Is there one? The closest I can think of is “best friend,” and it’s not nearly the same thing.

home boy

Chum?

Godfather, like at a baptism

It literally translates to godfather, or more specifically, the godfather of your child.

The English equivalent is "compadre".

God father.

It strikes me as something they say a lot in westerns taking place near the border, I would think "pardner" would interchange in just about any line. Judging by your post, I doubt you re thinking of the root word literal meaning as others have alluded to.

Or you could just say tovarisch.

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:
The English equivalent is "compadre".

Agreed. It's that common - and commonly understood - and describes a relationship that doesn't quite exist in the same way in the English-speaking world. I would also argue that in those places where westerns are supposed to take place and where the word is generally used in English (at least in my experience), the original meaning of the word is actually commonly understood. So, for that matter, is the fact that there isn't really an English word that conveys the same meaning - which is why the Spanish word is adopted by the English speakers who use it.

By the historical trends that have guided the development of the English language, the correct English word should in fact be compadre.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Godfather, like at a baptism

A Spanish speaking friend explained the distinction to 'padrino,' but I don't remember what it is.

a way of addressing or referring to a friend or companion.

"that includes you, compadre"

amigo, buddy, chum, comrade, confidant, confidante, crony, familiar, friend, intimate, mate, musketeer, pal, ese, dawg,

Yeah, compadre and godfather are definitely not the same thing.

My father was godfather to quite a few of the children of his employees. None of the fathers would have ever considered him a compadre.

Your godfather raises you, when required, because he promised to do so. Your father’s compadres help raise you, whether he’s alive or dead, because they love him.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
a way of addressing or referring to a friend or companion.

"that includes you, compadre"

amigo, buddy, chum, comrade, confidant, confidante, crony, familiar, friend, intimate, mate, musketeer, pal, ese, dawg,

This is it 100%.

I work with Hispanic people every day and "compadre" is never said. Instead the truncated version of "compa" is always the default expression. You could say compadre but the listener would slightly wonder why you didn't say compa. It also means co-worker or teammate, depending on context, like a lot of Spanish words.

As another example of truncation, you could properly, say "hasta luego" as a salutation to mean "until later" aka "goodbye until we see each other again" however you could quite commonly say, "hasta" as you leave to mean the same thing and it would be understood that way, especially among friends, family or co-workers.

quote:

Originally posted by Keystoner:

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Godfather, like at a baptism

A Spanish speaking friend explained the distinction to 'padrino,' but I don't remember what it is.

Aglifter got it. You ask someone to be a padrino because they're socially superior to you and will pull strings for the kid from time to time. To be a compadre is to pretty much accept that you're family.

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:
The English equivalent is "compadre".

That reminds me of a skit that David Frye (one of the great impressionists of the '60s through the '80s) did about Richard Nixon meeting Golda Meir with George Jessel providing diplomatic tips:

Nixon: What's the word for hello?

Jessel: The word for hello is "shalom."

Nixon: And the word for goodbye?

Jessel: The word for goodbye is "shalom."

Nixon: Uh, how do I tell which is which?

Jessel: If she leaves after you've said it, you've said goodbye.

Kemosabe

Not safe for work.

I remember how mad my Sicilian Ma was when Arthur Godfrey fired La Rosa. We never watched Arthur again. Not even a mention of his name. Don’t want to piss of a Sicilian.

quote:

Originally posted by recoatlift:
Don’t want to piss of a Sicilian.

Or go in against one if death is on the line.

The formal Spanish definition of compadre is the father-in-law of your child. Comadre is the mother-in-law of your child.