitan like Giuseppe Grezzi, was he Catalan or a split bus lane?
COMBOI: Collaborative meeting between Valencians for recreational gastronomic purposes.
CONSUM: Cooperative chain of Valencian supermarkets where you can choose the brands of the products.
MEDITERRANEAN CORRIDOR: Road project that consists of bringing the Mediterranean Sea to Madrid.
VALENCIAN FORAL LAW: Civil rights granted by King Jaume I to the Valencian people, to later be stripped of them by another king, in this case a Bourbon, Felipe V. The attempts to recover them have been aborted by the two majority parties that govern since the transition. There are 20 million Spaniards who enjoy their regional rights, but Valencians, being in the rear of autonomies without their own identity recognized by the state, do not.
EXCISE: Excuse disguised as tradition to interrupt the work day shortly after starting to work. The break can range from twenty minutes to an hour, at which time a considerable amount of food and drink is ingested. There are agreements that contemplate this form of absenteeism. In the esmorzaret version, despite the use of the diminutive, the gap is greater.
SMURFS: Fantastic blue characters created by Father Abraham, who in Valencia found the ideal place to frolic and mate. They live in mushrooms where they keep 500 euro bills to finance the electoral campaigns of Gargamel and other popular mythological beings. Because they are of an intense blue color, they are also affectionately called “blaveros”.
XIMO: Sig.1: Emblematic Moorish march composed by José María Ferrero Pastor, premiered on August 27, 1964, in honor of Joaquín Sanz. It is the official anthem of the Moors and Christians festivities of Ontinyent. Sig.2: The Ximo (Chimo or chimet) is the typical sandwich of the Magdalena festivities in Castellón. Very soft bun that is emptied and filled with a mixture of tomato, onion, pepper, tuna and hard-boiled egg. Then it is slightly moistened with milk, dipped in egg and fried. In Cabanyal they call that same thing “Pepito”, and in La Safor they also call it “Pepito” but they change the tuna for minced meat.
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