Sociological theory

Goffman's backstage is la trastienda in Spanish, and the word is a shop: tras la tienda, the room behind the counter where the stock is kept and the shopkeeper eats his lunch. English reached for the theatre and Spanish for the corner shop, and each picture brings its own second meaning. Ours gives « backstage passes » and « backstage deals ». Theirs gives a character judgement: tener trastienda is said of somebody who keeps something in the back room — shrewd, hard to read, not to be taken at face value. The front of the shop is what you are shown.