What is the meaning of the Spanish word 'kiki'? This is the curious origin of a frequently heard naughty expression

It is a regularly used term and likely the result of a phonetic twist on a common English word

La Voz

Cadiz

Sunday, 27 October 2024, 05:05

In Spain there are a large number of very peculiar expressions that are used or heard almost every day. One of them, perhaps one of the common, is 'echar un kiki'. According to the Real Academia Española (RAE), the main reference on the national language, one meaning of the word 'kiki' or 'quiqui' is defined as a small ponytail on the top of the head, although this term also has a very different meaning that we will explain here.

The Spanish academy of language also states that this word has a second, more colloquial meaning. In this case, the word 'kiki' refers to a quick, full-blown sexual encounter. To 'kiki', therefore, means to have quick or spontaneous intercourse. The term, as in many cases, comes from an English language expression and is believed to have originated in Spain's Andalucía region.

The etymology of 'echar un kiki'

The RAE states that the word 'kiki' could come from the English word quickie, meaning that something has been done quickly. It is an expression that the British use a lot when referring to spontaneous sexual relations of a short duration. The word 'quiqui', in this case, is a phonetic adaptation of the quickie word.

This is why the English expression 'have a quickie' ended up becoming 'echar un kiki', an adaptation that has become an expression used very frequently in Spain.

Where did it originate?

This curious expression seems to have arisen in Cadiz due to the strong Anglo-Saxon influence that the province of Cadiz has been exposed to for many years. The presence of British citizens in Gibraltar, has been part of the United Kingdom since 1713, and of the American military at Rota's naval base since 1953, are just two examples of such influences.

The province of Cadiz has had a close relationship with British and American communities too, so it is possible that this expression may have arisen from the cultural exchanges with both. The characteristic ingenuity of the people of Cadiz when it comes to inventing expressions may also have played an important role in the origin of the term 'echar un kiki'.

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