List of Chicano Caló words and expressions
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The following is a list of words and expressions found in the Chicano slang language known as Caló, also spelled "Calo" and "Kalo" by modern Chicano youth. It does not list words and expressions of the language of the Spanish Roma people, which is also called Caló, except where these have been incorporated into Chicano Caló. Nor does it list Mexican slang words and expressions unless they have originated in Pachuco Caló or have been incorporated into it with altered meaning. A few words can be traced to various Uto-Aztecan languages.
It is also worthy of note that several of these expressions are altered by members of a particular neighborhood or in a whim. so, the expression: 'chafa' (low quality) can be heard as 'chafaldrana', 'chafoso', 'chafarrafa', or other variations.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
- a ponemos chancla
- (from chancla, Nahuatl for sandal) "Let's dance". The grammar is deliberately incorrect.
- águila
- (lit. "eagle") "Be alert"
- aguas
- "to be alert, be careful"
- Araisas
- Arizona
- A.T.M.
- a toda madre (great, fantastic, out of sight)
- bolillo
- derogatory term for "white boy" or "white guy," similar to "cracker" in American slang. Derived from the white dinner roll of the same name.
- bomba
- (also "bomb") a lowrider car or truck from the 1930s - mid-1950s
- bote
- (literally: "can") jail or prison; also, a lid of marijuana.
- Burque
- a contraction of the old spelling of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Originally spelled "Alburquerque"
- cabulear
- to "bullshit"; to "chew the fat with"
- Cali
- (also "Kali") California
- Califas
- California
- calcos
- shoes
- chanclas: shoes
- Caló
- a language used by Chicanos or Mexican-Americans, derived from the name of the Spanish Gypsy (gitano) dialect, Caló
- canicas
- (lit. marbles) love; balls, genitals(male); also "andar a canicas"(walking around naked).
- cantón
- home; house; apartment
- carnál
- brother; close friend; homeboy
- careja
- all at once, burdon, blows
- cagua
- beer
- catos
- fistfight, fisticuffs
- chafa
- low quality
- chale
- (from Échale, "Throw it out") "No"; "No way" (this expression is much more complicated, it could also be used as the interjection: 'get out of here' to express disbelief or disconfort)
- chamaco/a
- kid (can be a child or teenager), also used as a sometimes endearing adjective meaning "young"
- chante
- home; place of origin
- chapete
- used by Surenos to disrespect nortenos
- chato
- a common-nickname, someone with a flat-nose
- chapucero
- (also chapocero or El Chapo Cero) amateurish and clumsy; a fool; probably derivative of chupón, "sucker"
- chavala
- (from Gypsy/Gitano Calo) little girl; also used as an insult for a man that lacks courage
- chavalo
- (from Gypsy/Gitano Calo) little boy
- cheve
- beer
- Chicali
- a fond name referring to the border city Mexicali, Baja California in Mexico, esp. used by current or former residents of the city
- chichiriscuís
- spiffy; fancy
- chihuahuita
- some one from Chihuahua city
- chilango
- some one from Mexico city
- chile
- a homosexual
- chilo
- awesome or cool
- chingazos, chingadazos
- (lit. "big fucks") arguments; fights
- chino
- curly-haired person and also any Asian
- chiquillo/a
- little boy or girl
- chiva
- (lit. "goat") heroin
- choclos
- dress shoes
- cholo
- (from Spanish word meaning mestizo or Hispanicized Indian) gang banger; gangster; street tough
- chorizo
- thief
- chota
- police (mex) usu. "La Chota"
- chuk
- abbreviation of "Pachuco"
- chucho
- dog
- clica
- (also spelled "clika" and "clique") gang
- cojones
- testicles; bravery
- con safos
- (frequently abbreviated as "c/s") "Nobody can mess with this" (possibly from Arabic derived Spanish zafo = unobstructed, clear, safe, intact)
- Corpitos
- Corpus Christi TX
- cotorrear
- (from Spanish word "cotorro" a parrot, known to be a chatterbox) to hang out..chit chat with the home boys
- cuervo
- (lit. "crow") street slang for a street savy African American
- cuerno de chivo
- (mex) AK-47
- cuete
- gun (corruption of Sp. "cohete" = rocket)
- de aquellas
- (lit. "from those over there") "the best"
- East Los
- East Los Angeles, California
- echa la cookie
- fast, as in running fast
- El Pasiente
- El Paso
- empanzonar
- impregnate
- enjaular
- to lock up
- entacucharse
- to dress up
- escamado
- scared
- esquina
- help, give a hand
- esquinar
- help out.
- esquentate
- beat it, get lost
- esquentar
- to hit
- esquentatelo
- hit him
- ésa
- chola
- ése
- (lit. "that one", "that guy") cholo; dude; guy; man
- esponges
- lie as in no esponges ese
- esponges
- angry, as in no te esponges == don't get angry
- fajates
- blew it
- feria
- (lit. "fair", as in "county fair") but directly references the homonym "fare") money
- filero
- knife
- firme
- cool (as in "hip"); good
- frajo
- cigarette
- fresa
- prep
- fusca
- gun
- gacho
- mean or in bad taste
- gafas
- sunglasses
- gavacho
- (also "gabacho") white person
- grifa
- marijuana (whence the US slang word "reefer"; derived from "grifo")
- grifo
- (lit. "faucet") marijuana addict; someone who is always "prendido", or "lit"
- guacha
- (also "wacha") "Look"; "Watch"
- guaino
- Wino
- güero
- (also "huero" or "weddo") white person; light skinned, blue eyed/blond person
- güisa
- (also "wisa" and "weesa") woman; girlfriend
- homeboy
- (also "homie") 1) a very close associate usually identified as someone from one's own barrio or neighborhood; 2) a person with whom one identifies closely with implying a strong loyalty toward; possibly derivative of Spanish hombre
- homes
- (also "holmes") variation on the word "homeboy", used to identify a friend
- -illo/-illa
- suffix, often endearing, added to a wide variety of nouns and adjectives to describe small stature, size, or magnitude
- jaina
- (also spelled "hayna", "heina", and "hayna") woman; honey; girlfriend
- jefa/jefecita
- mother
- jefe/jefecito
- (lit. "boss") father
- jura
- police
- lambáche
- suck ass
- lambuscon
- suck ass
- lana
- (lit. "wool") money
- laneta
- "the truth" or an unquestionable axiom (as in "es laneta" means "that's the truth"), also tends to be followed with "que" as its universal conjunction to other words such as "laneta que el otro dia..." meaning "the truth is that the other day…"
- lanzar chingadazos
- throw blows
- leño
- marijuana cigarette
- leva
- coward
- llantas
- (lit. "tires") a term for homemade sandals or beat-up shoes, also used to refer to extra fat acquired around the waste (similar to "rolls" or "love handles")
- llevanate
- behave, be cool, chill out
- litro
- cigarette lighter
- lisa
- shirt
- loc
- (pronounced "loke") short for "loco"; a street crazy; hardcore street tough, also maddogs or heavily tinted sunglasses
- Longos
- Long Beach, CA
- Los
- Los Angeles, CA
- loquiar
- to lock
- machin
- excellent, high-achieving, outstanding
- manflora
- (also manfi) lesbian, dyke
- maricon
- (also marix) homosexual, gay man
- máscara
- face
- mayate/mayata
- derogatory for a dark-skinned male/female, usually African American; der. from mayatl (Nahuatl) an insect
- mayatero
- someone who tries to "act black" such as saying the word nigga, or wearing extremely oversized clothes
- melena del padrote
- a pimp's ducktail haircut
- mexa
- from a Mexican origin
- mojado
- wetback ..any immigrante crossing the Rio Grande river (mostly Mexican)
- mono
- movie
- mono
- the devil; demon
- mota
- slang for marijuana
- naranjas
- no
- narices
- no
- negro
- (lit. "black") a somewhat affectionate term for a darker skinned individual of whatever race, e.g. chicano, African American or others (e.g. "vamos mi negro").
- nel
- no
- no hay pedo
- no problem; no sweat
- norteno
- street chapter of the neustra familia prison gang, rivals of the Surenos, associated with the color red and the number 14, tend to act like mayateros and refer to non-chicanos as "wetbacks" and use the word nigga
- norteta
- used by Surenos to disrespect nortenos
- no te quetes
- don't get depressed
- Órale
- "Right on"; "Alright!"
- Pachuco
- a native or resident of El Paso, Texas, later extended to mean all Mexicans and Mexican Americans adopting aspects of Pachuco culture such as dressing in zoot suits and speaking Caló.
- paisa (from 'Paisano')
- (also "border brother") a somewhat affectionate term for recent immigrants from Mexico
- pancho
- (orig. nickname for the first name "Francisco") crying or complaining, used with the verb "hacer" i.e. "tu haces mucho pancho!" meaning "you do a lot of complaining"
- panzón
- fat man
- panzona
- fat woman; pregnant woman
- pásame las tres
- "Let me have a drag" (of a cigarette)
- pedo
- (literally "fart") intoxicated; 'estar pedo'
- pedo
- problem; 'no hay pedo'
- pestaña (pestañear)
- (lit. eyelash) to sleep
- pinta
- jail; prison (more specifically)
- pisto
- beer; can of beer (more specifically); also general term for alcoholic beverage
- placa1
- tattoo
- placa2
- (literally "badge") police
- placa3
- a person's graffiti tag
- ponerse al alba
- to get with it
- ponerse zafado
- to get high on marijuana
- putazo
- a big punch.
- prendido
- high on drugs; high on marijuana (most common)
- qué onda
- "what's up"
- quemar llanta
- to burn rubber (as in driving)
- Quilmas
- San Quentin prison
- ¿Quiubo? (Quíhubo, Qiobo. quióboles)
- (from "Qué hubo" meaning "What was there?"} "What's going on?"; "What's up?"
- ranfla
- car; lowrider car (more specifically)
- rifamos
- "We rule"
- refin
- food
- refinando
- eating
- refina
- to eat
- rola
- song
- ruca
- (literally: "old woman") girlfriend; woman
- ruco
- Old man
- Salas
- Salinas, CA
- Sancha
- Girlfriend on the side; secret (or not) lover
- Sancho
- Boyfriend on the side; secret (or not) lover
- Sanjo
- (pronounced "San Ho") San Jose, California
- San Anto
- San Antonio, Texas
- San Pancho
- San Francisco
- San Pipas
- San Pedro
- sentirse aviador
- to feel high or drunk
- Serio/a
- for real (also spelled Cerio/a)
- simón
- "Yeah", often combined with ese: simonese
- soda
- slang for cocaine
- soflamera
- whinner
- songas
- songs
- Sureno
- southerner, originated from La eMe (or Mexican Mafia), associated with the color blue and the number 13, many speak spanish and keep true to their roots
- Estéicis
- (from shoe manufacturer "Stacey Adams") a brand of dress shoes favored by pachucos and swingers; a generic term for polished dress shoes
- taconmadre
- (lit. "with mom") the best, or something really good, outstanding.
- tacuche
- (literally: "suit") zoot suit; fancy clothing
- talonear
- to walk, also to con
- tecato
- heroin addict
- tira
- police
- tirar la masa
- (lit. "to throw corn dough") to defecate
- tirarlo a leon
- (lit. "to ignor") to blow off, to forget about it
- tirar tripa
- (lit. "to throw guts") to vommit
- torcido
- (lit. "twisted") jail time; locked up in prison (most specifically)
- torta
- (lit. "cake") derogatory slang for a fat female
- tortilla
- lesbian
- traer cola
- to be on parole
- tragazón
- food
- tramos
- pants
- trinquetiar
- to cheat; to mess (someone) up
- trola
- cigarette lighter, match
- trucha
- (lit. "trout") "Watch out"; smart; wise
- tubos
- socks
- turiquear
- to get along; to communicate
- un Abril
- (also "un abro") a year's jail sentence
- vaisa
- grip (possibly derived from vise grip)
- varrio
- neighborhood or 'hood (variation of barrio)
- vato
- dude; guy; man
- vieja
- (lit. "old lady") girlfriend, wife
- volar
- (lit. "to fly") to hurry
- wilo, güilo
- skinny
- wilo, güilo
- male prostitute
- yesca
- (also "yeska") marijuana
- yonka
- bike
- ¿Y qué?
- "And what?"; "So?" (used to question, add emphasis, or challenge someone)
- zafado
- goofy
- zafo
- I'm out, I bail out. (used when asking for volunteers); derived from/related to con safos (see above)
- zoot suit
- an outfit of male clothing consisting of large pants which become narrower towards the bottom, a stylish, a nice looking jacket which matches with the pants, and a long chain running from the pocket (zoot suit originated in the southwest U.S.)
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