1. Kimosabi is an expression that is interpreted as ‘good friend’, of indeterminate origin, popularized by the American television series Lone Ranger (which was produced from 1949 to 1957, organized into 58 seasons, and encompassing 221 chapters), through the pronunciation of the character of a Native American whom the writers decided to call Tonto.
Etymology: by english kemosabedeveloped in fiction Lone Rangerassociating it with the Potawatomi culture, which indeed exists, and from which the fictional character of Tonto originates.
Grammatical category: Adjective.
in syllables: ki-mo-sa-bi.
Kimosabi
This term has its origin in the fictional adventures of the lone ranger and his helper Toro (also known as a fool, although in Spanish it was interpreted as offensive), whom we older people will remember with emotion and nostalgia, two characters born from the imagination of its creator, author Fran Striker. The popularity of both began in the United States from the 1930s and over time their adventures became very popular in radio serials and on television in Latin America, especially in Mexico.
The word kimosabi is invented by the writer who came up with the character of the lone ranger
In the personal relationship between the llanero and the Indian, it was common for Toro’s character to call the lone ranger amicably kimosabi to indicate that he was his faithful friend. In this sense, it is not an authentic word from a language of some North American Indian tribe.
When these characters arrived in Mexico, a dialogue between the two was recreated in an advertisement on the radio. The llanero and Toro were surrounded by dangerous Apache Indians in a desperate situation and the llanero tells his assistant that they are surely going to die together and then the Indian responds “are we here, kimosabi?” This phrase from the world of advertising was incorporated into everyday language among Mexicans. At present it is still used when someone faces some difficulty and wants to joke about the situation or in those cases in which someone wants to take credit for something that does not belong to them.
Regardless of its meaning and use, this expression is an example of Mexican ingenuity in relation to creative language.
Famous phrases from other fictional characters
The characters of literature and cinema are an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Some of them have coined phrases that have become famous and continue to be used in different contexts of the language.
Photos: Fotolia – Patrick Meider / Canicula