Juan of Words

Mexi-Vocabulario: ¡Alcahueta!

It’s one of the most offensive words you could use to describe a comadre, as I learned not too long ago.  Then again it’s also one of our favorite words to make fun of ourselves with.  ¡Alcahueta! 

Good usage: Hay ando yo de alcahueta p’arriba y p’abajo y ni siquiera me había dado cuentade lo que andaban haciendo… (There I am going with them  here and there and I didn’t even know what they were doing)

Bad usage:  Esa tipa, she’s always trying to get you to do things… ¡Alcahueta!  Read More

Mexi-Vocabulario: ¡Chale! ¡Huevón! ¡A Toda Madre!

This one is three-fer… as in three for one!  You know us mexicanos love a great deal.  Well, you all have been sharing so many great mexi-vocabulario words lately that it only made sense to do more than just one on this time around.

So, consider this the “blue-light” special of mexi-vocabulario! Read More

Mexi-Vocabulario: ¡Guey/Wuey!

By far.  By very far!  This single word is the one that non-Spanish speakers always ask me about the most.  It never fails.  As soon as language comes up as a topic of conversation.  Specifically popular words used by Mexicans in Spanish here in Texas, the following question usually follows: What does that word mean that all Mexican guys use… it’s like “way” or “woo-ay”?  Is it a bad word? Read More

Mexi-Vocabulario: ¡Rifandomela!

As in rifar,to risk it, put it all on the line, or to arriesgarse.  You might have heard the expression arriesgarse el pellejo.  That’s one of those phrases we grew up with, usually when guys were sitting around drinking some beers and shooting the breeze.  It always made whatever anecdote they were relaying seem so much more daring and impressive.  Even when that cuento might have been a fib, or at the very least partially made up, it still sounded bien macho when they threw in the words arriesgandome el pellejo.  ¡Me la estuve rifando bien feo! Read More

Mexi-Vocabulario: ¡Chusma!

Chusma, as in “muchedumbre de gente vulgar” (crowd of vulgar people), as defined by the Real Academia Española… is probably best interpreted for meaning by one of the countless encounters between Don Ramón and Doña Florinda on El Chavo del Ocho, where Quico, of course, was always the culprit behind their ongoing bickering.  In fact, chusma is one of those words that can easily be understood even if you don’t speak a lick of Spanish. Read More

Mexi-Vocabulario: ¡Mitotero!

A ver, so… yo por andar de mitotero ¡mira nada más de lo que me enteré!

Mitotero, the only word in that sentence that stood out to me.  Mostly in telenovelasand variety shows is where I’ve heard it before since at our house metiche andchismoso were much more common.  And apparently there are a couple of different definitions of what exactly mitotero means. Read More