No problemo
Encyclopedia
"No problemo" is a slang expression used in North American English
to indicate that a given situation does not pose a problem. It has roughly the same meaning as the expression "no problem," but is rarely heard as a response to "I'm sorry."
The expression is sometimes used as an instance of "pseudo-Spanish
" or Mock Spanish
. Its usage as a Spanish expression is incorrect; a correct translation would be no hay problema or ningún problema. Many equivalents to English words can be found in Spanish by adding an o, such as "insect" (insecto), "pilot" (piloto), or "leopard" (leopardo); however, "problem" belongs to the series of words ending with an a in Spanish that have a similar English counterpart, such as "poet" (poeta), "ceramic" (cerámica) or "rat" (rata). This is because it has a Greek 'ma' ending, and as such is among the Spanish words ending in 'ma', such as tema, which is in fact masculine.
In the constructed languages of Esperanto
and Ido
, the word "problem" translates as "problemo." However, it is doubtful that the etymology of the expression's use in the English language can be traced to either of these languages.
North American English
North American English is the variety of the English language of North America, including that of the United States and Canada. Because of their shared histories and the similarities between the pronunciation, vocabulary and accent of American English and Canadian English, the two spoken languages...
to indicate that a given situation does not pose a problem. It has roughly the same meaning as the expression "no problem," but is rarely heard as a response to "I'm sorry."
The expression is sometimes used as an instance of "pseudo-Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
" or Mock Spanish
Mock Spanish
Mock Spanish is a term sometimes used to describe a variety of usages common in some otherwise monolingual Anglo-American circles. The term has been popularized by anthropologist-linguist Jane H. Hill of the University of Arizona, most recognizably in relation to the catchphrase, "Hasta la vista,...
. Its usage as a Spanish expression is incorrect; a correct translation would be no hay problema or ningún problema. Many equivalents to English words can be found in Spanish by adding an o, such as "insect" (insecto), "pilot" (piloto), or "leopard" (leopardo); however, "problem" belongs to the series of words ending with an a in Spanish that have a similar English counterpart, such as "poet" (poeta), "ceramic" (cerámica) or "rat" (rata). This is because it has a Greek 'ma' ending, and as such is among the Spanish words ending in 'ma', such as tema, which is in fact masculine.
In the constructed languages of Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
and Ido
Ido
Ido is a constructed language created with the goal of becoming a universal second language for speakers of different linguistic backgrounds as a language easier to learn than ethnic languages...
, the word "problem" translates as "problemo." However, it is doubtful that the etymology of the expression's use in the English language can be traced to either of these languages.
Usage in popular culture
- The Terminator character in the movie Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
uses this expression, which he learns from the John ConnorJohn ConnorJohn Connor is a character appearing in the American science fiction Terminator franchise and he serves as the series main protagonist. Created by writer and director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film The Terminator and first appears portrayed by teenage actor...
character. - The character AlfALF (TV series)ALF is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990, created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF , who crash lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.The series starred Max...
from the TV series of the same name uses this phrase; in the Latin-American Spanish version of the show, the phrase is translated as "no hay problema." - It is used in the TV show The InbetweenersThe InbetweenersThe Inbetweeners is a British sitcom which aired for three series from 2008 to 2010 on E4. Created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the show follows the life of suburban teenager Will , and three of his friends at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. The Inbetweeners Movie was...
by the character Neil Sutherland, who is quoting Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
. - In the cartoon series Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! is an American animated television series created by Bob Boyle. The series is animated in Toon Boom and Adobe Flash software, produced by Bolder Media, and Starz Media...
the character Widget uses the phrase every time she helps out someone with one of her inventions. - In the cartoon series The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, this expression is frequently used by BartBart SimpsonBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
and Homer SimpsonHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
. - In the cartoon series ChalkZoneChalkZoneChalkZone is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon. It was created by Bill Burnett and Larry Huber, and produced by Frederator Studios for the Nickelodeon TV channel...
, the character Snap can be heard saying this numerous times on some occasions.