What does «calma chicha» mean in Spanish?
- Said at sea when the air is completely still. Calmness of the weather, especially after a storm or before a storm breaks. It was formerly used in the sense of a distressing tranquility or stillness, since the word "calm" did not have the current sense of peace, tranquility or calmness, but rather a "distressing suspension", a "painful restlessness"¹. It is also called dead calm.
Examples of use in Spanish: "la calma chicha era enemiga de la vieja navegación a vela".
- Used figuratively when speaking of a moment of stillness, peace or tranquility, but which can be broken at any moment.
Examples of use in Spanish: "por el momento en la empresa hay calma chicha, pero los empleados no están contentos".
"Ninguna noticia de interés. Estamos en calma chicha: no corren ni verdades, ni mentiras", Al General Sucre [Epistolario] - Rafael Jimena - 1821
- Someone's state of complete stillness.
Examples of use in Spanish: "pasé un fin de semana en la playa en una calma chicha".