True story. Long time ago but still remember it well. 12th birthday. I asked for a tracksuit. The real deal of course. Adidas, Nike, or something similar. Designer brand to show off and fit in. When I opened up my birthday present and saw a little green crocodile smiling at me I was overjoyed.
That moment of bliss soon made place for intense grief however when I discovered that the logo of my brand-new tracksuit was spelled elcoste instead of lacoste.
elcoste? ¿qué? It turned out that my mother - a very sensible and practical woman who is always on the lookout for a good bargain - had bought my present at a suq during a trip my parents had made to morocco shortly before. She got it at a fair price undoubtedly but I was the laughing stock at school for quite some time. The clothes make the man… Okay, here’s some vocabulary for your next stroll through the suq.
s-suq the market
s-swiqa small open air market
el-marshi indoor market
tsewweq grocery shopping
tqedda shop
se77er run errands
s-sella the shopping basket
l-7anut the boutique, the shop, the store
l-bisri the grocery
s-sel3a the merchandise
l-ghla the costliness
r-rbe7 the profit
r-rkha the cheapness
sh-shtara bargaining
el-bi3 the sale
t-taman the price
el-7ennat the merchant
