This is from one of our beloved spanish-speaking readers:
You Wrote regarding Carter’s Visit to Cuba:
CARTER: It really hurt my feelings when you used to call me “Peanut Man.”
CASTRO: Lo siento mucho. ¿Qué si le llamo las “tuercas del señor?” which means I’m very sorry. What if I call you “Mister Nuts?”
POOR TRANSLATION
The real flavor of the translation: (An expression that is unprintable appeared here) Would you prefer it if I called you “The Man’s Wing Nuts?”
Apparently the phrase “tuercas del senor” is an idiomatic expression which is a lot like saying “go play in traffic” only it involves an part of the male anatomy. It has nothing to do with wing nuts or peanuts. Let’s just say mi madre would wash my mouth out with soap if I had said that around her.
To our readers who actually understand spanish I say estoy muy, muy apesadumbrado.