Sóbese

¡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

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

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

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

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

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

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.