State of the World from NPR The special phrase helping Cubans to get by
Feb 9, 2026
A look at how a single coded phrase helps Cubans talk about shortages, corruption and daily hardship without speaking openly. Stories show how ambiguous language, songs and everyday encounters carry political meaning. Personal accounts reveal low wages, long hours and generational tensions about hope and survival.
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A Single Phrase Carries Many Meanings
- Cubans use the phrase "la cosa" or "the thing" to discuss broad problems without saying specifics.
- The phrase lets people communicate criticism while avoiding direct political risk in public speech.
A Street Conversation Reveals Coded Speech
- Maris Lacy replies bluntly: "My love, the thing is very bad," then is warned she is saying too much.
- People adapt with winks and coded language so everyday complaints don't become dangerous admissions.
Speech Limits Shape Language Tactics
- Fidel Castro's phrasing "Within the revolution, everything; Against the revolution, nothing" set clear spoken limits.
- Cubans learned to navigate those limits by using abstract terms like "la cosa" to imply criticism without explicit statements.