SPANGLISH. An informal and often pejorative term, particularly common in North America, for any of several mixtures of SPANISH and English, ranging from extensive uses of LOANWORDS and LOAN TRANSLATIONS to CODE-SWITCHING among bilinguals. English-influenced Spanish is often referred to negatively in the US Southwest as español mocho (from mochar to cut limbs off trees) and español pocho (from Uto-Aztecan potzi short, tailless). The term often refers broadly to non-standard Spanish which contains: (1) Loanwords from English, such as wachar to watch, pushar to push. (2) Loan senses attached to traditional Spanish words, such as asistir to assist, help, atender to attend (school). (3) CALQUES, such as llamar pa(ra) (a)trás to call back (on the telephone). (4) Code-switching, such as Sácame los files for the new applicants de alla! (Get out the files for the new applicants from over there). See CHICANO ENGLISH, PUERTO RICO, TEX-MEX.

Spanglish ★½ 2004 (PG-13)

Sandler plays a sweetheart of a hubby in Brooks's problematic social comedy. As celebrity chef John Clasky, he's loving and supportive despite the complete self-absorption of his disturbingly unpleasant wife, Deborah (Leoni). Even Deborah's live-in lush of a mother (Leachman) knows what a horror her daughter is. Into this unhappy household comes lovely Flor (Vega), a Mexican illegal (who doesn't yet speak English) who takes the job as housekeeper because it will offer a better life for her own daughter, Cristina (Bruce). Given John's marital circumstances, is it any wonder that he and Flor become increasingly simpatico? Sandler's sincere and Leoni is nothing if not gutsy but it hardly seems worth the effort. 129m/C VHS, DVD . US Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman, Thomas Haden Church, Shelbie Bruce, Sarah Steele, Ian Hyland, Victoria Luna; D: James L. Brooks; W: James L. Brooks; C: John Seale; M: Hans Zimmer.