The use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially.
3
votes
3answers
57 views
How to translate “News Junkie” to Spanish?
Does anyone know what would be the right translation of the term "news junkie" to Spanish?
Or a term which better fits as most used translation for it?
12
votes
3answers
314 views
Internet Chat laughter in Spanish
In English we tend to use:
lol = laughing out loud;
rofl = rolling on the floor laughing;
lmao = laughing my a** off;
roflmao = rolling on the floor laughing my a** off.
These are just some of the ...
7
votes
4answers
347 views
How did the words “mataburros” and “tumbaburros” come to mean “dictionary”?
The recent question about irregular plurals led me to a couple of odd and interesting words that apparently mean "dictionary" in at least one sense each:
mataburros
tumbaburros
The connection ...
4
votes
2answers
125 views
¿Qué significa “tuanis”?
¿Cuál es el significado de la palabra tuanis? ¿Se escribe tuani o tuanis? ¿En cuáles regiones se usa? Y, ¿es una palabra muy informal, o se puede usarla en otros contextos también?
6
votes
2answers
605 views
Is there a translation for “cougar”?
I mean cougar as in a middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man. I know the term asaltacunas, but this applies to both men and women, so I would like to know if there is a ...
5
votes
2answers
231 views
“Chinga” - common slang? Origin?
I've heard the Spanish slang word "chinga" used in several popular movies/tv shows, as well as by other Spanish speakers, as the English word "f*ck".
My friend denies the notion, saying "chinga" is ...
9
votes
6answers
2k views
What does the slang “cerote” mean?
I know this is a slang expression from Central American people. I don't remember the context but it was something like:
Eres un cerote! (from a pretty angry girl)
I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean ...
6
votes
2answers
136 views
“Po” for “pues” - anywhere else but Chile?
I recently met someone from Chile who used "po" as a contraction of "pues" - and said that this is common usage in Chile. Is it used anywhere else?
Recientemente conocí una chilena que utiliza "po" ...
-1
votes
1answer
457 views
Common Spanglish Words [closed]
What are commonly used Spanish words that are actually Spanglish (mix between English and Spanish)? Examples that I've heard, that I think are Spanglish, are
El Cheque the check/bill - should be ...
9
votes
3answers
188 views
“Antier” para expresar el día anterior a ayer
Hace unos días mientras me encontraba cambiando de canal en la televisión por cable, escuche una conversación de una pelicula americana doblada al español. Dos personas estaban en un bar conversando. ...
6
votes
1answer
957 views
What does “que lo que” means?
Whenever I talk to a friend (Dominican I believe) via chat like Gtalk, he always starts the conversation with:
klk
I did some research about that and found that, in fact, it comes from the ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
How prevalent is the phrase “qué padre”?
Here in Mexico, the slang phrase qué padre (or various forms such as muy padre, etc) are quite common, with the meaning "how cool".
Is this just Mexican slang, or do other regions use the same ...
10
votes
1answer
126 views
How can I know if a word or phrase should be avoided due to regional variations?
Say that I want to write some blog posts or news articles in Spanish. Are there any useful resources (e.g. books, websites or guidelines) that one could use in order to write “neutral” Spanish, that ...
10
votes
2answers
625 views
Bueno as hello or greeting?
In the US State I live in, I sometimes hear Spanish speakers greet one another by simply staying "Bueno". I didn't hear this when I was recently in Mexico, although I realize I may just have not ...
5
votes
5answers
534 views
Argentine slang 're'
In Argentina I often hear the word (or prefix?) 're' meaning 'very/real/really'
Some examples are:
La prueba fue re difícil
La película era re chota
Estoy re bien
Is 're' an ...
8
votes
7answers
1k views
How should I translate “he is a pain in the ass”?
When referring to someone you don't like Americans (or English speakers) often use the sentence "he is a pain the ass", the literal translation to the Spanish is
es un dolor en el trasero
...
3
votes
3answers
327 views
Connotations of “mortal” (slang)
What does the Spanish word mortal mean when used as slang? Does it have a positive or negative connotation towards the thing being described?
6
votes
2answers
244 views
What's the meaning of the Mexican expression “se te va el avión”?
Example:
Te lo dije tres veces y de todos modos no lo hiciste. A ti ya se te va el avión.
¿No te acordaste de tu cumpleaños? La verdad es que a ti ya se te va el avión.
What does it mean?
...
7
votes
1answer
279 views
Where does the alternate meaning for “mateo” come from?
When I was studying Spanish in college the teacher went around the room asking our names and how we had learned the language up to that point. When it came to be my turn I responded with, "Soy ...
5
votes
4answers
190 views
How regional or widespread are the colloquial “pa” / “pa'” in place of “para”?
In Mexico I sometimes heard or saw the colloquial variant pa' or pa used for para.
But is this just a Mexicanism, also used in Central America, all Latin America, or even in Spain?
6
votes
2answers
722 views
Origin of the mexican expression “güey/buey”
The common Mexican informal expression "güey/buey" (written as "wey" in text).
Where did it come from?
Since when did it become a common expression?
Examples:
A que güey estás. (You are so ...
3
votes
5answers
187 views
Is there a colloquial Spanish equivalent for “to get it” in the sense of grasping a concept?
I was just writing in our chat room that I didn't "get" what one of the other questions was trying to ask.
But I was writing in the chat room in Spanish and realized I didn't know how to say "get" in ...
5
votes
1answer
109 views
Was the word “bomb” only used as slang in Chile and only in the '80s?
In the hit novel Mala honda by Chilean author Alberto Fuguet I remember the word "bomb" being used a lot.
It's obviously a slang word. I think it was only used in dialogue. I got the impression it ...
4
votes
2answers
106 views
How widespread was (or is) the phrase “La mamá de Tarzán”?
I came across the phrase "La mamá de Tarzán" when reading Los años con Laura Díaz by top Mexican author Carlos Fuentes.
The part of the book was set in the early part of the 20th century if I recall ...
1
vote
1answer
129 views
Are there vulgarities in Spanish that are universal throughout the language?
The vulgar words I'm familiar with all seem to be local slang. Does Spanish have any words that are universally accepted as vulgar or profane?
