Article Critique Union Labor Relations Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Critique Union Labor Relations - Article Example The increase in employees who join labor unions results in a subsequent rise in, their average income and a rise in the wage flow into the economical domain (Madland, 2009). His conclusion is that by all means, employees should join labor unions as it serves both economic and moral purposes. A couple of points in the author’s argument cannot be debated. They are logical, accurate, and reasonable. The assertion that sustainability can only occur if workers receive adequate rewards and get the freedom to buy their goods is correct. In a situation where the reverse occurs, workers feel cheated resulting in constant strikes, boycotts and go slows. This stalls economic development in the long term. Furthermore, the moral aspect of working ought to be fulfilled; it is not fair for those that build an economy to receive the least of its profits (Madland, 2009). The assertion that should the Employee Free Choice Act become legalized, union membership will have an increase is also of certainty. This validates union membership and strengthens their function, hence attracting membership. However, the author makes a point that cannot be validated. The assumption that unions always work to the good of an economy is the most doubtful of them all. If an economy becomes corrupted, then every sector in it malfunctions. Unions cannot be set aside from the malfunction that is within the United States economy. Unions in the modern day have become less accountable to the employees. There are certain moves and strategies made by labor unions that union members are not aware of and yet they are meant to protect their interests. The reason the number of unionized workers is much lower in the 21st century than it was in the 1950s is the lack of transparency. Union membership can be beneficial, but the author has exaggerated the impact it has on an economy. While unions benefit individual growth, their impact on the economy

Drinking Age Essay Example for Free

Drinking Age Essay You pack up all your belongings, say farewell to your hometown and your parents, and just like that, you start a whole new life that you have been looking forward to all your life. As you approach your first Friday night as a college freshman, you inevitably encounter the choice of going to your first college party and being able to drink without having to worry about your curfew for the first time. Needless to say, you make the decision to follow your floor-mates to a big party that they have been talking about for the whole week. Underage drinking situations like the above are common especially among college students. Underage drinking is currently determined by an MLDA, or legal minimum drinking age, of 21 throughout the United States. Despite this simple and straightforward law, however, an abundant amount of irresponsible minors tend to ignore this rule and continue to do what is ultimately an illegal action. Because of these ongoing actions, people have been questioning the law and whether or not the legal drinking age should be lowered. After a investigation of evidences and arguments, I firmly believe that the minimum legal drink age should be kept at 21 and not be lowered. Due to countless numbers of statistics, the social and physical effects, and the need to keep the younger teens away from alcohol, it is safe to conclude that keeping the drinking age at 21 is the best choice for our society. For more than 90 years, the topic of legal drinking age have surfaced and caused controversy. Because of this, there have been many modifications to the law from lowering the minimum age to 18 to giving the choice to each state to increasing the national minimum age to 21. According to an article from Economic Inquiry by Jeffrey A. Miron and Elina Tetelbaum, having all states to adopt an MLDA of 21 is regarded as an enormous contribution to life-saving effects such as decrease in driving fatalities among youths as well as in the number of binge drinking reported. When the individual states were allowed to lower their MLDA from 21 to 18 between 1970 and 1976, there were studies that â€Å"claimed that traffic collisions and fatalities were increasing in states that lowered their MLDA†. This helps to support the assertion that lowering the MLDA didn’t do much in lowering the number of traffic-related accidents, although it doesn’t directly prove the fact that lowering the drinking age causes accidents. However, Dee, who uses state-level panel data and controls for state fixed effects, prove the point that there is a direct correlation between the MLDA and the rate of traffic incidents. After years of studying the effects of different MLDA’s, he confirmed that having an MLDA of 21 as a matter of fact reduces total traffic fatalities among 18-20 year olds by about 11%. Not only were there findings in the reduction of traffic fatalities with an increased MLDA of 21, but there were also evidences that it helps to reduce the number of teen binge drinking as well. An article from the Journal of American College Health indicated that cases of binge drinking, which is defined as five consecutive shots for men and 4 consecutive for women, has been reported more frequently among college students living in dorms. However, according to the Economic Inquiry, moving away from MLDA 18 has been said to be associated with a reduction in heavy teen drinking of 8. 4%. They found that â€Å"nationwide increases in the MLDA†¦reduced youth drinking by about four percent relative to pre-existing levels† (Miron). Overall, these findings in statistics help with the assertion that the drinking age should be kept at 21 for the minors’ safeties. In addition to these statistics, there are also social reasons behind why the underage population should be forbidden to drink until they are 21. According to an article on the American Journal of Public Health, influences in underage drinking are contributing factors in unintentional social and health causes, such as sexual assault, violence, crime, overdose, and other related high-risk behavior. Since minors have not been fully developed as adults mentally, they are more likely to make irresponsible actions when intoxicated. This may lead to undesirable affects that could potentially influence them for the rest of their lives, and hence actions need to be done in order to keep minors from the alcoholic influence. Also in opposition, there is no scientific evidence made to date that suggests â€Å"a lower minimum drinking age would create conditions for responsible drinking or would lead young adults ages 18-20 years to make healthy decisions about drinking† (Wechsler). Therefore, we have no solid claim to support the MLDA of 18, whereas we have more than enough justifications in saying that the MLDA should be kept at 21. Lastly, my stance on the minimum drinking age is supported by the mere fact that having a lower drinking age will only cause the younger generations to be introduced to alcoholic beverages. An article from the Economic Inquiry points out â€Å"when the MLDA is 18, more high school students have access to alcohol through peer networks†. It is an inevitable circumstance that if the MLDA lowers down to 18, typical high school seniors will have access to alcohol; this can only mean that alcohol will be more accessible to high school underclassmen than if the MLDA is 21. This also means that, according the to the article, the law enforcement will have to monitor the drinking behavior of individuals aged 17 years and possibly younger—not only should this be an unnecessary action for law enforcement, but this is also a situation that everyone should be concerned about. Giving teens easier access to alcohol will only deter them from growing to their full potential. The higher the MLDA, the less likelihood we have that the younger generation will have access to alcohol. That way, we will also have the benefit of a possible reduction in alcohol-related traffic fatalities and binge drinking rates among youths as well as prevention of them being socially and physically influenced by alcohol. Therefore, it makes more sense to keep the MLDA AT 21 if we do not want the younger generations to have easier access to alcohol. Underage drinking—you see it everywhere and hear about it every time. Having to listen to the news on the most recent car accident caused by a drunk minor should not have to be a common thing if we implement the right actions. Many statistics out there evidently show that having a lower MLDA has a direct correlation to a higher chance of alcohol-related traffic fatalities as well as the rate of binge drinking amongst youths. Studies also show that underage drinking may lead to serious health or social causes to the minor, some of which include sexual assault, violence, and overdose. Lastly, lowering the MLDA will only help the younger generations to have access to alcohol due to their high school peers. Overall, I believe that the safest and the best choice for our society is to keep the MLDA at 21 and not be any lowered than it is now. As the future leaders of the world, I believe that youths and minors should be grown in the safest, healthiest, and the most influence-free environment that will help them grow to their full potential when they can.

Prejudice in The Merchant of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

Prejudice in The Merchant of Venice It is my strong belief that the play, "The Merchant of Venice", should be taught in classes. If this play was banned from schools it would most certainly be a form of censorship. The play teaches us about prejudice, and why it is wrong. People would see how everyone was hurt at one time or another by a prejudice, whether it was the Christians making fun of Shylock or Shylock showing his prejudice to the Christian's. I imagine that anyone watching, listening or reading this play would see how everyone was hurt, and would learn of racism's faulty basis's for judging someone. Some people would have you think that the play itself is racist, and provides a forum in which racism can grow and become only a bigger problem. I think that this is a flawed way of looking at it. I see the play as a confrontation of a modern day problem which society still faces. Rather than providing a forum for racism to grow, the play provides a forum for anti-racism discussion, if all proper steps are taken. When I say if all proper steps are taken, I am referring to having this play taught by a teacher, who can explain the plays meaning in it's fullest so that the students do not miss any important points from it. Another point that may have been missed when the presentation was made to the school board to ban the material from being taught inside the school system was that everyone is bad in the play. The Christians portrayal was just as bad as the Jewish man, Shylock's portrayal. In fact I think that the play gave a worse portrayal of the Christian's because they ended up being the most evil, through taking away everything that Shylock had and making him become Christian. While Shylock did want to kill someone, the punishment invoked on him was even worse. As you can see, there are many reasons why "The Merchant of Venice" should be taught in classrooms. A. Whitney Griswold said in a speech (1952), "Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail.

Chicano Studies Paper

The United States, a place associated with hope, equal opportunity and freedom also faces many underlying issues. The idea of this â€Å"perfect† country has been corrupted with problems such as immigration, growing class division and most prominently the 2007 recession. These burdens have prevented people from living the â€Å"American Dream†, a concept that our country has over glorified. The root of these ongoing problems has not been properly addressed, preventing our nation from making any progress.Looking closely at the continuous problems that the Unites States has and still faces, it is viable to say that these issues revolve around capitalism. The novel, The Barbarian Nurseries by Hector Tobar illustrates how immigrants like Araceli are victimized due to unresolved issues with money and the recession. When Araceli is prosecuted for abusing and kidnapping the Torres-Thompson children, the case eventually transitions into an issue with immigration. As the case ga ins media attention people like Ian Goller and Janet Bryson express resentment toward Araceli.Within Araceli, Goller and Bryson saw a representation of immigrants, who in their mind were to blame for the issues that had erupted in â€Å"their† country, such as the everlasting recession. Janet Bryson exemplifies this anger and bitterness when she boldly states: â€Å"To those who want to point out how much these illegal immigrants [†¦] contribute to their society [.. ] Look at our full prisons, our higher insurance rates, our lowering education standards†(325). Bryson and Goller’s actions symbolize the result of capitalism, the true villain within the novel.Capitalism has never been fully recognized as the true cause for many of the problems the U. S has faced causing immigrants like Araceli to be used as scapegoats for issues they had little influence in causing. As a result, capitalism can be seen as the barbarian in the novel, which in turn leads to barba ric actions on behalf of people like Goller and Bryson, against immigrants like Araceli who are innocently trying to secure a better life for themselves in the United States.I personally found it appalling that even after Araceli was found innocent for harming and kidnapping of the Thompson kids, Goller had the audacity to try and prosecute and deport Araceli: â€Å"Your honor before you adjourn, [.. ] there is also the matter of the defendant’s immigration status† (408). These never ending accusations that immigrants have to carry, prevent them from reaching that better life that they work so hard to one day achieve in the Unites States. In the end Araceli is unjustly forced to escape and essentially start a new life from scratch due to the negative associations that an immigrant label carriers.In the film A Better Life, capitalism is also a hidden factor to many of the conflicts that are portrayed throughout the film. The film depicts Carlos, a hardworking immigrant worker striving to do all he possibly can to create a better life for him and his son. This proves to be easier said than done as Carlos’ continuous efforts backfire and he ends up getting deported. The driving force behind his inability to reach the better life he so desperately desires is capitalism.Passion and motivation can be seen within Carlos’ optimism and spirit when he says: â€Å"This country is a land of dreams, it can be a hard place, a cruel place, but it’s where I work and I dream for a better place for my son†. Unfortunately his drive is not enough to move up economically which is the key to sustaining a better living. Even when hope is created through the purchase of a truck, his gateway to living the American dream is quickly shattered when his truck is stolen by Santiago, another immigrant worker.The injustice that he had faced when getting his truck stolen led me to resent Santiago, but I later realized that he was going through his own hardships in trying to live out his own American Dream. The darkness of capitalism had led him to a desperate barbaric action, emphasizing the want for a better life as a universal battle. Capitalism further acts as a catalyst in the film as seen through Carlos unstable living in a run down neighborhood, preventing his son Luis from getting getting the proper education he deserves and needs to accomplish a better future.The probability of his son ending up in the same oppressive situation as him becomes very probable, causing doubts of the possibility of ever reaching success. This never ending cycle of constant input with no output leads to the devastating realization that this idea of a better life may be unattainable. This understanding is described by Celo who chose to face the reality of his limited opportunities by joining a gang: â€Å"They either lock us out or lock us up†. This makes me stop and realize that there is a reason behind all of the â€Å"bad† deci sions that people make, sometimes it’s becomes their only option.At the end of the film, a better life is not achieved by Carlos, instead he is seen in the desert trying to cross the border, back to the same place that he had started, making one wonder if a better life is even reachable. The 2007 recession, a result of capitalism has also had a personal impact on my family’s lives. Before the recession, my family lived a pretty stable life in a beautiful home that my parents had worked so hard to provide for us. When the recession struck its effects took a toll on my family for several years to come. Around 2009 my mom was laid off from her teaching position, leaving her jobless for over a year.During this time all of the financial responsibilities for the house were left to my dad who did not gain much income as a truck driver. Without any financial help from my mom, money became a huge issue for my family. Letting go of certain luxuries, such as going out to eat freq uently and shopping for new gadgets whenever we pleased became difficult. As payments for the house became more complicated to pay, my parents also started drifting apart. Eventually my dad was unable to make the payments for the house causing us to lose our home as well as deal with the eventual separation of my parents.All of these events led back to the recession which has definitely taken us off the path from living the better life that my parents worked so hard to achieve. Looking back at the successes that my parents have achieved only to be beaten down by the devious recession, I strive to rebuild that â€Å"better life† that we once had, full of unity, happiness, and achievement. Due to these burdens, several years later my family is still dealing with the consequences of an issue that has yet to be dealt with efficiently by the United States.Reaching a better life has become more difficult due to the Unites States’ inability to address a problem that has been plaguing our nation over and over again. This capitalist issue has shattered many hopes and dreams that many hoped to achieve. Life should not be based on lost aspirations but on anticipation for a successful future. Through the text, the novel and my personal experience our nation’s issue with capitalism can be seen as an unchanging factor in our society in both the past and present.Due to our nation’s failure in providing a solution for the problems that capitalism has ensued, its negative effects have come up time and time again. During the 1930’s the Unites States faced an economic depression resulting in a very high unemployment rate. In order to deflect the nation away from the issues the nation was facing, immigrants were targeted for the country’s falling out. The justification for these unjust actions is portrayed in the reader stating that â€Å"The deportation of more Mexicans meant more jobs for real Americans† (147).These unreasonable initiatives that the nation took in order to draw attention away from United State’s real issues, appear to be very similar to the actions taken by the nation in today’s recession. It is due to these continued patterns that reaching for a more stable, successful life has become difficult not only for immigrants but for everyone in the United States trying to make something of themselves. As Sunny Patterson states in her poem, â€Å"Money and power and greed, the game. They suck and devour the souls of the slain†.Patterson highlights how our societies corrupted desire for money and control has selfishly left the rest of the population thirsting for the day they will be able to rebuild the path toward their desired life. It is for these reasons that I believe that our nation is still in the â€Å"dessert† as Patterson suggests, facing the same unresolved problems that have progressively lead to high unemployment, rising tuition for educations, higher costs of living and so on. A positive initiative needs to be taken in order to prevent our nations from getting even worse than it already is.Martin Luther King proposes a solution to this problem when he states: â€Å"We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing oriented society to a person oriented society† (A Time to Break Silence). He suggests that a shift needs to be made from individualistic selfish needs to a population coming together and conquering the nation’s issues in unison. This idea is also suggested by Patterson after addressing all of the abominations that the Unites States has yet to address when she states: â€Å"But come, come children, rally around and maybe together we can make a sound that will shake the trees or rattle the ground†.This simple change of coming together to change a cause is an effortless act that can bring just the right push to in bringing a positive change to our nation. This small yet useful act can be used as a way to express common concerns within a population to bring about the urgently needed change that we need in our nation. It is only through this radical change as King speaks out about that our nation will finally get out of the all too familiar desert that we have revisited over and over again.

Chinese Labor and Employment Law Essay

In November 2001, China became a fully admitted member of the World Trade Organization and in n in international trade. China has not only become a major export power, but also an attractive investment target for world trade and investment continues to increase, its labor environment will likely attract more ? 2 1980. At least 130 million of these are migrant workers who move from relatively poor rural areas to urban and industrial centers to work. Many of these migrant workers remit portions of their earnings back to family members in their hometown. Until recently, China has typically had an oversupply of unskilled labor and a shortage of skilled and professional workers. However, in the past several years, some companies in the major industrial hubs have begun to complain about labor shortages. As a result, many companies now raise wages 10 percent or more annually to retain workers, while others have closed their doors and moved to poorer inland areas or countries with cheaper labor. Interestingly, salaries for new university graduates have stagnated university system. While university graduates start their careers with wages comparable to a factory worker, their salaries typically rise much more quickly than those factory workers. How have 35 years. Prior to the early 1980s, nearly all jobs were allocated to citizens through an administrative bureau. Employees could not choose their employer or terminate their employment. Further, regulations set an expectation that the employee would work for the same employer for her or his whole working life. Companies in this era could only terminate employees for gross misconduct. This type of labor market and social safety net was called the Iron Rice Bowl because the employer guaranteed job security and benefits to employees In other words, the benefits could not be taken away 3 In 1983, the government introduced a contract system that attempted to address the low productivity of the labor market by replacing the Iron Rice Bowl with short-term labor contracts. At first, state-owned companies resisted this trend and the government succeeded only in minimal reforms. In 1992, the N required all trade unions to be affiliated with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). This effectively brought labor unions under greater control of the government. The Labor Law of 1994 liberalized the labor market. The labor law, when combined with economic reforms, resulted in more than 40 million lost jobs in government and state-owned enterprises. As a result of the reforms, the government shuttered inefficient businesses and the formerly economically dominant northeast turned into a rustbelt. Meanwhile, Chinese entrepreneurs and Hong Kong investors transformed the formerly weak southeast province of Guangdong into the largest center of manufacturing in the world. In 2008, the government introduced a Labor Contract Law that rolled back some of the laissez-faire approaches to the workforce that the government introduced in the 1990s. This new law abolished the system of at-will employment for most full-time employees and required employers to provide employees with written contracts. Since 2008, the government has also revisited its policy of tight control over the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). While all unions must still be approved by and affiliated with ACFTU, it appears that the government is allowing the ACFTU greater authority to advocate for the rights of workers than it did just a few years ago. That said, the government continues to imprison workers who advocate for the formation of independent trade unions. W A G ES Does China have a minimum wage? 4 Yes. There are two standards of minimum wage: monthly and hourly. Minimum wages are set at the provincial and municipal level. The government prohibits employers from reaching an agreement with employees for wages that fall below the local minimum wage standard regardless of whether the employee is still in her or his probation period or internship. A probationary period occurs at the beginning of an employment relationship and allows employers to terminate employees without severance pay up to a maximum of six months, but usually just two months. The probation period allows the employer to make sure the employee is a good fit with the employer before being locked into the full term of the employment contract. Provincial and municipal governments frequently adjust statutory minimum wages. For example, many municipalities have raised their minimum wages twice in the past year alone. Ho It depends on the locality. -time employees is RMB 1,120/month, or roughly $165. However, in the poorer inland city of Chongqing, the minimum wage is RMB 870/month, or roughly $130. Of course, purchasing wages. The relative cost of living in China is lower than in many developed countries, but even when wages are adjusted for relative prices they remain much lower than in highly developed countries. How much do factory workers earn? It depends on the locality, industry, skill level, and a host of other factors. However, several sources keep broad indices of costs for general factory labor across many regions. Although the indices are only rough estimates, they are helpful in gauging wage differentials across the country. For example, a skilled manufacturing employee in Beijing can be hired for 5 RMB 3,000/month, or roughly $445. A similar worker in the poorer inland municipality of Chongqing can be hired for RMB 1,900/month, or roughly $280. To illustrate how important geographic location is in determining wage rates, the average employee salary in Beijing is nearly three times higher than in the poor inland province of Jiangxi. Do Chinese workers get overtime? T , an employer must pay overtime compensation to any employee who works more than 40 hours per week. As a general rule, an employer cannot require overtime of more than one hour per day, or three hours per day under special circumstances, and no more than 36 hours per month. As in many other countries, white collar workers like managers and sales staff are often exempt from the overtime pay rules. The following payment schedule illustrates the overtime pay requirements. E xtended Wor king Hours Typical working day Rest day (min. one per week) (i. e. , weekend) National holiday M inimum O vertime Pay (percent of regular wages) 150 percent 200 percent 300 percent Many migrant workers desperate to earn quick money agree with the employer to work beyond the maximum overtime requirements so they can send extra money home to their families. This type of overtime work is frequently found in industrial hubs and is a contributing cause of recent labor strikes because employees who agree to these arrangements place downward price pressure on wages and upward pressure on hours. Employers are also able to maneuver around overtime regulations by applying to the local labor authorities and asking for approval to use an alternative system of working hours. What are the wage levels for workers who are paid piece-rate? 6 Piece-rate is a compensation system where the employer pays the employee for each unit produced or action performed, not on the basis of time. Piece-rate wages are still a feature of to address the exploitation of employees through piece rates. For example, workers were exploited when employers paid workers at piece-rate, but then fined them for quality defects, tardiness, or no reason at all. These penalties effectively left workers with wages far below what the employer promised the workers during the hiring process. The first principle of piece-rate wages is that employers cannot set a work quota so high that it prevents an employee from completing the work within an eight-hour day or an average 40-hour week.

Introduction to CIS Summary Paper

Introduction to CIS Summary Paper Free Online Research Papers Introduction to CIS Summary Paper COMPUTERS are automatic and electronic systems used for processing data.Currently, they are used for many different kind of work: in offices, banks and schools (minicomputers), in large institutions like Universities and government departments (mainframe computers), and even at home (microcomputer).Computers are â€Å"devices† which accept information in the form of instructions called PROGRAM (a set of instructions telling the computer what operations and processes have to be carried out) and characters called DATA (particular information that have to be processed by the computer and that are kept in the MEMORY. Their information processing tasks are: storing, retrieving, sorting and selecting data, and perfoming calculations. Computer’s structure consists of HARDWARE (the pieces of equipment making up the computer) and SOFTWARE (information in the form of programs and data ). The most important hardware component is the CPU (Central Processing Unit), the electronic unit which contains the processor (the brain of the computer, processing information and controlling all other devices) and the main memory. Another hardware components are: the VDU or screen, which displaies everything you tape on the keyboard and the results of the computer ‘s work the printer, used for printing all information processed by the computer ; printers are of different types, sizes, working principles.. the keyboard, through which you give the computer instructions and information by typing on it; from each key, the computer receives different electrical messages. Like a typewriter, the keyboard has a layout known as QWERTY (these are the first six letters on the top left of it). the mouse, a small box with a ball underneath; when it is rolled in any direction on the desk, the cursor moves across the VDU in the same direction; also, it can be used to point the cursor at icons: special symbols on the screen wich represent the processes that can be carried out by the program. Keyboard, mouse, and also scanner, webcam, microphone are INPUT DEVICES (they give the results of the processed data or information). VDU, printer, and also speakers, modem, plotter, are OUTPUT DEVICES ( they introduce data or information on the computer). STORAGE DEVICES provide permanent storage for programs and data. Input devices, output devices and storage devices are included in the PERIPHERALS. Research Papers on Introduction to CIS Summary PaperRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalOpen Architechture a white paperBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Project Managment Office SystemInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseStandardized Testing

How To Form Compound Nouns in Spanish

How To Form Compound Nouns in Spanish A puzzle in Spanish is a head-breaker (rompecabezas), and someone who reads books a lot is a book-warmer (calientalibros). These two words are among the more colorful compound words that have entered the Spanish vocabulary. Most compound words are more mundane and self-explanatory (a dishwasher, lavaplatos, for example, is just that). Compound  words, known in Spanish as palabras compuestas, are quite common. They are frequently coined, sometimes for humorous effect, although not all impromptu compound words survive or become widely known. An example is comegusanos, a worm eater, which you wont find in a dictionary but will find in occasional use through an Internet search. How To Form Compound Words As you may have  noticed, the compound words being discussed in this lesson are formed by taking a verb in the third-person singular indicative and following it with a plural noun (or, rarely, a singular noun when it makes more sense to do so). For example, cata (he/she tastes) followed by vinos (wines) gives us catavinos, a winetaster or barhop, depending on the context. Often, these words are the equivalent of the English verb followed by a noun and -er, as in rascacielos, skyscraper. (Rascar means to scrape, and the skies are the cielos.)  In English, such words can be written as one word, a hyphenated word or two words, but in Spanish these compound words always form one unit. Words formed in this way are masculine, with rare exceptions, although they are sometimes used in the feminine if they refer to women or girls. Also, the plural of these words is the same as the singular: a can opener is un abrelatas, but two or more are los abrelatas. If the noun part of the word begins with an r, it is typically changed to an rr, as in quemarropa from quema ropa. Although no collection of compound words can be complete, on the following page is a list of some of the most common along with many that have been included merely because theyre humorous or otherwise interesting. Where the English translation doesnt convey the origin of the Spanish word, a literal translation of the Spanish is included in parentheses. Note that in some cases not all possible meanings of the Spanish words are included. List of Compound Words These are among the most common (or, in a few cases, humorous) compound words in Spanish. It is far from a complete list. abrecartas - letter openerabrelatas - can openerapagavelas - candle snufferbuscapià ©s - firecracker (it looks for feet)calientalibros - bookworm (he/she warms books)calientamanos - handwarmercalientapià ©s - footwarmercalientaplatos - dish warmercascanueces - nutcrackercomecocos - something that confuses or brainwashes (it eats coconuts)cortacuitos - circuit breakercortalpices - pencil sharpener (it cuts pencils)cortapapel - paper knife (it cuts paper)cortaplumas - penknife (it cuts feathers)cortapuros - cigar cuttercuentagotas - medicine dropper (it counts drops)cuentakilà ³metros - speedometer, odometer (it counts kilometers)cuentapasos - pedometer (it counts steps)cuentarrevoluciones, cuentavueltas - counting machine (it counts revolutions)cuidanià ±os - babysitter (he/she cares for children)cumpleaà ±os - birthday (it fulfills years)dragaminas - minesweeper (it dredges mines)elevalunas - window openerescarbadientes - toothpick (it scratches teeth)esc urreplatos - dish rack (it drains dishes)espantapjaros - scarecrow (it scares birds)guardarropas - clothes closet (it keeps clothing)lanzacohetes - rocket launcherlanzallamas - flame throwerlanzamisiles - missile launcherlavadedos - finger bowl (it cleans fingers)lavamanos - bathroom sink (it washes hands)lavaplatos, lavavajillas - dishwasherlimpiabarros - scraper (it cleans mud)limpiabotas - shoeshine (he/she cleans boots)limpiachimeneas - chimneysweep (he/she cleans chimneys)limpiacristales - window cleanerlimpiametales - metal polish (it cleans metal)limpiaparabrisas - windshield wiper (it cleans windshields)limpiapipas - pipe cleanerlimpiauà ±as - fingernail cleanera matacaballo - at breakneck speed (in a way that it kills the horse)matafuegos - fire extinguisher (it kills fires)matamoscas - fly swatter (it kills flies)matarratas - rat poison (it kills rats)matasanos - medical quack (he/she kills healthy people)matasellos - postmark (it kills stamps)pagai mpuestos - taxpayerparabrisas - windshield (it stops breezes)paracaà ­das - parachute (it stops falls)parachoques - bumper (it stops crashes)paraguas - umbrella (it stops water)pararrayos - lightning rod (it stops lightning)parasol - sunshade (it stops sun)pesacartas - letter scale (it weighs letters)pesapersonas - scale for people (it weighs people)picaflor - hummingbird, lady-killer (he/she pecks flowers)picapleitos - shyster lawyer (he/she encourages lawsuits)pintamonas - bad painter, an incompetent person (he/she paints copycats)portaaviones - aircraft carrier (it carries aircraft)portacartas - letter bag (it carries letters)portamonedas - purse, handbag (it carries coins)portanuevas - one who brings newsportaplumas - pen holdera quemarropa - at point-blank range (in a way that burns clothing)quitaesmalte - enamel or nail polish removerquitamanchas - dry cleaner, stain remover (it removes stains)quitamotas - flatterer (he/she removes defects)quitanieve, qui tanieves - snowplow (it removes snow)quitapesares - consolation (it takes away sorrow)quitasol - sunshade (it removes the sun)quitasueà ±os - anxiety (it takes away sleep)rascacielos - skyscrapera regaà ±adientes - unwillingly (in a manner that causes the snarling of teeth)rompecabezas - puzzle (it breaks heads)rompeimgenes - iconoclast (he/she breaks icons)rompeolas - jetty (it breaks waves)sabelotodo - know-it-all (he/she knows it all)sacabocados - punch tool (it takes out bites)sacaclavos - nail removersacacorchos - corkscrew (it pulls out corks)sacadineros - trinket, small scam (it takes money)sacamanchas - dry cleaner (it takes away stains)sacamuelas - dentist, quack (he/she pulls teeth)sacapotras - medical quack (he/she removes hernias)sacapuntas - pencil sharpener (it sharpens points)saltamontes - grasshopper (it jumps hills)salvavidas - certain safety devices (it saves lives)secafirmas - blotting pad (it dries signatures)tientaparedes - one who gropes his/her way (he/she feels walls)tirabotas - boot hook (it stretches boots)tiralà ­neas - drawing pen (it draws lines)tocacasetes - cassette playertocadiscos - record playertrabalenguas - tongue twister (it ties tongues)tragahombres - bully (he/she swallows men)tragaleguas - long-distance or fast runner (he/she swallows leagues; a league is a little-used measurement of distance, equal to about 5.6 kilometers)tragaluz - skylight (it swallows light)tragamonedas, tragaperras - slot machine, vending machine (it swallows coins) Key Takeaways A common type of compound noun is formed in Spanish by using a third-person singular indicative present-tense verb and following it with a plural noun attached to the verb.Such compound nouns are often the equivalent of noun verb -er in English.Such compound nouns are masculine, and the plural form is identical to the singular.