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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 I'm a big zero, or does it?

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  • Although not a direct answer to your question, there is a popular mexican expression that includes "cero" in it. Example: > Eres un cero a la izquierda. Which means that you are worthless because zeros on the left, such as this example 01 = 1, don't count.
    – Alfredo Osorio
    Commented Jan 11, 2012 at 0:17
  • a pretty angry girl is ambiguous.
    – Lambie
    Commented Sep 12, 2019 at 15:58

5 Answers 5

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The Diccionario del español de Nicaragua by Francisco Arellano Oviedo of the Academia Nicaragüense de la Lengua defines it as solid excrement, an incapable person, or a person of little social worth:

cerote.
m. mals.

Mierda sólida. Arturo come maduro, cerote duro. (dicho popular).

|| 2. desp. Persona incapaz. El que llegue por último es cerote de chancho. (Dicho popular usado por los niños.)

|| 3. desp. Persona de poca valía social. --Enrique, me alegra verte, cómo vas a creer que esos cerotes me hayan descuidado la yegua. J.E. Argüello, LHA. p. 146

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  • 4
    So I am a "Mierda sólida" :(
    – César
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 21:14
  • 1
    What was the remark *Cerote" or "Cerrote"
    – Fortunato
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 21:22
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Cerote is the definition for a piece of shit, but if you are in Guatemala, for instance, cerote could be a friendly way to say that you did something wrong or impolite, for example:

Cerote, esa era mi cerveza / Man, that was my beer

Also it could be used for a greeting in a close friendship

¿Qué hay cerote? ¿cómo vas? / What's up, dude?

If you want to denigrate someone

Ese cerote es bien mula / That guy is really dumb

Also, can be used to express your admiration to someone

Que cerote pa' jugar fut / You are so good in soccer

But if an unknown person come to you saying that, well, nobody will do that. If they really want to say something mean to you, they will use some other words like

Cerote, hijo de la gran p....

Ok that one doesn't need explanation.

I'm Guatemalan, and that word is part of my daily life vocabulary. And by the way, we mostly all the time pronounce it like serote!

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From the point of view of Mexican Spanish:

"Eres un cerote" does mean you're a big zero, a nothing or worthless.

and

"Eres un cerrote" means you are a big turd or crap.

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  • Same here in Spain about 'cerote'. Although not common at all, I think most people would understand that. And never heard of 'cerrote' with double R.
    – Sergio Tx
    Commented Sep 20, 2016 at 22:05
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A cerote is a pebble of shit, so only babies shit cerotes.

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Cerote es como decir:

You are a shit

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