This term has its origin in the fictional adventures of the lone ranger and his assistant Toro (also known by the name of fool although in Spanish it was interpreted as offensive), whom the oldest of us will remember with emotion and nostalgia, two characters born of the imagination of its creator, the author Fran Striker. The popularity of both began in the United States in the 1930s and with the passage of time their adventures became very popular in radio and television serials in Latin America, especially in Mexico.
The word kimosabi is invented by the writer who devised the character of the Lone Ranger
In the personal relationship between the plainsman and the Indian, it was common for the character of Toro to call the lone ranger kimosabi amicably to indicate that he was his faithful friend. In this sense, it is not an authentic word of a language of some North American indigenous tribe.
When these characters arrived in Mexico, an advertisement on the radio recreated a dialogue between the two. 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 replies "Are we here, Kimosabi?" This phrase from the world of advertising was incorporated into everyday language among Mexicans. Today 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 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 of other fictional characters
Characters from literature and cinema are an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Some of them have coined phrases that have become famous and that continue to be used in different contexts of language.
Photos: Fotolia - Patrick Meider / Canicula
