I’m not sure if it’s the language geek in me that gets the bigger kick over this story about Hugo Chavez’ meeting with Spain’s king Juan Carlos… 

“¿Por qué no te callas?”—or “why don’t you shut up?” Adding insult to injury, King Juan Carlos used the informal form of address, which is the sort of language one would use for a child. The line has become famous throughout the Spanish-speaking world, being used in everything from mobile phone ringtones to numerous YouTube videos. By publicly scolding Chávez, King Juan Carlos essentially put him in his place, turning him from the Bolivarian Revolutionary to just another gasbag.

 …or the guy who loves freedom.

Either way, kudos to King Juan Carlos.

(Via Jay Reding)

(And after 27 years, I make no promises whatsoever about my Spanish grammar…)