El siguiente correo electrónico llegó a mi correo interno en la empresa donde trabajo, proveniente de una afiliada en Estados Unidos:

MESSAGE FROM CORPORATE (Any Corporate)

TO: ALL MEXICAN STAFF

FROM: HUMAN RESOURCES

RE: IMPROPER LANGUAGE USAGE

DATE: NOVEMBER 05, 2001

Several corporate officers have brought to our attention that Mexican staff commonly uses inappropriate language. Such behavior, in addition to violating Company Policy # 23.2, is regarded as highly unprofessional and offensive. Therefore, from this date forward, everyone concerned should immediately adhere to the following rules:

1. Words like carajo, chingada and other such expressions will not be used for emphasis, no matter how heated the discussion might be.

2. You will not say pendejo or la cagas, when somebody is being reprimanded, or que pendejada or que mamadas son estas when a major mistake or conflict has risen. All forms derived of the verbs, pendejear, mamar or cagar are unsuitable in our environment, for they lead to further confusion and potential disagreement.

3. No Manager, Director, or least Vice-President under any circumstances will be referred to as hijo de su chingada madre, hijo de puta, cabrón or ojete.

4. Lack of determination will not be referred to as falta de huevos, pinche puto or maricón, nor will persons with lack of initiative be referred as culero or pendejo.

5. Unusual creative or original ideas should not be referred to as pinches jaladas.

6. Do not say como chinga or jode if a person is persistent, or está jodido if a colleague is going through a difficult situation, or his or her departments position is untenable or ill-conceived. Furthermore, you must not say que chinga when matters turn complicated.

7. When asking someone to leave you alone, you must not say vete a la chingada or vete al carajo, do not ever substitute May I help you with ¿qué chingados quieres?. When things get-tough and unacceptable, and statement such as We are going through a difficult time should be used rather than: esto está de la chingada.

8.Performance Management sessions with staff should never be referred to as esto ya mamó.

9.If you make a mistake just say so, and not say ya la cagué or ya me llevó la chingada when your Direct Reports get to know about your mistakes.

10.Under no circumstance should you call our staff members who are approaching retirement as rucos ojetes.

11.When in a hurry never use expressions such as ándale, cabrón or orale, pinches putos.

12. The statement te la pelas should not be used to discourage someone.

13. Nos la pelaron los pinches gringos should not be used to convey the idea of victory in a negotiation.

14. Body language like the one used by Mexican Senator Roque Villanueva is prohibited.

15. When a problem is not your responsibility, you must not say no es mi pedo, for there is not an accurate translation of the statement in our language

Thanks and have a nice day.