Effective Swearing in D.F.

Cagado

2011-06-16T05:21:00.000-05:00

Literally, cagado (kah • GAH • though) means "shat", "shitted", "shit", or whatever past participle you choose for the verb "to shit". In Mexican slang something cagado if it is very funny. It is an informal expression but it is not offensive, and has absolutely nothing to do with feces. Use it confidently.

The video of the little boy dancing quebradita (a dance characterized by small, frequent jumps) is a good example of something cagado.

Oclayo

2011-06-11T05:18:00.000-05:00

Oclayo (awe • KLAH • jaw) means eye, and it is a derivative of ojo (lit. eye). It is typically used in conjuntion with echar, as in echar un oclayo (lit. throw an eye), which means "to keep an eye" or "to take a look."

Example 1:

Porfas, échale un oclayo mientras voy a echar la firma.
Would you please keep an eye on this while I go to take a leak?

Example 2:

Le eché un oclayo a unas boclas de segundo cachete muy chidas, me latieron mucho.
I saw a pair of second-hand speakers pretty cool, I really liked them.

Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel shocked the world in 1929 with his surrealist short movie "Un Chien Anadalou" (An Andalousian Dog). The film opens with a scene in which the oclayo of a woman is cut with a razor blade. Échale un oclayo a la película.

Ni paper-mate

2011-06-07T05:54:00.000-05:00

Ni paper-mate (nee • pay • per • mate) is an expression that would make you sound like a proper Chilango slang speaker. It is a derivative of ni pedo (lit. "not even fart") which is an interjection to convey frustration and solidarity, similar to "what can you do about it!" when actually nothing can be done. Paper-mate is a brand of pens and retractable pencils.

Example:

Demóstenes: Iba en mi democrático, me cuajé y me bajaron el billuyo de la quincena.
Cucho: Ni paper-mate. Al monte pío.

Demóstenes: I was riding the bus, fell asleep and my pay of two-weeks was stolen.
Cucho: What can you do about it! Now you gotta go to the pawn shop.

Paper-mate ad, 1980s.

No canta mal las rancheras

2011-06-03T07:50:00.000-05:00

Rancheras (lit. "from the ranch") are songs from the countryside highly popular before Mexico became a mostly urban country. They are often played by a mariachi band and follow a waltz-ish rhythm. The expression no canta mal las rancheras means "(s)he is not bad at singing ranch-style music". This colorful expression is used to convey that, against what some could expect, a person has an above-par performance or has above average attributes.

Example:

Gualberto: Eres un culero. Pusiste a tus empleados a parir chayotes, haciéndolos chambear en días feriados.
Benito: Pues tú no cantas mal las rancheras, maestro. Tus empleados se quejan de que te vale verga cuando te piden días de incapacidad.

Gualberto: You're a son of a bitch. You gave your employees a hard time, making them work on holidays.
Benito: You don't treat your employees any better. They complain that you don't give two shits, and deny them sick days whenever they ask.

Here is a great example of a ranchera, interpreted by Juan Gabriel, who's sometimes referred to as the Mexican Prince, after the Minneapolitan artitst. It should be clear that Juan Gabriel no canta mal las rancheras.

Iguanas-ranas

2011-05-17T05:40:00.000-05:00

Iguanas-ranas literally means "iguanas-frogs." This expression has absolutely nothing to do with reptiles or amphibians. However, it shows very clearly a principle of Mexican slang: take something that sounds similar but is wildly unrelated, then complement it with something that rhymes, and you have a nice expression. Iguanas-ranas (or just iguanas) is used instead of igualmente, which stands for "me too" or "same here."

Example:

Josefa: La pasamos de huevos. La neta, no faltó nada. Ha sido el mejor reventón. ¿Ustedes qué pedo? ¿cómo lo vieron?
José María: Iguanas-ranas. Mega chido.

Josefa: We had a great time. Honestly, we got everything we needed. It's been the best party ever. ¿What about you? ¿How did you like it?
José María: Same here. Quite awesome.

Sáquese

2011-05-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

Literally, sáquese (SAH•kess•eh) means get yourself out. In Mexican slang its meaning is pretty much the same as "get out of here!" or "take a hike!" For old-schoolers (e.g. my parents), it is inappropriate. However, it is not considered an insult. It is just a solid, informal expression. Use it. Sometimes it's accompanied by "que", as in sáquese que, which is just a resource to add emphasis.

Example:

Activista: Necesitamos su apoyo. Cada uno de nosotros puede poner un granito de arena para salvar al coyote cojo, una especie en peligro de extinción que sólo se encuentra en en valle de Tepizcoloyo y en las praderas de San Casmeo.
Seño: ¡Sáquese que! Mejor pónganse a estudiar, pinches huevones.

Activist: We need your support. Each of us can make a difference to save the limping coyote, an endangered species only found in Tepizcoloyo Valley and in the plains of San Casmeo.
Ma'am: Get out of here! You should be in school, damn lazy asses.

Sóbese

2011-04-18T15:19:00.000-05:00

¡Sóbese! literally means "rub yourself!" It is an interjection to express morbid sympathy for someone who has being physically or emotionally injured. Sometimes Mexicans use se vale sobarse, which means "rubbing the injury to dissipate the pain is allowed".

It always has to be exclaimed with emphasis. The tone and volume of ¡sóbese! convey its severity of the injury.

Hacer manita de puerco

2011-03-24T05:43:00.000-05:00

Literally, manita de puerco means "pork little hand." Hacer manita de puerco has nothing to do with preparing pork feet (see salir por patas). Hacer manita de puerco means "to twist somebody's arm in a painful way." It is a metaphor to indicate that the person whose arm is twisted is being forced to do something against her will.

The cartoon below shows a union leader haciéndole manita de puerco to a politician.

Cartoon "Manita de puerco" by Helguera.

Large numbers

2011-03-19T08:40:00.001-05:00

On a warm morning, a Buddhist monk visiting Mexico saw a little kid playing on the beach. The kid was digging in the sand. He was creating a small pond that was getting filled with water from the ocean. The monk asked him if he knew how many ponds could be filled with all the water of the ocean. The kid stared at the monk and without hesitation said: just about pinche mil chingocientos.

Here are some large numbers worth knowing. Use them with confidence in reference to amounts and quantities emphatically large:

Un Chingo
Un Putero
Un Madral
Un Putamadral = Un Putero x Un Madral
Un Chingomadral = Un Chingo x Un Madral
Pinche mil chingocientos = un putero de chingos de madrales

Planchar el traje

2011-03-10T06:36:00.000-06:00

Literally, planchar el traje means "to press or iron the suit". It is an expression used to convey that something passed like a steam roller over somebody, leaving his or her suit completely wrinkle free. It's a metaphor for a clear defeat. It is commonly used in sports and professional life. A synonym would be "to walk over".

Example:

¡Chale! Volvió a plancharnos el traje nuestro acérrimo rival.
Damn! our arch rival walked over us one more time.

Art by Banksy.

Pípiripau

2011-03-07T06:37:00.001-06:00

In the mid-1980s the band Los Plebeyos (The Plebeians) popularized the song "El Pípiripau". Its lyrics describe a guy who's followed by women--although he claims he does not consider himself too handsome (muy carita). Part of the chorus goes like this:

Me siguen las mujeres
Es porque tengo lo que quieren

The song is full of false modesty. The term pípiripau is used to refer to a dude who thinks very highly of himself, either when it comes to girls or to success in life. Check out the music video below.

Pandroso

2011-02-28T05:34:00.001-06:00

Mexicans do not agree on many things. But when somebody wears dreadlocks, facial hair and skateboard attires, looks like a ska singer, and smells like patchouli, many will agree that you are in presence of a pandroso. To be or not to be a pandroso, that's a matter of choice. It's not about socioeconomic status. It's just about showering and shaving, some say. It's about being your true self, says the other camp. It is considered an insult only by those who despise pandrosos.

Example:

Hija: Estamos enamorados y nos vamos a vivir juntos a Mazunte.
Madre (muy irritada): No vas a ninguna parte con ese pinche gringo pandroso. Primero que se corte el pelo, se bañe y se vista decentemente. Después veremos si tienes permiso de seguir viéndolo.

Daughter: We are in love. We're moving to Mazunte and we'll live together.

Mother (highly irritated): You're not going anywhere with this useless American hippie. First, he needs a good haircut, a bath and decent clothes. Only after that we'll see if you have my permission to keep seeing him.

Pasarse de tueste

2011-02-25T05:44:00.000-06:00

Literally, pasarse de tueste means "to over-roast". It is used to express that a person has gone too far. It is not offensive yet it is utterly informal. In the scale of harshness, it is the least harsh among the expressions: pasarse de verga, de corneta, de camote, and de lanza. Perhaps a bit harsher than pasarse de la raya.

Example:

Deudor: No se apure. Sí traigo la lana para pagarle sus 3 mil pesos. Nomás que antes necesito que me preste otros 6 mil pesos.
Prestamista: No te pases de tueste, maestro. O pagas o pagas. Tú elige.

Debtor: Rest assured I have the dough to payback the 3 thousand pesos. I just first need another loan for 6 thousand.

Loan shark: Don't even think about it, pal. You choose: pay now or pay now.

Grafitti by Saner.

¡Tómala papá!

2011-02-19T07:35:00.000-06:00

When conveying an emotion, timing is of the uttermost importance. The expression ¡tómala papá! will set you on a par with home-grown Chilangos. Tómala papá literally means "take it, dad." It is used to express astonishment when someone takes a hit, whether actually or figuratively. It could be in sports (a big tackle), in a fight (a big punch), in a politician's career (an exposé of extramarital affairs), in finance (when a stock plummets) or in a car accident, among many other situations. The expression should be uttered with force and without pause, as a single word. With gals you must not say ¡tómala mamá! Stick to papá. It's just an expression. Trying to adjust it would be as inappropriate as saying "daughter of a bitch."

Perfect example: Wikileaks. ¡Tómala papá!

Ponte guapo

2011-02-13T07:21:00.000-06:00

Ponte guapo literally means "make yourself handsome". Perhaps a more proper interpretation is "make yourself look good". It is used as an invitation for somebody to do something nice (for a change) and treat the person using the expression.

A related, more formal expression is cortar una rosa de tu jardín. It also means to treat somebody.

Example:

Lionel: Póngase guapo y saque las caguamas.
Xavier: Sí, profe, que se corte una rosa de su jardín.
Josep: Sale. Si ganamos prometo que yo pongo las frías.

Lionel: Do something nice and buy us a few rounds of 40-ouncers.

Xavier: C'mon, coach, treat us this one time.

Josep: OK. If we win I will buy the booze.

Pasarse por el arco del triunfo

2011-02-09T06:18:00.001-06:00

Pasarse por el arco del triunfo something means to not give shit about that something. The expression literally means "to pass [something] under the Arc de Triomphe". Yes, the Parisian landmark. Arco del trunfo is used as a metaphor for one's crotch. If you don't give a damn about something such as a request or a command, you pass it under your crotch or your nads. It's obviously a guys' expression.

A less friendly yet more assertive version of the same expression is pasarse por los huevos. Same meaning, easier metaphores. Huevos (eggs) stand for testicles.

Example:

Pedro: El pinche elevador se chingó de nuez. Es la tercera vez esta semana.
Carlos: Pues interpón una queja ante la procuraduría del consumidor.
Pedro: ¡Simón! El ojete del casero se pasa todas esas quejitas por el Arco del Triunfo.

Pedro: The friggin' elevator is out of order again. This is the third time this week.

Carlos: File a complaint before the consumer office.

Pedro: Yeah right! That son of a bitch doesn't give shit about those complaints.

De sexto

2010-12-04T11:07:00.000-06:00

De sexto is short for de sexto grado or de sexto año, which literally mean "of sixth grade". It is used to refer to an action that even though it has the intention of taking advantage of someone, is naive. Its origin is probably the fact that sixth grade kids try to take advantage of younger kids in elementary school, but from an adult perspective it lacks experience and sophistication.

Example:

Alejandro: Me la quiso hacer de sexto. Quería mandarme por cigarros para quedarse solo con la reinita. Al chile una más de estas y le surto la receta. Pobre pendejo.
Saúl: Aliviánate master. No hagas bilis.

Alejandro: He wanted to fool me in such a naive way. He wanted meto get cigarettes so that he could stay alone with that cute chick. Honestly, next time I will kick his ass. Loser.

Saúl: Easy dude. Don't get all upset.

El Guadalupe-Reyes

2010-12-01T06:22:00.000-06:00

Guadalupe-Reyes (wa•tha•LOO•peh•REH•jezz) is the period between December the 12th and January the 6th (both Catholic festivities). The first is Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) and the second is Día de Reyes (Day of the Three Kings or Magi). In Mexico, Día de la Virgen, like Thanksgiving in the US, marks the beginning of the Christmas season. Día de Reyes marks its end.

Since this period is not too long and has plenty of Posadas, office holliday parties and other celebrations, some people have come with the clever idea of a drinking marathon called El Guadalupe-Reyes. It can take plenty of forms but one of the main ingredients is the agreement with friends and buddies to have at least one beer or drink every day from the 12th of December till the 6th of January. A popular variation of the Guadalupe-Reyes is to attempt the Reyes-Guadalupe which implies instead drinking from January the 6th until December the 12th, hoping not to drop dead before.

Example:

Piter: ¿Qué pasión Jonás? ¿Ya sabes qué vas a hacer con tu aguinaldo?

Jonas: Simón, me lo voy a gastar intentando el Guadalupe Reyes. ¿Le entras?

Piter: Nelson, estoy por terminar el Reyes-Guadalupe y la cirroris me esta acabando.

Peter: Wassup Jona. What are you going to do with your year-end bonus?

Jona: I will attempt the Guadalupe-Reyes marathon. Wanna join?

Peter: No way Jose, I am about to finish the Reyes-Guadalupe and am out of the door with a bad ass chronic cirrhosis.

Burguer

2010-11-28T06:40:00.000-06:00

Burguer is a mexicanization of burger. The term has nothing to do with beef patties. It is used in lieu of verga, perhaps to be less likely to offend a listener. Burguer substitutes verga in many expressions.

Examples:

Está de la burguer = Está de la verga = This is aweful
Su fue a la burguer = Se fue a la verga = He left for good, he went bananas

Triste, mugre

2010-11-25T04:25:00.000-06:00

Literally, triste means "sad" and mugre means "dirt." These two words are used by little children (and perhaps nuns) to refer to something deplorable, lowdown or just unimportant. They actually have nothing to do with sadness or lack of cleanliness. We advice not to use these words unless you wanna sound tough in the playground--and you are a kindergartener. If you wanna sound as a run-of-the-mill Chilango, use pinche instead.

Example:

Manuelito: ¡Triste Pepito! ¡El mugre GameBoy que me cambiaste por mi sandwich no sirve!

Pepito: No estés chingando.

Manuelito: Bad Pepito! The stupid GameBoy you gave me in exchange for my sandwich doesn't work!

Pepito: Get the fuck outta here.

Obviously, Pepito is way out of his league when it comes to verbal skills.

Marro, amarrado

2010-11-09T05:53:00.000-06:00

Amarrado literally means "tied". It is a figure of speech indicating that somebody does not let himself or herself go and spend freely. Amarrado means cheap, excessively frugal, not generous at all. Marro (which literally means "hammer") is often times used in lieu of amarrado as a shorter, even more colloquial version.

Example:

Elba: No seas amarrada y háblale al mecánico. Hay uno súper baras aquí en corto.
Esther: Nel. Sale bien cariñoso. Además nomás es un cambio de llanta que está de volada.

Elba: Don't be so cheap and call a mechanic. There's an inexpensive one very close.
Esther: No way. It's pricey. On top of that it's just a tire change that I can take care of quickly.

Salir por patas

2010-11-01T05:54:00.002-05:00

Salir por patas literally means "to exit by foot". In Mexican slang it is used to refer to escaping from a potentially dangerous situation, to run away at maximum speed without looking back.

A similar expression is patas pa' que las quiero, which literally means "feet, what do I want them for!?". In this case the person saying patas pa' que las quiero, is announcing that he or she is just about to salir por patas.

Example 1:

Carlos: Pensé que la tira venía por mí y dije ¡patas pa'qué las quiero!

Ernesto: No venían por tí, pero al darse tinta de que saliste por patas comenzaron a sospechar, ya revisaron tu expediente y ahora sí te andan buscando.

Carlos: I thought the cops were coming for me and said ¡let's put these feet to a good use!

Ernesto: They were not here for you, but after noticing you left in a hurry they became suspicious, went over your files and now they are looking for you.

Cautionary note: Salir por patas also means to go out to get feet. Here is an example of how it can be confusing.

Evaristo: ¿No está su marido?
Hortensia: No, salió por patas.
Evaristo: ¿Y por qué la prisa?
Hortensia: No, fue por patas de puerco porque vamos a comer tostadas.

Evaristo: Is your husband there?

Hortensia: No, he exited by foot.

Evaristo: Why the hurry?

Hortensia: No, he went to buy pork feet 'cuz we're gonna eat tostadas.

Patas de puerco (pork feet) are found in any decent grocery store in Mexico.

Mear pa'rriba

2010-10-26T05:46:00.055-05:00

Mear pa'rriba literally means "to urinate aiming up." In Mexican slang, this expression means "to behave in a way that is harmful to oneself." In other words, when you meas pa'rriba you ruin your immediate future with your own actions. The parabola is a powerful parable.

Example:

José: Acabo de ir a recursos humanos a proponer una estructura más horizontal para que aumente la participación en la toma de decisiones y se limiten el poder y los abusos del jefe. Quedé muy satisfecho.
Feliciano: Nunca había visto a un soberano pendejo tan contentote después de haber meado pa'rriba. ¡Pinche animal!

Jose: I just came back from HR. I proposed a more horizontal structure to increase the participation in decision making, and to put limits on the boss' power and abuses. I'm pretty happy about it.
Feliciano: I never saw such an oblivious dunce, so happy after having harakiri-ed his career. ¡Poor moron!

Papita, flan

2010-10-21T05:35:00.047-05:00

Papita literally means "small potato", and flan is a delicious type of custard deeply loved by Mexicans. When properly prepared, both potatoes and flan are tender and easy to eat voraciously, without even needing to chew. When something is said to be papita or flan, that something does not pose a challenge. It is "a piece of cake".

Example:

Felipe: Al chile, ser un verdadero líder no es de enchílame otra. Es un reto súper grueso.
Vicente: Bájale. Mi señora me dice que está bien papita.

Felipe: Straight up, being a true leader is not something easy. It is an overwhelming challenge.
Vicente: Bring it down. My lady said it's a piece of cake.

Of course, my horse

2010-10-17T05:09:00.000-05:00

There is no other expression that depicts the playfulness of Chilango speak better than this one. "Of course, my horse" means "by all means, buddy". It is not offensive but it is very informal.

Mexicans take English courses all their academic life (K-12). Among the handful of expressions and words that stick is "of course". Since no Mexican would consider fun such a dry expression, a rhyming companion is added: "my horse". It doesn't imply that the listener is a farm animal that needs to be ridden on the back. Not at all. It just rhymes. "Of course, my horse" is equivalent to "mos def".

Example:

Poncio: ¿Ya calaste al Instituto Mexicano del Sonido?
Pilatos: Of course, my horse. Esos broders si se rifan.

Poncio: Have you listened to the Mexican Institute of Sound?

Pilatos: Mos def. Those dudes are awesome.

No dar paso sin huarache

2010-10-13T05:35:00.001-05:00

Huarache (wa • DUH • che) is a Mexican word for a rudimentary sandal. Sandals (the most primitive form of shoes) protect our feet every step we take. No dar paso sin huarache literally means "not taking a step without preparation or without being aware and ready for the consequences."

Example:

Gastón: Sabía que tus pinches invitados se iban a acabar las chelas en dos patadas. Así que me tomé la libertad de poner la lavadora a buen uso, con un guardadito pa' los cuates.
Aurelio: Estás cabrón. Tú sí no das paso sin huarache.

Gaston: I knew your damned friends were gonna go through the beer in no time. Thus I took the liberty of put the washing machine to a good use, hiding some reserve for the homeys.
Aurelio: You're too much. You're always prepared for what lies ahead.

Licar

2010-10-08T05:31:00.000-05:00

Licar (lee • CAR) is an alternative way to say "to take a look". It is not offensive. However, its use its rather informal and conveys that the speaker knows the ways of the street. Use it in combination with other rather rough terms in order to be consistent in the image you project with your speech.

Example:

Copiloto: ¿Licaste a la reinita en primera clase que está súper sobres? Me late que no es nada apretada.
Capitán: Neta, párale al cotorreo y ponte al tiro que ya vamos a despegar.

Copilot: Did you check out the hottie in first class that looks very interested? It seems she's game.
Captain: Straight up, drop it and get yourself prepared. We're about to take off.

Chicle y pega

2010-10-04T05:09:00.000-05:00

Chicle y pega (CHEE • klei • PEH • gah) literally means "chewing gum and sticks". It is used to imply that a strategy might work but it is not guaranteed. The idea is that such strategy "might be like chewing gum and stick."

Example:

Rutila: Compré una serie completa de la lotería. Si ganamos, vamos a ser millonarios.
Nicanor: Chicle y pega y no tendríamos que chambear de nuez en toda nuestra vida.

Rutila: I bought a lottery ticket. If we win, we'll be millionaires.
Nicanor: If that happens, we won't have to work again for the rest of our lives.

The árbol del chicle (chewing gum tree) in Coyoacán is a popular attraction for tourists (who take pictures of it) and locals (who get rid of their chicles on it)

Ya salió el peine

2010-10-01T05:13:00.000-05:00

Ya salió el peine literally means "the comb already came out". It is used to convey that finally some crucial information about a matter has been revealed. A mystery has been solved or the culprit's identity has been disclosed.

Example:

Enrique: ¡Chale! ¿No te parece difícil de entender que el achichincle del gobernador lo haya balconeado de que tenía una amante?
Marcelo: Nel, pus si ya salió el peine. El achichincle estaba bien clavado con la amante.

Enrique: Geeez! Don't you find hard to understand that the governor's aide made public the relationship of the governor and his lover?

Marcelo: Nope, it's all clear now. The aide was head-over-heels in love with the guv's lover.

Agarrón

2010-09-27T05:13:00.000-05:00

Agarrar means "to grab". Agarrón (ah • gah • RUN) literally means "big grab". However, on the streets agarrón means "fight", particularly "fist fight". When a person is involved in a fight, that person se da un agarrón (lit. "she gives herself a big grab").

The origin of agarrón is straightforward. When someone punches several times some other person, the former agarra a chingadazos the latter. Agarrar a chingadazos means "to grab with punches". The same happens when someone agarra a patadas (kicks) or cachetadas (slaps on the face) someone else.

Agarrón is used by sports commentators in the media to speak of an interesting and rather balanced match. Typcially, games between Chivas and América (the two most popular soccer teams in Mexico) are agarrones, and from time to time some players se dan un agarrón.

Hacer changuitos

2010-09-22T05:40:00.001-05:00

Hacer changuitos literally means "to make little monkeys". It has nothing to do with monkeys. Hacer changuitos is a colorful way to say "to cross one's fingers". Like in English, it expresses one's desire for something to happen. It's an appeal to good luck.

Example:

Fátima: Neta que si alguien se merece esa chamba, eres tú.
Lourdes: ¡Haz changuitos!
Fátima: Por cierto, ¿el bikini es a huevo o es opcional?

Fatima: Honestly, if anybody deserves that job, that's you.
Luordes: Cross your fingers!
Fátima: By the way, is the bikini part of the job requirement or is it optional?

Caminar

2010-09-18T05:14:00.001-05:00

Caminar literally means "to walk". However, when used to refer in past tense to a project, an idea, a strategy or an action, it means quite the opposite. If a project, an idea, a strategy or an action caminó, then it stalled and won't be moving forward.

Example:

Don Ramón: ¿Qué pasó? ¿No que ya estaba sobres para traer a un arquitecto catalán para renovar la vecindad?
Señor Barriga: Hazte. Bien sabes que eso ya caminó. Quería un camarón estúpido.

Mr. Ramón: What's up? I thought you were eager to bring a catalan architect to renovate the housing complex?
Mr. Barriga: Don't play the fool. You know very well that ain't happening. He was asking an insane amount of money.

De piquete de ombligo

2010-09-14T05:13:00.000-05:00

De piquete de ombligo is a way to describe a relationship. It literally means 'of poking each others belly button'. Two or more people are said to have a de piquete de ombligo relationship if they get along well and are really close. Mexicans don't go by the streets poking random strangers' belly buttons. They only do it to a rather selective and small circle of friends (and foes). The expression is typically preceded by llevarse (lit. to carry or behave themselves) as in llevarse de piquete de ombligo.

Example:

Profesor: No me gusta darme mi taco en el salón de clases. Prefiero una relación abierta y de amistad con mis estudiantes, de piquete de ombligo.

Coordinador: Nada más no vayas a picarle el ombligo a ninguna alumna. Si no, te cae la voladora.

Instructor: I do not like to pretend to be unreachable in the classroom. I rather developing a friendship with my students, really casual and familiar.

Coordinator: Just make sure you don't actually poke their belly buttons. Otherwise you'll face disciplinary measures.

Azotarse

2010-09-10T05:31:00.002-05:00

Azotarse literally means to self-flagellate. In Mexico, it also means to make a big drama that does not match the situation. Of course, if someone se está azotando or not is in the eyes of the beholder.

Example:

Remi: Están súper pendejos si creen que yo voy a pagar el pato. Ya sé que sólo quieren sacarme un un pedo, pero a mi me vale verga, ya verás que se van a cagar pa'dentro cuando me desquite.
Señor Vitalis: No te azotes y prepárate para la próxima función.

Remi: They gotta be fools to believe I am taking this shot. I know they just want to scare me, but I don't give shit about it, they will poop their pants when I take revenge.

Mr. Vitalis: Chill out and get ready for our next street performance.

Remi ("Nobody's Boy") is a cartoon that was very popular in Mexico despite its extremely azotado contents.

En el ácido

2010-09-06T05:39:00.000-05:00

En el ácido literally means 'on acid', as in 'on LSD'. It's an expression that has nothing to do with the actual consumption of illegal drugs. En el ácido is used to refer to an extremely upset or perturbed person, usually by an undesirable situation. The person en el ácido often behaves as if he or she were hallucinating with the help of LSD: frantic looking eyes. sweating, not-making much sense, etc.

Example:

Leticia: Creo que está en el ácido.
Juanjo: ¡Puta madre!, y cómo no si le dieron bajilla con la laptop donde tenía todos los documentos de su chamba.

Leticia: I believe he is utterly upset.
Juanjo: Geeez, I bet he is, he's laptop was stolen with all the documents from work.

De bote pronto

2010-09-02T05:38:00.000-05:00

De bote pronto (the BEAU • teh PRAWN • taw) literaly means 'after a fast bounce'. It is used to convey that something is done on the spot, without much time to prepare, without giving it chance to bounce away. Agarrar de bote pronto means to give an opinion or decide a course of action right away, i.e. to shoot from the hip.

Example:

Maribel: El licenciado es súper mameluco pero las agarra de bote pronto. Se vé que lo van a hacer gerente regional de volada.
Cinthya: ¡Bájale! Ese cabrón no sólo le echa mucha crema a sus tacos sino que a veces ni le cae el veinte de las cosas.

Maribel: The boss is very uptight but he's really fast solving problems. I'm sure he'll be promoted to regional manager in the blink of an eye.
Cinthya: C'mon! That dude not only is a show off but sometimes he doesn't get what's going on.

Segundo cachete

2010-08-31T05:42:00.000-05:00

De segundo cachete literally means 'of second cheek'. It is widely used to refer to objects that are not new but used, or what hipsters call vintage or recycled. Some pretentious Chilangos use recuperado (recovered) in lieu of de segundo cachete. Avoid it. It makes it sound like there were some archeologists involved and some digging was done.

Example:

Roberto: ¿Te late mi members only? Está suave, ¿no? Es de segundo cachete.
Salvador: Está igualita a una que me tiró mi esposa hace años. Eso sí, la mía estaba menos pinche.

Roberto: Do you dig my members only jacket? Cool, ain't it? It's vintage.
Salvador: It's identical to one I had and which my wife threw to the garbage. But I must confess mine was less disgusting.

Atáscate (ahora que hay lodo)

2010-08-28T04:53:00.003-05:00

Atáscate ahora que hay lodo literally means 'get yourself all dirty now that there is plenty of mud.' It is used to indicate: (1) the opportunity that a person has to benefit from a situation (the mud is an allusion to something good to a pig); (2) the rather piggish behavior of a person in such situation. Sometimes the expression is shortened to ¡atáscate!

Example:

Lic. Goicoechea: Acaban de nombrarme supervisor de permisos y licencias del municipio.
Amigo de la infancia: ¡Atáscate ahora que hay lodo!

Mr. Goicoechea: I was just appointed supervisor of permits and licenses of the city.
Childhood friend: This is your chance to profit big time from your position!

Hacer el quite

2010-08-24T05:14:00.001-05:00

Hacer el quite (ah•SIR el•KEE•teh) means 'to step up for someone'. In many situations it is used in a similar way to hacer el paro. If someone te hace el quite, that person helps you out by taking the shot him or herself.

Example:

Pánfilo: Se me juntaron dos pieles en el reven y mi broder me hizo el quite con una.
Rómulo: Bájale. Yo te ví en la fiesta y ni quién te pelara. Pinche mitómano.

Panfilo: Two girlfriends were at the party and a bro had to help me out with one of them.
Romulo: Yeah right! I saw you in that party and nobody was with you. You bloody liar.

Pelar

2010-08-21T08:54:00.000-05:00

Pelar (peh • LAR) literally means to peel or to remove the skin. In Mexico it also means to pay attention to or care about somebody or something. It is an informal synonym to hacer caso.

Example 1:

En un restaurante de comida rápida:

Cliente: Si no me pelan, le llego al pinche changarro de enfrente.
Empleado: Disculpe señor. ¿Le puedo tomar su orden?

In a fast-food restaurant:

Patron: If you don't pay attention to me, I will get my ass outta here and will go to the joint across the street.
Clerk: Sorry, sir. May I take your order?

Example 2:

Paciente: Nuestra relacion comenzó a deteriorarse cuando ella dejó de pelarme hace un mes.
Psicoanalista: No la cagues. Cuando dejó de pelarte ya llevaba más de seis meses saliendo con otro maestro.

Patient: Our relationship started deteriorating when she stopped listening to me about a month ago.
Shrink: Give me a break. By the time she stopped listening to you she had been seeing another dude for six months.

Disambiguation note: pelar is not the same as pelársela. Make sure you understand the difference in their use before getting in trouble.

Choncho

2010-08-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

Choncho (CHAWN • chaw) means big, massive or grand. It is typically used to refer to the physical qualities of objects (un libro choncho, a big book) or the complexity of a circumstance (un problema muy choncho, a great problem)

Example:

Contador: ¡Chale! Por hacerle el paro a un carnal con su contabilidad, me metí en un pedo super choncho.
Accountant: Damn it! I tried to help a bro with his accounting and now I am in deep shit.

(Mi, tu, su) mero mole

2010-08-08T08:23:00.003-05:00

In the book "In Light of India", Octavio Paz, a Mexican writer awarded the 1990 Nobel Prize in Literature, narrates the story of an Indian nun who arrived in Puebla in colonial times and after resorting to local ingredients such as peanuts, chili and chocolate to prepare curry, invented mole.

The expression mi mero mole literally means 'my very own mole'. It is used to mean that some activity is precisely what I like the most or what I excel at, my area of expertise. It can also be used in reference to other people's tastes or abilities: tu mero mole or su mero mole.

Example:

Secretario General del sindicato: Es probable que tengamos que usar los recursos del sindicato de este ejercicio fiscal para un evento social con los trabajadores.
Vocal del sindicato: Hazte. Ya sabemos que el reventón es tu mero mole.

Chairman of the workers' union: It's likely that we will have to use the union's funds from this fiscal year for a social event with all the members.
Union board member: Your so full of it. We know well that partying your ass off is what you like the most.

The image below shows a plate of mole poblano (Pueblan mole). Notice the sesame seeds on top of the sauce and the Mexican rice as a side.

The other V word

2010-08-05T12:29:00.000-05:00

The vagina, as the penis, has plenty of synonyms in chilango slang. And just as the synonyms of the brotherly word, they should be used carefully. These words should be reserved almost exclusively with guys which are your friends. Women would get utterly offended by some, if not most, of them.

A (brief) list of them: bizcocho, panela, panocha, pucha, raja, concha, florecita, ostión.

Etiquette: there is no good etiquette in the use of these words. Apart from bizcocho and florecita, any use of them is more or less derogatory.

Unlike the verga word, the vagina word is not used nearly as much or in as many contexts. It is mainly used to refer to, well, the vagina.

In the southern US (Colorado) panocha is a pudding.

Embellecedoras

2010-07-30T05:18:00.005-05:00

In English, some people claim that "beauty is in the eyes of the beer holder". In other words, the ingestion of liquor, beer and alcoholic drinks in general alters the perception of beauty, typically giving it a wider, more inclusive definition. Many Mexicans share that opinion. Hence alcoholic drinks are often referred to as embellecedoras, i.e. the beautifying ones. They make everybody around the drinker seem more beautiful.

Example:

Víctor: ¿Qué transa? ¿Unas embellecedoras?
Ausencio: Pa'pronto es luego.

Víctor: How'bout some beautifying libations?

Ausencio: Hell yeah.

Surtir la receta

2010-07-25T05:48:00.001-05:00

Surtir la receta literally means 'to fill the prescription'. By no means this is related to the over-the-counter purchase in Mexican territory of drugs that require prescription in the U.S. Surtir la receta means to give the physical punishment that is deserved, especially in a violent fashion.

Example:

Pancho: Le voy a dar en la madre en cuanto lo vea.
Memo: ¿Vas a surtirle la receta?
Pancho: ¡Con todo! Ya verás que le va a caer la voladora.

Pancho: I am gonna kick his ass as soon as I see him.
Memo: Are you gonna make him pay for what he did?
Pancho: Totally! You'll see, he is so frigging screwed.

Farmacias in Mexico City can be divided into two categories: the ones that sell branded products and the ones that sell generics. Among the latter group, the most ubiquitous chain is "Farmacias Similares", whose mascot (Dr. Simi) is really creepy.

Suave

2010-07-20T05:19:00.012-05:00

Suave (soo • AH • veh) literally means soft. It's an old school expression that means cool. Suave is used almost exclusively by Mexicans born before 1966. Its equivalent for younger cohorts are chido (utterly recommendable) and padre (if you want to sound as a 8 year old).

Example:

Hijo: Jefe, vamos a darnos unas caguamas para celebrar que ya tengo chamba.
Papá: ¡Suave! Yo invito. Dile a tus carnales.

Son: Pops, let's get some 40-ouncers to celebrate that I got a job.
Dad: Coolio! I'll buy them. Tell your bros.

The cohorts of Mexicans that use suave roughly coincide with those that read La Familia Burrón comic books in their childhood (drawn and created by Gabriel Vargas).

Cascarear

2010-07-16T05:28:00.001-05:00

Cascarear is a derivative of cáscara, which literally means peel or skin (of a fruit). Cascarear means to play a sport without referees or strict rules, just for the fun of it. Cascarear is used pejoratively by snobs to refer to those who do not train during the week and only get together to play on the weekends, or to those who do not stick to a well-thought plan.

The clip below shows Tierry Henry, a famous French soccer player, cascareando.

Entrón

2010-07-11T05:41:00.001-05:00

Entrón (en • TRON) means 'always willing and eager to go in'. Entrón is used in reference to a person that is an eager beaver, especially when it comes to tasks or activities in which most people would hesitate or think twice. If someone is entrón for something, that person does not think twice before doing it.

Example:

Giovanni: Tu prima es bien entrona para el beso.
Cuahtémoc: Síguele y verás que yo también soy bien entrón, pero para el manazo...

Giovanni: Your cousin is really game for kissing.

Cuahtémoc: Go on and you'll find out that I'm game too, but game to slap you on the face...

Ni pichas, ni cachas, ni dejas batear

2010-07-07T06:11:00.000-05:00

Pichar means to pitch. Cachar means to catch. Batear means to bat. This expression means that somebody gets on the way of all people around him or her, not allowing them to do anything (literally that person doesn't pitch, doesn't catch and doesn't let others bat). This expression is also the living proof of baseball's popularity in Mexico.

Example:

Ramiro: ¿Ya hablaron con el licenciado Manríquez para que se repartan las labores para echar a andar el proyecto?

Rogelio: Ese güey ni picha, ni cacha, ni deja batear.

Ramiro: Have you spoken with Mr. Manriquez so that you divide the tasks to get the project started?

Rogelio: That mofo doesn't let us do anything, but he gets nothing done.

Fernando Valenzuela is the best known Mexican MLB player (rookie of the year and Cy Young in the same season), who gave rise to Fernandomanía back in the early 1980s.

Chamba

2010-07-02T05:56:00.006-05:00

Chamba (JAM • bah) means gig, job or work, depending on the context. Chambear means to work. An equivalent, less frequently used expression is jale (HAH • leh).

Example:

Joaquín: Me corrieron de la chamba.
Sabina: ¿Por huevón?
Joaquín: Nel. Por incompetente.
Sabina: ¡Si serás!

Joaquin: I was fired.
Sabina: Because of your laziness?
Joaquin: Nope. Cuz of my incompetence.
Sabina: You little piece of...

Jefe, Jefa

2010-06-28T05:25:00.001-05:00

Jefe and jefa are masculine and feminine for chief or boss. They are typically used to refer to parents. This might be a source of confusion. That's why we suggest the use of patrón in opposition to jefe. Patrón (like the tequila brand) literally means boss in a work related context.

Example:

Marlon: ¿Y esa camionetota tan chingona?
Brando: Es de mi jefe.
Marlon: ¿De tu patrón o de tu progenitor?
Brando: No la cagues. Mi patrón tiene un zapatito bien jodido.

Marlon: Where did you get that bad ass SUV?
Brando: It's my chief's.
Marlon: Your boss or your father?
Brando: C'mon, my boss drives a beaten up Renault 5.

Zapatito (little shoe) is the affectionate nickname for Renault 5

Apachurro

2010-06-23T05:31:00.001-05:00

Apachurro (ah • pah • CHOO • raw) means 'I squeeze'. It is an interjection used to express public admiration for a person's overwhelming physical beauty. It is mostly used by men in reference to women. When properly used, apachurro sounds as a combination of sad lament and loud desperation, like the howl of a hungry coyote.

For years thousands of Mexicans could not refrain from shouting ¡apachurro! every time they saw an image of Mexican top model Elsa Benítez, who once made it to the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for obvious reasons.

Talonear(le)

2010-06-18T05:09:00.000-05:00

Talonear (tah • law • NYAR) was originally used in reference to working as a prostitute, now its use encompasses any possible way one can make a living. It means to sell one's services (sometimes one's dignity too) during a predetermined period of time for money, i.e. to work.

Example:

Mauricio: Creo que yo le llego. Tengo que talonearle mañana desde muy temprano.
Rodrigo: No la defeques. Este rocanrol a penas está empezando.
Mauricio: No mames, son las 3 de la mañana.

Macho calado

2010-06-13T06:35:00.000-05:00

Macho calado (lit. tested macho) is a term to refer to a male that after having given an open-minded shot at homosexual intercourse has decided that he does not dig it and prefers that with females. It's mostly used as a joke targeting those easily scandalized.

Example:

Madre: Oye, y ¿a tu compañero le gustan las mujeres?
Hijo: Sin duda... Es macho calado.

Mother: Does your roommate like women?

Son: No doubt about it... He's a tested macho.

No hay fijón

2010-06-08T05:41:00.000-05:00

No hay fijón (noh • eye • feeg • HAWN) comes from the expession no te fijes, which means something like 'don't you worry' or 'do not even mention it'. Use no hay fijón to exempt somebody from the consequences of their actions.

Example 1:

Estudiante mediocre: Estoy pariendo chayotes con este curso. ¿Me das chance de fusilarme tu trabajo final?
Estudiante sobresaliente: Cáete con un biyuyo y no hay fijón.

Mediocre student: I'm having a hard time in this course. Would you let me copy your term paper?
Outstanding student: Surrender some greenbacks and I won't mind it at all.

Example 2:

Mariela: Perdón, se me hizo súper tarde. El tráfico está gruesísimo.
Gilberto: No hay fijón. Nada más quería decirte que lo nuestro terminó.
Mariela: Eres un culero, me hubieras enviado un texto y me ahorras hora y media de tráfico.

Mariela: Sorry I am late. Traffic was aweful.
Gilberto: Don't worry. I just wanted to tell you that we're breaking up.
Mariela: You son of a bitch! You should have sent a text message and spare me one and a half hours of traffic.

Recordar el Diez de Mayo

2010-06-03T05:10:00.000-05:00

Unlike Cinco de Mayo and other 364 days of the year, Diez de Mayo (May the 10th) has become part of Mexican slang. Recordar el Diez de Mayo means to be reminded of Mother's Day, which is in Mexico is May the 10th. When someone te recuerda el diez de mayo, that person tells you to 'go and fuck your mama.' In other words, that person is 'mentioning' or 'bring up' your mother, i.e. te la esta mentando. Another term for recordar el diez de mayo is refrescar (to refresh, as in to refresh one's memory).

Example:

Diego Armando: Le dije que ahí muere y me recordó el diez de mayo.
Luis Roberto: ¡No mames! ¿Textual?
Diego Armando: Simón. Me la refrescó delante de mi banda.
Luis Alberto: Pero ¿te la mentó o sólo te hizo la seña?
Diego Armando: Me dijo "vas y chingas a tu madre".

Diego Armando: I told her let's just drop it and she mentioned my mother.

Luis Roberto: No shit! Literally?

Diego Armando: Yup. She disrespected me in front of my homies.

Luis Alberto: But did she mention your mother or just gestured?

Diego Armando: She said "go an fuck your mother."

For Diez de Mayo, nothing says 'I love you mom' better than a $250 dollar hour of Mariachi

Domingo Siete

2010-05-29T05:17:00.004-05:00

When a young single female turns out unexpectedly pregnant, she salió con su domingo siete (lit. she turned out with a Sunday the 7th). In other words, she is en barcelona. Salir con su domingo siete is neither an insulting nor an encouraging expression. However, the new mom-to-be might appreciate some discretion.

Caer el Veinte

2010-05-26T05:18:00.000-05:00

Caer el veinte means to suddenly realize something after the fact. Equivalent to "the penny dropped." Phone booths in Mexico used to take only twenty-cent coins (veintes) for a long time.

Example: Hasta ahorita me cayó el veinte de que mi ex me hizo de chivo los tamales. (I just realized that my ex was cheating on me).

Noventa-sesenta-noventa

2010-05-22T05:24:00.000-05:00

Noventa-sesenta-noventa (lit. ninety-sixty-ninety) or 90-60-90 is thought to be the ideal measure for a female body (breast-waist-hip). In centimeters, that is. Truth is 90-60-90 is just an illusion. Most Mexican males like women of all sizes and shapes.

A related term is noventa-sesenta-revienta, which implies that a woman's size goes out of control below the waistline (revienta = explodes).

Mexican singer-actor-model Thalía (below) was believed to have a 90-60-90 body

Aflojar el mastique

2010-05-18T05:17:00.000-05:00

Mastique is a play-dough-like paste used to install glass into metallic window frames. Aflojar el mastique (ah • flaw • KHAR el • mass • TEE • keh) literally mans 'to loosen up the paste.' In Mexico however, when someone says that se le aflojó el mastique, the expression means that such person needs to defecate. The connection requires no further explanation.

Example:

Cliente: Nada afloja el mastique como un espresso doble.
Barista: Para servirle.

Patron: Nothing loosens up the dough like a double espresso.
Barista: You bet!

Pagar el pato

2010-05-14T06:07:00.000-05:00

Literally, pagar el pato means 'to pay for the duck'. This figure of speech is used to convey that somebody undeservedly had to pay for the consequences of something. It typically involves financial and legal responsibilities. An equivalent expression is pagar los platos rotos, which means 'to pay for the broken plates.'

Example:

Emilio: ¡Qué buen reventón! El despapaye se puso tan cábula que hasta madrazos hubo y cayó la tira.
Hugo: ¿Y quién crees que pagó el pato?
Emilio: ¿tunas?

Emilio: What a cool party! It got so surreal that there was a fight and the cops stopped by.
Hugo: Who do you think was held responsible?
Emilio: Were you?

Federal

2010-05-09T06:48:00.000-05:00

Federal (Fe • the • RAL) means ugly. It comes from feo(a). It is typically used in reference to people who are not good looking. Using federal is just as offensive as using feo or fea. Beware.

Example:

Gualberto: Está súper federal la amiga de tu chava.
Benito: Esa no es su amiga, ¡es mi vieja pendejo!

Gualberto: Your woman's girlfriend is truly ugly.
Benito: That's not her girlfriend, that's my woman you moron!

Calar

2010-05-05T05:54:00.001-05:00

Calar means to permeate and it is used in two ways. First, calar means to try or test something. Second, calar is used to express that something is bothering.

Example 1:

Carlos: ¿Ya calaste el bar de la esquina?
Raúl: Nel. Esta bien cariñoso.

Carlos: Have you checked out the bar at the corner?
Raúl: Nope. It's pricey.

Example 2:

Leonardo: La neta me caló muy cabrón que no me invitaras a tu fiesta.
Rebeca: Me vale verga.

Leonardo: I was utterly hurt because you did not invite me to your wedding.
Rebeca: I don't give a damn.

Every visitor to Mexico City debe calar street food, obviously at his or her own risk.

Note: do not confuse caló, the third-person past-tense of calar, and caló, as in slang, jargon.

Colgarse & Descolgarse

2010-05-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

Colgarse literally means 'to hang oneself' and descolgarse literally means 'to unhang oneself'. Although the literal meanings are worth knowing, you'll rarely hear anybody using them in everyday Chilango speak. Colgarse and descolgarse are typically employed to convey something else.

Colgarse means to use more time that is allotted, to exceed a time limit. Colgado can be used in reference to a person who often se cuelga and also to a place that is far, far away (i.e. getting there takes a long time). Le cuelga (literally, 'it hangs from it') means 'it is still going to take a while.'

Descolgarse means to go from one's current location to another, usually to meet other people and hang out. Just like a monkey would descend from a tree, a buddy unhangs from his place to meet friends.

Example 1:

Faustino: Descuélgate al reven. Va a estar de huevos. Van a caer un titipuchal de pieles.
Melquiades: Pus la neta sí me late, pero tu cantón está súper colgado.

Faustino: Come to the party. It'll be a lot of fun. There will be bueatiful women aplenty.
Melquiades: I truly like the idea, but your place is really far away.

Example 2.

Melamina: Este maestro siempre se cuelga con sus clases.
Ponderosa: Y todavía le cuelga para que concluya este semestre.

Melamina: This professor always stretches his lectures well pass the limit.
Ponderosa: And it's gonna be a while before the semester is over.

Note: Colgado is also used in expressions such as no me vayas delar colgado or me dejaste colgado hijo de la chingada. In this case, colgado is a reference to the metaphor colgado de la brocha, i.e. hanging from a paintbrush. Hence when somebody abandons you, it's perfectly fine to say that metaphorically such person removed the ladder you were on and left you hanging from the paintbrush.

Pérate

2010-04-18T05:06:00.002-05:00

This expression is utterly common and should be used every time the appropriate circumstances appear. Pérate (PE•dah•teh) is a shorter version of espérate, which is an imperative meaning 'wait' or 'stop it' depending on the context. Pérate usually comes in two forms.

Pérate-pérate is used to express confusion or lack of clarity in someone's ideas or speech. It is usually followed by barajéamela más despacio, which literally means 'deals the cards more slowly' and implies a request for a slower, simpler explanation.

¡Pérateeeee! is used when somebody is being bugged physically or verbally--typically a friend or a family member. It shows the subject is irritated and the next reaction might be physical aggression.

Example 1:

Lupita: Licenciado, acaban de llamar, que la grúa se lo llevó, y que el corralón está cerrado por el puente, y...
Lic. Fuentes: Pérate-pérate Lupita. Respira primero. Ahora sí. ¿Qué chingados le pasó a mi nave?

Lupita: Sir, they just called, the towcar towed it, it's in the pound, and it's closed because of the long weekend, and...
Mr. Fuentes: Wait, wait, Lupita. Breath first. Now, what the fuck happened to my ride?

Example 2:

Compañerito: Mochilas con los Pulparindos, no seas gacho, ándale, ándale... ándale
Pepito: ¡Pérateeee!... ¡Qué bien chingas! Si tus jefes no te dan camarón, ponte buzo con los cambios.

Classmate: Share your candies, don't be rude. C'mon... do it, c'mon.
Pepito: Drop it... Stop bothering! If your parents don't give you money you've gotta be smart and keep the change when you do chores for them.

Baras & Cariñoso

2010-04-15T05:01:00.021-05:00

Baras (BAH • dass) and cariñoso (cah • ree • GNO • saw, lit. affectionate) are the best ways to refer to a price quote. Baras stands for barato, i.e. inexpensive. Cariñoso stands for caro, i.e. expensive. To add emphasis to any of them, precede them with bien pinche, which is equivalent to 'really fucking'.

Example 1:

Manlio: Se ve muy chida tu bírula. Te ha de haber salido en un ojo de la cara...
Fabio: Me salió bien pinche cariñosa. A ver si no me dan bajilla si la dejo aquí.
Manlio: That bike looks really cool. It must have cost an arm and an leg...
Fabio: It was very fucking expensive. I just hope nobody steals it if I leave it here

Example 2:

Vendedor en el tianguis: ¡Bara-bara-bara-bara-de remateeeeeee!
Marchanta: ¿De a cómo el mamey?
Vendedor: El primero se lo doy gratis, güerita. Del segundo en adelante a 10 pesos kilo, bien bara señito.

Street marker seller: Cheap-cheap-cheap-crazy-cheap stuff!
Patron: How much for a mamey?
Street market seller: The first one is on me, blondy. From the second on it's 10 pesos per kilo, very cheap madam/miss.

Notice: (1) the use of bara as part of a quasi-chant to promote the products being sold; (2) the use of the double-meaning of mamey by the vendor; (3) the use of güerita (blondy) as a way to flatter customers; (4) the use of señito in order to avoid mistakes using señora or señorita.

The image shows a tianguis (street market) seen from above.

Uuuta mano & Puta madre

2010-04-09T05:04:00.000-05:00

When something terribly disappointing is revealed or takes place, an Chilango unconstrained by etiquette would exclaim ¡puta madre! (POOH • tah MAH • dre, lit. whore mother!) This expression is related neither to a mother nor to a prostitute It's just an expression. The longer the u in puta, the more dramatic the disappointment conveyed. The variation of puta madre suitable for all audiences is uta mano. Mano is a short for hermano (just like bro is to brother). If instead of puta madre, one exclaims ¡putisima madre! the feeling conveyed is not disappointment but rage.

Example 1:

Personal de la aerolinea: Les anunciamos que el vuelo 822 con destino la Ciudad de Mexico partirá a las 10:30 de la noche y no a las 8:30 como estaba planeado. Mucho agrademos su comprensión.
Pasajero: Uuuta mano. Es la tercera vez que cambian el itinerario.

Airline personnel: Flight number 822 to Mexico City will depart at 10:30 pm and not at 8:30 as it was scheduled. We appreciate your understanding.
Passenger: Oughhhh! This is the third time the schedule is changed.

Example 2:

Comentarista: Este es el tanto que le dara el pase a la liguilla. El ariete se prepara, toma vuelo, conecta de zurda y ... ¡la volooooo!
Fanático frente al televisor: ¡Puuuuta madre!

TV commentator: This is the goal that can get them to the playoffs. The striker gets ready, takes a few steps back, kicks with the left leg and... he missed it!
Fan in front of the TV set: Fuck!!!

Example 3:

Celia: No me digas que fuiste por el hielo, las cocas, mas ron y se te volvio a olvidar el chingado limon.
Tito: ¡Putisima madre!

Celia: Don't tell that you went for ice, cokes, more rum and you forgot again about the fucking limes.
Tito: Fuck!!!

Cuba libre or just cuba is a highly popular cocktail in Mexico. Cubas without lime are lame.

¡Zafo!

2010-04-05T05:08:00.000-05:00

Zafo (SAH • faux) is an interjection to make clear that a person does not want to participate in something. Zafo comes from yo me zafo, which means 'I set myself free' or 'I release myself from this.'

Zafo is typically heard in a situation in which a group of friends are deciding who is going to do a chore (e.g. getting ice from the convenience store, opening the door when somebody is knocking and everybody is slacking, calling a pizza delivery place). Someone asks "who is going to do this?" and each of the present answers ¡zafo! It is agreed that the last person replying has the obligation to do the chore. When in Mexico, politely obey this unwritten rule.

Example:

(Family watching a soccer match)

Abuelo: ¿Quién va a cambiarle el pañal a Manuelito?
Abuela: ¡Zafo!
Mamá: ¡Zafo!
Hermanito: ¡Zafo!
Tía: ¡Zafo!
Papá: ¡Zafo!... ¡Chale! Está bien. Yo lo hago, pero al medio tiempo.

Grandfather: Who's gonna change Manuelito's diaper?
Grandmother: Count me out!
Mom: Not me!
Little brother: I'm out!
Aunt: I'm gonzo!
Dad: Not me!... Fuck! I'll do it. But let's wait until halftime.

Changing diapers can be a real drag. Practice your zafos before having children.

Cachirul

2010-04-01T05:18:00.002-05:00

Cachirul (cah • chee • DOOL) is a term to refer to somebody who participates in an event (usually a sports one) without satisfying the requirements for participating. Such violation is typically done in secrecy and its ultimate purpose is to give the perpetrator an advantage.

Mexico's national sport, pambol, suffered international embarrassment because of the uncovering of cachirules playing for the national team against Guatemala in a qualifying game for the 1988 Olympic Games. Some players used fake birth certificates. As a result, el Tri couldn't participate in the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

The video below shows a very skillful 6-year-old playing soccer. The parents of the other kids surely thought he was a cachirul, a shaved-short dude.

Estaría

2010-03-29T05:07:00.001-05:00

Sometimes when something is truly superb there is no need to give much of an explanation as to how it makes us feel. Estaría (lit. it would be) is an interjection that results from the truncation of the expressions estaría de huevos, estaría chido, estaría de poca madre, estaría chingonométrico, etc.

Example:

Yayo: Imagínate largarnos con unas pieles unos tres días a acampar en la playa, cheleando y tocando los tambores, siguiendo el ritmo del mar mientras nuestras mentes divagan...
Chepo: Estaría...

Yayo: Picture ourselves leaving with some ladies for three days off to go camping at the beach, drinking beer and playing the drums, following the rhythm of the ocean as our minds take us faraway...
Chepo: It would be... [fan-fucking-tastic]

Pa' pronto es luego

2010-03-25T05:54:00.002-05:00

This is a classic expression in Mexico. Pa' pronto es luego (pah•PRON•toss loo•EH•goh) means 'soon is too late.' It is used as an interjection to denote agreement to an immediate action.

Example:

Neto: ¿Qué tal suenan unos tacos del Brasil-Copacabana?
Beto: A toda madre, me estoy cagando de hambre.
Neto: Pues pa' pronto es luego.

Neto: How do some tacos from Brasil-Copacabana sound?

Beto: Awesome, I'm starving.

Neto: Let's go then.

Sobres

2010-03-21T05:24:00.018-05:00

Literally, sobres (SAW-brez) means envelopes. However, its actual meaning is completely unrelated to stationary. Sobres is an interjection to denote sudden and immediate action. In some contexts, sobres can also be understood as a state of readiness and even eagerness, as in estar sobres.

Example 1:

Víctor: Se ve que ese pinchi maestro anda super sobres con tu carnalita.
Héctor: Es hijo de pap i, pero es alivianado.

Victor: You can immediately tell that fucking dude is ready to make his move on your sister.
Hector: He's a daddy's boy but he's chilled.

Example 2:

Manuel: ¿Pasamos al Oxxo por unas guamas para arrancar motores?
Carmela: ¡Sobres! No olvides unos sabritones para hacer sed.

Manuel: Shall we swing by the convenience store for a few 40-ouncers to get started?

Carmela: ¡Sobres! No olvides unos sabritones para hacer sed.

Oxxo is a chain of convenience stores and Sabritones are a traditional snack.

Bajar

2010-03-18T06:14:00.001-05:00

Bajar (bah • KHAR) literally means to lower or bring down. In Mexico City, bajar also means: (i) to take possession over someone's belongings; (ii) to succesfully court someone else's significant other. Derivative expressions of bajar with the same meaning are dar baje (dahr bah • KHEH) and dar bajilla (dahr bah • KHEE • jah). Dar bajilla sounds as dar vajilla, which literally means 'to give a china' (a set of plates, cups, etc.)

Example 1:

José: Dos gandallas me dieron bajilla con todo el camarón que traía para liquidar la deuda.
Feliciano: Si serás. Ora sí nos va a caer la voladora.

Jose: Two tugs stole all the money I was bringing to pay the debt.
Feliciano: You idiot. Now we are utterly screwed.

Example 2:

Paco: Dices que eres mi carnal, y es la tercera vieja que me bajas. ¿Sabes lo que eso significa?
Pepe: ¡A huevo! Quiere decir que tenemos gustos muy parecidos cuando se trata de pieles.

Paco: You say we are BFFs, but this is the third girlfriend you steal from me. Do you know what this means?
Pepe: Hell yeah! That we have very similar tastes when it comes to ladies.

The image below shows a vajilla de talavera (talavera china). That's the type of vajilla you want people to give you, and not bajilla.

Churro

2010-03-15T05:51:00.000-05:00

(CHOO • raw) 1: Fried dough dusted with sugar and sold on the street. 2: Flick. 3: Reefer, doobie, joint. 4: Lucky strike. 5: Turd.

Example:

No hay como darse un churro antes de ver un churro y luego ir por un churro a Coyoacán y de churro encontrar estacionamiento para finalmente tirar el churro en la comodidad de tu hogar.

There is nothing like a joint before a movie, then going to Coyoacán for dessert, finding a parking spot by sheer luck, and finally go home to take a shit.

Uñas

2010-03-15T05:23:00.000-05:00

Effective command of Chilango slang will allow you to react promptly to precise driving indications in Mexico City. One of them is en uñas (en OO•gnass), which literally means "in finger nails." En uñas is used in the expression darse la vuelta en uñas, which means to make a U-turn.

Darse la vuelta en uñas shall not be confused with ser uña, which literally means "to be a finger nail." Ser uña means to be a slimy stealing rat with long nails serving that purpose, i.e. to be a thief, un amigo de lo ajeno, a friend of someone else's belongings.

Another pertinent distinction should be made with the expression en 20 uñas (on twenty finger nails) which conveys a body position in which one partner in sexual intercourse has twenty nails on the ground.

Example:

Joselo: Echale lámina a la micro y date vuelta en uñas ahí donde está la señal que lo prohibe.

Quique: Bamba.

Joselo: Let the bus know your switching lanes and make a U-turn where the 'no U-turn' sign is.

Quique: All right.

Planchar oreja

2010-03-12T05:13:00.000-06:00

Planchar oreja (plan•CHAR oh•EH•kha) literally means 'to iron ear'. When one is asleep in bed, one's head is putting preasure on an ear against the pillow, just like an iron puts preasure on a shirt against an ironing board. Hence planchar oreja means to be asleep. This is a funny, informal expression and it is not offensive.

Example:

CEO: ¿Por qué no viniste a la reunión trimestral de la junta de gobierno?
CFO: Me quedé planchando oreja, es que acabamos el reporte a las 4 de la mañana.

CEO: Why you did not make it to the quarterly meeting of the board?
CFO: I overslept. We finished the report at 4 in the morning.

Perseguir la chuleta, Corretear el bolillo

2010-03-09T05:19:00.000-06:00

|per-se-GEAR la chu-LEH-ta |

|cor-re-TEAR el bo-LIH-yo|

Making a living in Mexico sometimes can be challenging. This phrase is an expression of the hardship of coming around with basics like food. It literally means to chase the (pork) chop or to run after a piece of bread. It evokes a funny image and this will be perfectly understood by most chilangos. A similar expression is to pedalear, lit. to pedal (a bike).

Example:

Nayeli: vete a tu casa Carlos, traes una cruda de agumielero.

Carlos: no puedo, pinche cuenta se salió de control así que ahora tengo que perseguir la chuleta.

Nayeli: Carlos go home, you seem to have a terrible hangover.

Carlos: I can't, the bill got out of control, now I have to work to pay it.

Bájale

2010-03-06T05:15:00.023-06:00

Literally, bájale (BAH • kha • leh) means "bring it down" in imperative form. It is an expression of disbelief applied to: (i) a situation when one thinks a person telling a story is stretching the truth, making it more dramatic or (ii) when someone behaves in a overly dramatic fashion.

Example 1:

Paco: Y entonces le dí un zape y le dije, ya te cayó la voladora pinche chango mamón.
Memo: ¡Bájale! Yo estaba ahí y vi lo que pasó. El güey ese te dio chance nomás porque venías con toda tu bandera.

Paco: And then I smacked him and told him 'you're so screwed fucking asshole.'
Memo: Yeah right! I was there and saw everything. That dude gave you a break just because you were with a bunch of friends.

Example 2:

Lupita: Ya le dije, licenciado. Una mujer como yo merece sólo lo mejor.

Ramiro: Bájele, Lupita. Usted está muy linda pero tampoco le eche tanta crema a sus tacos.

Lupita: I told you, sir. A woman like me deserves only the best.

Ramiro: Come on, Lupita. You're very cute but please do not go overboard.

Gañán

2010-03-02T05:25:00.001-06:00

Gañán (gah • GNAN) is used in reference to a male person whose behavior is tasteless, rude or inappropriate. In short, a gañán is a prick. It's usually heard in the context of a guy trying to catch the attention of a female with low-down or insulting techniques.

Example:

Agustiniano: ¿Qué pasó con Margarita?
Filiberto: Me dejó de hablar porque le dije que me encantaría 'gratinarle su mollete'.
Agustiniano: ¡Eres un pinche gañán!

Augustiniano: What happened with Margarita?
Filiberto: She stopped talking to me cause I told her I'd love to 'melt my cheese on her bean-covered toast'.
Agustiniano: You're a fucking prick!

Molletes are a delicious breakfast dish in D.F., that consists of demi-baguettes cut in halves, covered with refried bean spread, and topped with cheese and salsa.

Sacar un pedo

2010-02-25T05:44:00.000-06:00

As grotesque as it might sound, this expression is utterly effective. Sacar un pedo (sah-KAR oon PEH-though) literally means "to force a fart out". It is used to convey a great surprise or a very scary situation (one that would make you fart involuntarily). If you want to emphasize the size of the scare, you can augment the size of the fart by substituting pedo with pedote, or pedotote, or pedototote, and so on.

Example 1:

Memo: Costa Rica le sacó un pedo al Tri en la última eliminatoria mundialista.
Nacho: Pero como de costumbre, los ticos se la pelaron.

Memo: Costa Rica gave a scare to Mexico in the last World Cup qualifyers.
Nacho: But, as usual, Costa Ricans let it slip.

Example 2:

Pepe: Mi chava me sacó un pedototote. Resulta que leyó mal la prueba de embarazo y creyó que estaba en Barcelona.
Paco: Esas chingaderas tienen un amplio margen de error. Al chile creo que deberías decirle que se la haga de nuez. Igual sí vas a ser papá.

Pepe: My girlfriend scared the crap out of me. She misread a pregnancy test and thought she was prego.
Paco: Those little things have a wide margin for error. Straight up, you should tell her to try again. Perhaps you're actually going to be a dad.

In the image below, un burro le está sacando un pedo al niño.

Chingarle

2010-02-19T05:55:00.001-06:00

Disambiguation note: this term is different from chingar and chingadera.

Chingarle (cheen-GAR-leh) means to work hard at something. It is used in expressions such as voy a chingarle un rato más (I'm going to work a little longer) or estuve chingándole a mi tesis del doctorado por cuatro años y todo para terminar escribiendo este pinche blog para gringos que quieren pasarse de lanza y mentar madres cuando vayan a ponerse hasta las nalgas en el DF (I worked my ass off for four years writing my PhD dissertation, all that to end up writing this stupid blog for Americans who want to swear and say insulting things when they get shit-faced in Mexico City).

Just for the record, it takes an average of 5.3 years to complete a PhD dissertation in the social sciences. However, it takes many years more to remove the memory of the silly Renaissance costume that PhD candidates are forced to wear in public in their graduation ceremony.

Pura piña

2010-02-12T05:32:00.000-06:00

The use of this expression by non-native Chilango speakers will make any native really proud. It is informal yet not offensive at all. Pura piña (POO-rah PEE-gnah) literally means "pure pineapple". It is used to refer to something fictitious, made up or simply a decoy. Pura piña is often preceded by la, as in la pura piña.

Example:

Colega: ¡No mames, Menchaca!, cómo le has chingado para obtener el puesto de gerente. Ya ni te veo.
Menchaca: Es pura piña. Me la paso tirando la hueva todo el día hasta bien entrada la noche.

Coworker: Holy shit, Menchaca! you've seriously worked your ass off to be promoted to manager. I don't see you anymore.
Menchaca: It's all fiction. I've been slacking all day until very late in the evening.

Guns: la tartamuda & more

2010-02-09T05:28:00.001-06:00

La tartamuda (lah tar-tah-MOO-tha) literally means "the stuttering (female)". It is a term popularized by the late actor Miguel Galván. It means gun, and when fired repeteadly, guns might sound like a stuttering person. Be wary of anyone threatening to pull out on you la taramuda. Consider immediately surrendering all your belongings to avoid a blood bath.

Other terms for la tartamuda are cohete (lit. fire cracker), fuego (lit. fire), plomo (plumb), fusca and tola (from pistola). The video below shows the performance of Miguel Galván that made the term famous and also earned him the same nikname, la tartamuda. It's a TV ad for a bank.

De a tiro, al tiro

2010-02-06T06:47:00.019-06:00

De a tiro (thee-ah-TEE-roh) literally means "of shot". De a tiro typically precedes adjectives. It is used to emphasize a trait of a person or an attitude.

Al tiro (al-TEE-roh) literally means "at shot". Someone is said to be al tiro if that person is alert and ready, or on top of his or her game.

Cautionary note: It is very different to say de a tiro vs. de a tira, which means "police officer style", and the same happens with al tiro vs. al tira, which means "to the cop".

Example 1:

Benito: No me dí tinta de que me estaba echando lámina.
Gualberto: Estás de a tiro bien pendejo.

Benito: I did not realize she was hitting on me.
Gualberto: You're so fucking oblivious.

Example 2:

Pedro: Reinita, necesito que estés al tiro para la siguiente escena.
Penélope: Tu nomás dí rana.

Pedro: Princess, I need you to be ready for the next scene.
Penelope: I'm ready.

Pedro Almodóvar's movies are highly recommendable, but avoid picking up any expression that you hear in them. It can make you sound really silly if you use it in DF.

Cagante

2010-02-03T06:23:00.000-06:00

Cagante (kah-GUN-teh) literally means "the one who defecates". It means obnoxious, annoying. If you have to use this word frequently, we suggest you quit your job, switch friends, move to another city or find a new significant other. Cagante is both offensive and insulting. Use it with a serious face to increase its effectiveness.

Example:

Televidente: Es como si las televisoras hicieran un concurso para encontrar a la persona más cagante y luego le dieran a los finalistas el puesto de comentaristas deportivos.
Cuate: No te claves, maestro. Nomás apágale al pinche televisor y listo.

TV viewer: It's like if TV networks had a contest to find the most obnoxious person and gave the finalists the job of sports commentators.
Buddy: Drop it, dude. Just turn the TV off and problem solved.

TV personalities in Mexico (as in any other place) are either worshiped or profoundly disliked. Two of them are Mario Bezares and the late Paco Stanley. In the video below you can see why. And you can also see one of them accidentally dropping what allegedly looks like a little bag with a banned substance.

Barco

2010-01-31T05:39:00.000-06:00

A barco (BAR-caw) is a ship. In Mexican slang barco is used as an adjective to refer to somebody, usually a teacher or a supervisor at work, who is not very demanding. Sometimes is also used as a noun to refer to such type of person. GPA-conscious students crowd the classrooms of barcos (to boost their GPA). A superlative for barco is transatlático, which literally means 'transatlantic' and is a reference to ships of a ñero size.

Example:

Estudiante: ¡Chale! Me la voy a pelar con la beca si no subo mi pinche promedio.
Amigote: Alivianate, carnal. El próximo semestre la metes con el Profesor Godínez. Ese güey es súper barco.

Student: Damn it! I'm not gonna get that scholarship if I don't raise my fucking GPA.
Friend: Easy, bro. Next semester you gotta enroll in Mr. Godinez's course. That dude has a very low bar.

Another type of 'barco' that you'll find in Mexico City are Xochimilco's chalupas. These little boats typically navigate around Xochimilco canals, while everybody on board gets shit-faced and visits the bizarre Isla de las Muñecas (Island of Dolls).

Mameluco

2010-01-28T06:10:00.000-06:00

Mameluco (ma-meh-LOO-kaw) is one of those terms highly dependent on context. Its literal meaning is 'onesie'. However, mameluco is used in two ways. First, as a substitute for mamón. Second, as a substitute for mamey or guagüis.

Example 1:

Elber González: Si me pegas un mameluco te prometo que te llevo a cenar a un lugar bien morrocotudo.
Alma Marcela: No tengo hambre.

Elber Gonzalez: If you give me oral sex I will take you out for dinner to a fancy place.
Alma Marcela: I'm not hungry.

Example 2:

Fernando: ¿Cómo te cayeron tu suegros?
Leperino: Bien. Nomás que el ñor es medio mameluco y la doña parece teibolera.

Fernando: How did you like your in-laws?

Leperino: I like them. It's just that her dad is a little uptight and her mom looks like a lap dancer.

Adult onesies are über mamelucos. Avoid them in Mexico City or any other location.

Ahí muere

2010-01-26T05:31:00.002-06:00

This is a solid, old expression that you have to use if you really want to sound like a Chilango or Chilanga. Ahí muere (i-MOOEH-reh) means "it dies there". It is used to convey that a deal, a relantionship or any situation that involves at least to parties with different interests has come to a definitive end.

Example 1:

Diego: Tu te quedas con la custodia de Carlitos, yo me quedo con la casa en Cocoyoc, te paso una pensión y ahí muere la cosa. ¿Cómo ves?
Amanda: Me late.

Diego: You keep the custody of Carlitos, I keep the house in Cocoyoc, give you child support and we call it a deal. How does that work with you?
Amanda: I dig it.

Example 2:

Entrenador: Un round más... ¡échale riñón!
Boxeador: Nel, profe. Ahí muere. Aviente la toalla. Porfas.

Trainer: One more round... Put your heart on it!

Boxer: I don't think so, coach. I'm done. Throw the towell. Please.

En corto, en cortinas

2010-01-23T05:20:00.007-06:00

En corto is a neutral expression that has become a workhorse of Chilango speak. En corto (en-COR-toh) literally means "in short." It is used in three ways: (1) distance, something is said to be en corto if it is really close; (2) immediateness, something happening fast, without much warning; (3) petit comité, an event taking place with the participation of a small number of people. Sometimes en corto is substituted by en cortinas (lit. in curtains) just for fun.

Example1:

Juan: Si quiere compartir el auto yo paso por usted Lupita. Su casa me queda en cortinas.
Lupita: ¿No sería mucha molestia?

Juan: If you want to car-pool I can pick you up, Lupita. Your place is close to my route.
Lupita: Wouldn't I be bothering you?

Example 2:

Carmela: El reven va a ser muy en corto.
Manolo: Chales, creo que ya regué el tepache porque 'forguardié' el mail a toda la oficina.
Carmela: ¡Si serás!

Carmela: The party is going to be petite comité.
Manolo: Oooops, I think I just spread the word. I forwarded the email to the entire office.
Carmela: You dumb ass!

Example 3:

Paco: Y en corto que saca un hacha y me dice "de esta no sales vivo".
Pepe: ¿Un hacha? ¡no mames!

Paco: And suddenly she pulls out an ax and says "you won't walk out of here alive."
Pepe: An ax? You full of shit!

Mamey

2010-01-20T05:24:00.004-06:00

Mamey is a delicious fruit that you can purchase on the streets of Mexican towns (in the right season). It's similar to an orange, sweet and over-sized avocado. It is frequently used to prepare licuados at street stands in DF. Mamey is used in two contexts. First, it is used to refer to people with big muscles, especially of the body-builder type, as in "mi cuñado está re mamey" (my brother-in-law is quite muscled).

Second, mamey is a colorful way to refer to oral sex. It comes from mamada (which in turn derives from mamar, literally 'to suck'). Do not confound the meaning of mamey with the other meaning of mamada, as in jalada.

Other popular terms for oral sex are guagüis (WA-weez) and chivo (chee-VOH, lit. male goat). Wichever term you prefer, it is better to precede it with pegar (lit. to hit), as in: "ando medio mareado porque me acaban de pegar un chivo, pero en 5 minutitos me recupero" (I'm a little dizzy cause I just received oral sex, but I'll be fine in a few minutes).

Ruletero

2010-01-18T06:04:00.003-06:00

|Roo-leh-TEH-roh|

This is a must in Chilango slang because you will end up using it a lot. It literally means taxi driver. As any other congested and hectic city, DF has many thousands of taxis, and there is a whole aura around the life of cab drivers. Something that stands out of Mexico City cabs is that a lot of them are VW Beetles or vochos. They are customized to ease entry and exit by having the front passenger seat removed while you sit at the back seat. Given the small size of the Beetle you can easily chat with the ruletero.

Part of the aura of ruleteros is that they are like Forrest Gump's box of choclates: "you never know what you gonna get." They could be medical doctors or lawyers that for one reason pr another decided to earn a living as ruleteros. Conversations with these guys can be amusing, as they will probably talk about how they ended up there. Other ruleteros are the more common street-philosopher type. Still, politics, traffic and panbol are great conversation topics. Check the example from the post dar en la torre o madre, where the ruletero is providing some deep insights to the passenger.

The word on the street is that some taximeters are tampered. So you should better have a good estimate of the cost of your ride. Otherwise you're at risk of being scammed. One has to be trucha or savvy.

Chafirete (cha-fee-REH-teh) is another word for ruletero and derives from the word chofer (lit. chauffeur). The word ruletero became a classic reference after Perez Prado's "Mambo del Ruletero." Check the video bellow from a movie of the 1950's.

Beware that sometimes hailing cabs on the street may not be safest for foreigners, or even provincianos.

Si serás & Hazte

2010-01-16T05:24:00.000-06:00

These two expressions are blunt hints at the stupidity or lack of truthfulness of the person being spoken to. Si serás (see-eh-RASS, lit. if you shall be) is the tuncation of si serás pendejo, which means "what a dumbass you are". Hazte (ASS-teh, lit. make yourself) is the truncation of hazte pendejo or hazte güey. It means "stop prentending you don't know what's going on".

Since many Mexicans realize what you mean, these two expressions shall be used with care. Do not thow them at people you don't want to offend.

Example 1:

Chalán: No se enoje. ¿Cómo iba yo a saber que no tenía aceite?
Mecánico: Si serás... Ora sí nos pusiste a parir chayotes con tu pendejada.

Assistant: Don't get mad at me. How was I supposed to know it needed oil?
Mechanic: What a dumbass you are. Now we're in deep shit thanks to you.

Example 2:

Fer: ¿Lápiz labial?
Liz: Hazte...

Fer: Lipstick?
Liz: Don't pretend you don't know what I am talking about.

Se te hace de pollo

2010-01-07T05:59:00.002-06:00

Se te hace de pollo (seh-TEHA-ceh the-PAW-jaw) literally means "yours trurns into a chicken one". It is a reference to feeling fear. The old school version of this expression is se me puso la carne de gallina, which means "I got goose bumps (out of fear)". The more modern and insulting expression from which se te hace de pollo comes is se te hizo el culo de pollo, literally "your behind turned into a chicken but."

Example:

Carlos: ¿No que ibas a llamarle a Carmela para invitarla al reventón?
Guillermo: Nel. Se me hizo de pollo. Pero ya habrá otra ocasión para cotorreármela.

Carlos: Weren't you gonna call Carmela to go to the party?
Guillermo: Nope. I chickened out. There will be another occassion to fool around with her.

Reventón, reventar y reven

2010-01-04T06:54:00.002-06:00

These three words are vertebrae of Chilango slang's spinal chord. Reventón (reh-venn-TON) literally means big burst. It is used in reference to a party, but a real one, not a gathering or a dinner party, but an actual party with liquor, music, a dance floor, DJs or live music, etc., that often extends well into the next day. Reventar (lit. to burst) and ir de reventón (lit. to go in burst) both mean to party in such fashion. Reven is just the shortened version of reventón. None of these terms are insulting.

Example:

Abuelita: ¿Qué pasó? ¿Por qué vienes como huevo de perro?
Nieto: Nada abue, vengo llegando del reventón. Hazme un paro con unos chilaquiles bien picosos, ¿no?

Granny: What happened that you look aweful?
Grand daughter: Nothing, granny, I'm just coming back from the party. Could you help me out and fix some very spicy chilaquiles?

Chilaquiles are the quintessential remedy for a dreadful hangover.

Cargarse para adentro

2009-12-31T05:57:00.000-06:00

This is one of those expressions that might overwhelm the listener because of its imagery. Cagarse para adentro (cah-GAR-seh pa-rah DEN-trow) or cargarse pa'dentro literally means to defecate inwards, in the direction opposite to what nature intended. Even though it makes no biological sense, cagarse para adentro denotes quite an abnormal body reaction to a situation, an event or some news. Cagarse used alone is not that dramatic.

Example:

Rogelio: ¿Cómo se tomó tu jefe la renuncia en esta época del año?
César: Se cagó pa'dentro. Están hasta las nalgas de chamba.

Rogelio: How did your boss take your resignation this time of the year?
Cesar: It was a big blow for him. They are swamped with work.

Hacer de chivo los tamales

2009-12-29T05:55:00.009-06:00

This is an old yet sound expression. Hacer de chivo los tamales (ah-cer the-CHEE-boh los tah-MA-less) literally means "to make the tamales with goat". It means to cheat or not keep one's word. Tamales are supposed to have pork or chicken, not goat.

In some contexts is similar to transar and in others to pasarse de lanza. It is not an offensive expression, but since it involves one of Mexican's favorite dishes, it is a really colorful one.

Example:

Doña Macaria: Dicen que desde que su marido se fue al otro lado anda muy contentota.
Doña Rutila: A mí se me hace que le hizo de chivo los tamales al pobre.

Macaria: They say after he left for the States she's been quite happy.
Rutila: I think she's cheating on that poor man.

In Mexico City you have to try the tamales out of the steaming pots of the street puestos. Nothing makes a better morning snack that a tamal.

La invertebrada, etc.

2009-12-27T21:16:00.000-06:00

La invertebrada (the one without vertebrae) is one of dozens of euphemisms for penis (see the "V" word). Here is a list of them:

La de hacer chamacos: The children maker

La sin hueso: The boneless

Chostomo: The chostomo

La vara: Twig

La masacuata: The masacuata

El rifle: The rifle

La voladora: The flying pole

El cara de niño: The baby face

El cíclope: The Cyclops

El gallito inglés: The english cock

La piola: The rope

La reata: ibid.

Al chile

2009-12-24T05:58:00.011-06:00

Al chile (al-CHEE-leh, lit. to the chili) is an expression that Chilangos use in two situations. In one case, al chile precedes a confession that might get one in trouble. In such case, it means the opposite to the figurative expression "sugar-coated". In the other case it means, al chile qualifies an action taken without much care or without thinking, a gut reaction--a synonym of al chile is de huevos. On occasions, al chile can be substituted by al chilazo in order to add emphasis.

Example 1:

Cándido: ¿Qué te pareció?
Gelasio: Al chile me late que ese güey es puro taco de lengua.

Cándido: What do you think about him?
Gelasio: Straight up I believe that dude is full of steamy, stinky shit.

Example 2:

Doctor: ¿Concluyeron el electroencefalograma que pedí?

Enfermera: Ya estufas. Nada más fue al chilazo porque ando en chinga.

Doctor: Did you finish the EEG that I requested?

Nurse: It was done, but in a rush, 'cause I'm in a hurry.

Electroencefalograma is just a fancy term for an electrographic study of the choya (CHAW-ja), i.e. the head.

Jalada, jalado, jalársela

2009-12-19T06:24:00.095-06:00

Jalada (ha-LAH-duh, lit. pull) is a softer version of mamada (ma-MAH-duh), but has the same meaning. An action is referred to as a jalada if it is merciless, vicious or simply has adverse effects on people. Something said by someone is referred to as a jalada if it is unlikely to be true or if it involves stretching the truth quite a bit.

Se la jaló (se-la-ha-LOH) is used to refer to someone that perpetrated or said a jalada.

Jalado (ha-LAH-dough, lit. pulled) is used in reference to something far-fetched, improbable or odd. It is usually used in the expression jalado de los pelos (pull from the hair).

Example 1:

Mamá: ¿Por qué reprobaste conducta otra vez?
Pepito: Ni te fijes. Son jaladas de la miss.

Mom: Why did you fail "Good Behavior" again?
Pepito: Don't even look. The teacher went bananas.

Example 2:

Sofía: Nunca había probado unos tortas de cochinita tan jugosas, tan exquisitas, tan ...
Felipe: Ya, tampoco te la jales. No están mal.

Sofía: I never tasted tortas de cochinita so juicy, so exquisite, so ...
Felipe: Drop it, don't go overboard. They're not bad.

Example 3:

Marcos: Las máscaras son parte de la psique del mexicano, desde la cuna hasta el panteón.
Tacha: Tu choro está súper jalado de los pelos.

Marcos: Masks are part of Mexican psyche, from the cradle to the grave.
Tacha: Your spiel is quite far-fetched.

Luchadores' movies are known for being jaladas de los pelos.

¿Quién pompó?

2009-12-16T05:51:00.001-06:00

In the 1980s Mexico was going through a severe macroeconomic crisis. In those years an artist rose to stardom: Chico Che, together with his band La Crisis. Among several hits, "Quién pompó" became a favorite.

Quién pompó is a childish version of the question quién compró (lit. who bought this). In the context of the song, the question is a hint towards the ugly truth that a lover has succumbed to the wealth of another man, who buys her love with gifts.

Quién pompó is generally used to call attention to somebody's new and shiny things: clothes, accessories, gadgets, rides, etc. It is not offensive but quite colloquial.

The video below shows Chico Che y la Crisis' song "Quién pompó". Even though this is not Chico Che but an impersonator, da el gatazo.