Lately though, I have been thinking about Puerto Rico's lingo/vocabulary and how by now more words have been added but since I haven't been to Puerto Rico in years if I hear any of them I wouldn't know what they mean. Every country have their own vocabulary that most of the time only a person from that country would know what it means. I miss that, miss being around people who speak just Spanish and Puerto Rican lingo. This makes me sad in a way because it feels like I'm loosing some sort of connection with my isla/island. I googled Puerto Rico vocabulary and I found this list. I was laughing as I read through the list, brought back so many memories. Some of the words I had forgotten about. And, just as I thought there are few words I have never heard of. Below are some of them, the rest you can read by clicking here.
Note: There are some curse words.
Note: There are some curse words.
- Achocao (a)= when someone is deep asleep, "out cold".
- Ay, Bendito= It is common for Latin Americans to facetiously call Puerto Rico "The Land of the Ay Bendito," a commentary on the term's popularity as well as the many nuances and eccentricities of its usage. The expression is perhaps best understood as an all-purpose interjection or holophrasis which resembles a lament in appearance but can in fact assume a wide range of connotations or be applied to virtually any context or mood. The term can be used to express (or be interpreted to express) pity, compassion, gratitude, concern, sarcasm, dismay, understanding, disapproval, disappointment, frustration, etc. How the term is interpreted largely depends on the inflection and intonation with which it is said. For instance, depending on the context, the inflection and the intonation with which the word is said, "Ay, Bendito" could be translated as "Dear Lord!", "Oh, dear", "That's too bad, what a shame," "That's cute," "That's the way things go," "I'm so happy for her," "That was really selfless of you," "Please, I insist!," "She's so naive, I almost pity her," "Why do I keep losing my damn keys!" etc.
- Ajilao= Looking ill.
- Agitao (á)= Angry enough to be willing to hit something or someone.
- Aleluya(s), es(son)= mockery towards Protestant Christians
- Amapola= the red hibiscus flower
- ñapa= getting something extra.
- Arranca= get with it, leave, accelerate, let's roll!... also to pull with all your strength.
- Arrancao= lacking of money or in financial problems
- Arrebato= getting high. ex. Aquel va a cojer un arrebato. Also, if the person is already drugged it is: Aquel esta arrebatao.
- Areyto= a Taíno dance and ceremony
- Babilla= street slang for bravery, boldness.
- Batey = the front yard of the compound, but with packed earth, not grass; a Taíno word. Originally it referred to a sport played by the tainos called Batú (bahtoo), not unlike soccer, which was played on such a ground.
- Bata= Sleeping gown
- Bellaco= A pervert or horny. For example "Joselito, eres un bellaco" translates to "Joselito, you are a pervert".
- Bellacrisis= a portmanteau of the words 'bellaco' and 'crisis' (pronounced 'CREE-sees' in Spanish), meaning a great hornyness. Homophonous with the contradictory 'bella crisis' (beautiful crisis)
- Bembé= party.
- Bemba= lips Literally "big lips," or "a person with big lips."
- Bicho= though in other Spanish cultures meaning "small insect" in Puerto Rico it means "dick", in the penis sense.
- Bobo (a) = Another word stupid as in lost or half asleep, and can also mean pacifier.
- Boca de Chopa / Boca-Chopa= "big lips," or "a person with big lips (literally, "cat-fish mouth”). A person who is very loud and opens their widely opens his/her mouth, especially when whining or complaining. “Joanny tiene una boca de chopa” in this case a little girl who is being whiny.
- Bodrogos= Big, ugly, or worn out shoes.
- Bochinche= Gossip, fight, brawl.
- Bon= Someone who drinks a lot, an alcoholic.
- Boricua, Borinca, Borinquen All three words are derived from the Indian name for Puerto Rico ('Borikén') and are used with equal frequency on the island. Puerto Ricans living in the US almost always use Boricua (bohr-REE-kwa), most likely due to it being the only one not specifically gendered when used to refer to people, thus making it more like English in its usage. Also it can be shortened to just "bori".
- Brodel= it refers to brother. You can call any person you want your brodel.
- Bugarrón= A gay man who is a "top."
- Burundanga= a big mixed-up dish of different things; an Africanism
- Burrunazo= A hard hit.
- Cabrón/cabrona= another word that Puerto Ricans use in their common vocabulary, meaning that you got cheated, sometimes it's used to say that something or someone is awesome, for example "esto ta cabrón, this is totally awesome. Steer. Also a derogatory term. Best translation, "ass." In the sense of "jackass," and not "buttocks." Ay, Chino cabrón! "Aye, Chinese jackass!" Oftentimes used as a sign of friendship, in the sense that you can only get away with calling a friend a "cabrón." This translation differs, depending upon which Latin country you are in. For example in Mexico, friends would call one another Cabron, but here in Puerto Rico, it is a man/woman who has been cheated on (by their wive/husband) and they KNOW that they have/are being cheated on; it is intended to be the ultimate insult to one's man/woman-hood, and can lead to malicious attacks, which have been commonly known to end in bloodshed.
- Caco= A juvenile delinquent or a cheap hoodlum. Commonly used, almost pejoratively, towards fans or musicians of reggaeton music. It is similar to the British English word, chav. Also commonly spelled as kako.
- Caculo= A type of big brown or black beetle
- Cacumen=It refers to a big head, or to someone really smart, as if the size of the head had something to do with the amount of intelligence the person has.
- Cafre=A word used to describe a person/action/thing with little or no manners. Vulgar.
- Cangrimanes= the Big Shots, the big talkers, the blowhards, derived from the English "congressman". It is the origin of the modern slang word cangri commonly used by reggaeton artists and fans, which is roughly equivalent to the American hip-hop slang word "tight"(i.e. excellent, of high quality).
- Capicú= from the word Capicúa, a palindrome: a killer final move in a domino game, where the last bone played could fit on either end of the layout; if not once-in-a-lifetime, it's close. Rules of Puerto Rican Dominoes
- Caripelao=Someone mischievous, with no shame but often without malice with more to be about indifference or carelessness.
- Carne-puerco (calnepuelco)= someone who is impolite or has a rude attitude. "Mari se comporto carne-puerca"
- Cemi= stone idols carved by the Taínos.
- Chamaco= small boy or wannabe. Similar to the English term "brat". Ese chamaco no sabe na'.
- Chanchú, chanchuyo=A trap or a business like deal of dubious legitimacy.
- Chavao= in a bad state or condition.
- Chavienda=A word used to express frustration. It could very well be the equivalent of 'crap'. For example, "Esta es la llave equivocada. Que chavienda." It translates to, "This is the wrong key, crap!" It can also be used to describe someone who is awesome for whatever the reason.
- Chavo= a penny or money in general; comes from octavo the 8th part of a Spanish real coin
- Champions= sneakers or tennis shoes.
- Chancleta= a pair of sandals, "flip-flops"
- Chequeré= a percussion instrument, made of a large gourd surrounded by a network of beads, that is shaken to produce a rattly rhythm
- Chévere= A word that has at least two meanings, depending in what context it is used. (1) When you think something or someone is "good" or "OK" or "well made", etc., you might say "'blank' está chévere". (2) When you agree with someone on anything, like when you tell me "I'll pick you up tonight at 8:00pm", and if I agree, I would respond "Chévere".
- China= a sweet orange, called naranja in other Spanish-speaking countries
- Chino/Chinazo= Dry humping, anal sex.Also chinese man
- Chilear= an Anglicism from the English slang "to chill out" or "calm down/relax". Chileate, mano would be "calm down, bro." Similarly, the word "chilin" in the sense of "cool", which incidentally has also made its way into Puerto Rican vocabulary, along with "nice".
- Chonkear= an Anglicism from the English word "to chunk ". Vomiting or someone who wants to vomit.
- Chota= A person who tells on someone. Other term Rat on someone.
- Chumba= From West African. A woman with a flat or small ass.
- Cocotazo= A hit to the head.
- Cohete= A term for slut
- Colgao= A person who is let back or flunk a grade, also is a word that some people say it to bother Dominiki saying uuuy fo un colgao'
- Colmados= country stores, the corner store, usually small mom and pop type businesses. They are often used in diminutive form, colmaditos.
- Comai= a contraction of comadre, godmother. A close woman friend.
- Compai= a contraction of compadre, godfather. A very close male friend.
- Coquí= a small light brown tree frog, about the size of a nickel, native to the Island. Their loud bird-like two-note singing fills the tropical night air, and their songs fill the Puerto Rican heart with homesickness.
- Confley= Cornflake or any type of cereal.
- Corillo= A term for a group. Puerto Ricans refer to their friends as their "corillo".
- Cota= It's a sort of home made night gown, more often associated with babies or kids.
- Crispi=To be extremely angry.
- Cuatro= a typical stringed instrument, smaller than a guitar, and larger than a mandolin, with five sets of doubled strings. Essential for traditional Puerto Rican Christmas music.
- Cucubano= firefly; a Taíno word
- Cuchifritos= various folkloric deep fried fritters and other styles of entrees from Puertorican cuisine commonly found in kiosks or what Puerto Ricans call Cuchilandias or Cuchitriles, cuchitril is also used to describe a filthy or unsanitary place.
- Cuero= can be translated as hooker or ho.; leather. In the culinary sense "cuerito" is roasted pig skin.
- Criolla= this word can be used in many different ways. For example it can be used as the typical food of Puerto Rico (rice, beans, fried chicken, fried pork chops, yuca, tostones, etc.) It can also be used as a reference of going to the bathroom, or rather excrement in itself.
