MISCELLANEOUS

acapulco--a place by the water where guys hang out and drink beer; somebody says Vamos a acapulco and you end up down by a irrigation ditch with a sixpack and tape deck

bembo(BAIM boe)--a jerk, a bimbo

bobo--an idiot or dunce

bicho(BEE choe)--a bug or any tiny animal, an insignificant person, used chidingly like "twerp" or "knucklehead"

bola-- a street brawl, a "rumble"

cachucha(cah CHOO cha)--baseball cap

chévere(CHAY vay ray)--cool, hip, especially in Guatamala and Central America

chiflado(chee FLAH doe) crazy, loony, loco

chinche (CHEEN chay)--bedbug; a pest, obnoxious person

codo--"elbow"; cheap, cheapskate. Can be indicated by just tapping the elbow.

conchudo (cone CHOO doe)--having a shell; a cynic, a "hard case"

corriente (coe ree AIN tay)--cheap, vulgar, common (said of people, or language)

cucaracha--a jalopy or "beater" car

dengue (DAIN gay)--prude, sissy, prissy

feón (fay ONE)--an ugly sucker. Medio feon (or media feona) is "about half ugly"

changuita (chan GHEE tah)--little monkey; your "squeeze", the girl you are making it with at the moment

fresa (FRAY sah)--"strawberry"; yuppies, socialites, dandies. "Preppies" are fresas for sure.

gatas--street slang for a deck of cards

gruexo (groo AIX oh)--a punk, "greaseball", street scum, "biker"

jalonero--good company, a cool person to hang with

lagarto!--lizard; a cry to take away bad luck.

lata--tin can; a hassle, bother, "pain in the butt"

lépero (LAY pay roe)--leper;--a foul-mouthed, obscene creep, a "gross-out artist"

ligue (LEE gay)--from ligar, to tie up; means a sexual or romantic conquest (or conquista (cone KEES tah), as they say)

mamón (mah MONE)--or mamey (mah MAY) a jerk, a pain in the ass

mandilón (mahn dee LONE)--from mandíl, apron; "hen-pecked" or "apron stringed" man.

mero-mero (MAY roe)--the big cheese, big wheel, top shot, the power that be (or somebody who thinks they are).

muy gente (MOO ee HAIN tay)--"very people"; great folks, salt of the Earth, jolly good fellow

naco (NAH coe)--a "nerd" or "hick", low class oaf.

la neta (lah NAY tah)--the "bottom line", the brass tacks, bare facts, "The truth is..."

Ni modo--"it can't be helped", "nothing we can do it about it"; "Oh well..."

palanca--lever; "pull", "clout", "juice" Tiene palanca con el ayuntamiento means "He's got pull at City Hall"

pata--means an animal hoof or paw. Jokingly human feet. Patas arriba means upside down, but in a folksy way like "end over teakettle". Extirar la pata (stretch out the foot) means "kick the bucket".

pissed off--encabronado (ain cah broe NAH doe).

pichón (pee CHONE)--pigeon; a "sucker", "chump", or "mark"

ranfla--border slang for a custom rod or "low rider"

saco!--said when breaking wind

tartamuda (tar tah MOOD ah)--stutterer, but refers to an automatic weapon, a metralleta or "burp gun".

tianguis (TYAHN geese)--swap meet, flea market

tirar la vuelta--"throw the corner"; to die

trompillo (trome PEE yoe)--"the raspberry", farting sound with lips

quedada--wallflower (one left or ignored)

zonzo--a moron a gooner