Biden saluted the Bronx “bow-get-taas” during a speech in San Antonio, Texas, with such aplomb that social media users recalled the cartoon character “King of the Hill,” a substitute teacher at Texas who taught Spanish without being able to say “Español” correctly. The first lady’s pronunciation was closer to that of the Colombian capital “Bogotá” than the standard “bow-day-guh” pronunciation. The term bodega in the US refers to a small neighborhood grocery store. It originated in Puerto Rico, New York, but is now used by residents of all ethnicities. “Raoul [Yzaguirre] helped build this organization with the understanding that the diversity of this community—as distinctive as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the flowers of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio—is your strength,” said Biden. in a speech to the UnidosUS group. Joking ensued, with more than one user writing, “Jill Biden is Peggy Hill” — a comparison the first lady made last year when she delivered a speech in California and pronounced “si se puede” — meaning “yes we can” — as “si se pwadwe!” First Lady Jill Biden on Monday pronounced “bodega” as “bow-get-taas.” KENS 5 Another person wrote: “Jill Biden and Peggy Hill are both teachers and both full of themselves Both talk to Spanish speakers and both butchered the Spanish language Both incredibly annoying but at least Peggy Hill it had some redeeming qualities. Jill has absolutely zero.” The first lady uses the honorific “Dr.” in recognition of the Doctor of Education degree he received in 2007 from the University of Delaware. In addition to her role as first lady, Jill Biden teaches English at Northern Virginia Community College.
