Definition of
Kid
Kid is a term from a word of the language nahuatl: itzcuintli. This term was used to refer to the hairless dogs which are now known as xoloitzcuintle.
Another important series of interesting data can be highlighted from this type of dog, such as the following:
-It is considered to be one of the oldest breeds of dogs that exist in the world since it is established that it is more than 7,000 years old.
-For the Aztecs it is a very special and important animal. And it is established that it is a gift from the god Xólotl. Specifically, he handed him over to men so that he would dedicate himself to guiding the souls of the deceased who traveled to the underworld.
-One of the curiosities that this type of dog has is that it is established that when the Spanish conquered Mexico they proceeded to start consuming it. Hence, the existence of the aforementioned can was in serious danger. It is believed that those found an exquisite flavor in the meat of that animal, as well as an important nutritional value.
-Among the most significant curiosities of this dog is also the fact that the Aztecs pressed the skin of the animal on the area of the part of the body that hurt them. And it was believed that he had powers to heal. We can especially establish that it was considered to be a great alternative to deal with muscle pain, headaches and even to deal with insomnia and asthma problems.
-Many are the painters who have resorted to showing in their works the escuincle dogs that we are dealing with. However, among the best known are artists such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, among others.
The use of the concept changed today. In Mexicoescuincle allows to allude, in a colloquial and derogatory way as indicated by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) in his dictionary, to a child. This is because infants are also hairless on their bodies (no beards, mustaches, etc.).
There are those who maintain that, beyond the subject of hair, the current use of the notion can also be related to the fuss caused by dogs when playing. The idea of escuincle, in this case, would not be derogatory, but rather is associated with the tiredness or bad mood that children can cause when they scream and run, causing discomfort in some adults.
For example: “This kid is driving me crazy, he doesn’t stay still for a minute”, “Shut up the kids, I want to sleep! I’m sick of your screaming.”, “You are all invited to my birthday party, including the kids in the family”.
Outside Mexico, escuincle is not a frequently used term. According to regionthere are other words of equivalent meaning according to the context, such as bare, stupid either child.
As a curiosity it can be mentioned that the xoloitzcuintles dogs they are also called xolos. This last word (xolo) led to another term that is often used in a derogatory way: choloused to refer to the individuals mestizo or with indigenous features.