Difference in meaning in both languages or regions, be careful where you use these words;)

Question

I am posting this under vocabulary as this is mostly about words

Yesterday I had a lot of fun talking with my friends on skype where we discussed some very nasty slang, some not so nasty, jeje, this is what gary said:

where are you getting this stuff Heidi?

So you can imagine, jeje

Anyway, I was really surprised at the following.

The sentence I brought up was that a certain group of women were called dogs, so I thought, hmmm, the other day we had a thread by some guys asking "where are my dawgs?" meaning: Where are my friends?"

So I asked if those women were friends.

To my utter surprise, I was told that a woman who is called a "real dog"...is UGLY!

And then they went on saying, hey, and a woman is a real fox...when she is really PRETTY!

Now, there is when I started to tell the guys, hey!!!

[1:20:11] Heidita: now you be REAL careful not to call a woman in Spanish a fox REAL CAREFUL

In Spanish a woman being called a dog:

Esa mujer es una perra.

This can mean she is a liar, a bad person...

Esa mujer es una zorra.

Only one meaning possible, please look at the definition (3) here.

Ok, so what I would like to do here, is to point out some slangy wordings, without ever getting into anything nasty, please post the link to the definition ( ) and we can all avoid using some words we think are normal or even nice and get a slap in the face or a punch in the eye

I am thinking about words used differently in Spanish speaking countries or differences of usage in Spanish and English.

• Oh yes...In America for a woman to be called a fox is the ultimate compliment. to be called a dog is the ultimate insult. - amykay Oct 26, 2011
• dawgs can be used when discussing a football (american) team, for example at a UofW Huskies rally you might hear 'go dawgs'! - DrBob Oct 29, 2011

Answer 1

Bicho: means "a bug" in most Spanish speaking countries. In Puerto Rico, however, it refers to a man´s uh... pride and joy, so be careful!

• oh my! I guess even gekkos have "pride and joy"? hee hee - amykay Oct 26, 2011
• En serio? jejeje, ves, lo que yo decía, jeje, divertido - Heidita Oct 26, 2011
• Bicho can also refer to a homosexual. - Jeremias Oct 27, 2011
• I have seen this mentioned on the forum before. Do people in Puerto Rico use a different word for "bug" then? (without the double entendre!) - Netjert Oct 27, 2011

Answer 2

Palo is a stick or a pole, but in Mexico (I believe) this could mean you know what.

I remember commenting about this in the Palabra del día thread for "palo." It was quite funny because of the double meanings. (Siento ser tan malpensado )

• en serio???, pues lo voy a poner....jejeje, verás en mi pueblo, es algo super diferente, me alegro verte poner un post, amigo - Heidita Oct 26, 2011

Answer 3

I like the:

I'm very excited!

¡Estoy muy excitado!

Lo oigo con frecuencia, y de verdad, me hace reír mucho.

• for everybody: look up excitado in teh dictionary, jeje, it is sooooooooooooooo different;) - Heidita Oct 26, 2011
• Dije ese una vez hace dos años, nunca jamás. - Jack-OBrien Oct 26, 2011
• jejeje - Izanoni1 Oct 26, 2011

Answer 4

The slang term for a cigarette in England is a very insulting word in America.

• Oh, yes that is so true! - mountaingirl Oct 26, 2011
• But, it didn't used to be bad. It used to mean "a bundle of sticks." - MrSillyInc Oct 27, 2011
• Well, I should say, that used to be it's only meaning. It can still mean that, but you'd have to explain it to someone if you meant it that way. - MrSillyInc Oct 27, 2011
• Yes very true :) - FELIZ77 Nov 4, 2011

Answer 5

I have only just seen this on another thread:

torta.

Now, you , being a man, ask a woman in Spain:

¡Oye, dame una torta!

You are in for a surprise She will slap you right in the face, jeje

You go to Mexico and say the same thing:

she will give you a sandwich...in other countries a piece of cake...

• A sandwich, yes, but only one made with a telera... :) - mountaingirl Oct 26, 2011
• Yes, a piece of cake here in Guatemala! - --Mariana-- Oct 26, 2011
• Just don't say she is a tart! - annierats Oct 27, 2011

Answer 6

Concha: in most places it means either shell or fruit peel. However, in some South American countries, "concha" means a woman's uh... prized "jewel" box?

• So many smirks about it being an acceptable name for a woman in Spain!!! :) - mountaingirl Oct 26, 2011
• Yep. - --Mariana-- Oct 26, 2011
• oh yes, conchita or concha...even though, we also use it in "your" sense, gekko, jeje - Heidita Oct 27, 2011

Answer 7

Well here comes the broken record yet again.

Nothing wrong with learning and understanding the slang and palabrotas in Spanish. Keep in mind there is a code of polite behavior and in public these things are just simply not used.

Mexicans, despite all that you hear about the palabrotas can be quite prudish.

When you are in a familiar environment,with friends the whole lexicon of these words and phrases might come out, but the wrong phrase at the wrong time and place can have awful results.

I see the estrañeros here in Mexico insult people unintentionally trying to be cute,I am embarrassed for, and by them. It don´t work, and you make no friends that way. You must have some mastery of the language and know where and whom you are with before getting into these things.

I am a learner, when I am with my close friends, we may call each other names that would surely cause a bar fight, but we know how and when to do it. I for one would never consider using anything in the slang lexicon as move around the city and deal with people.

Be careful, very careful, many of these things have multiple meanings, depending on the country and even the region.

• you re quite right, this is so true, we get this here all the time too, people trying to be funny...bien dicho amigo:) - Heidita Oct 27, 2011
• So true - it's better to speak the standard for the country than to try to mix it up, unless with freinds who will laugh hyusterically instead of punching you in the face! - mountaingirl Oct 27, 2011

Answer 8

Be careful, too, when using in Spain certain pronominal forms of verbs like:

To throw to someone - Tirarse a (alguien)

tiré la basura = allowed

me tiré a = forbidden

To run - Correrse

¡Corre!= allowed

¡Córrete! = forbidden

To put to someone (intransitive) -Poner

¿Me pones un vaso de agua?= allowed

¿Me lo pones? = allowed

¿Me pones? = forbidden

---

Also, a very frequent word like dust (polvo) has several meanings:

The dust normally means just "the dust" -something to be cleaned-, but a dust (said this way, and especially when preceeded by "to throw") can only mean having sex. So careful with these nuances:

Tengo que sacar el polvo =allowed

tengo que echar un polvo = forbidden

---

Also, be aware that the masculine jewel usually takes the femenine gender (whereas the femenine one will take the masculine). When you are using pronouns to replace a noun make sure that the context is clear enough! If not, the risk becomes very, very high.

For example:

He touches her hand - le toca la mano - se la toca

Se acerca a ella y le toca la mano = allowed

Se acerca a ella y se la toca = .... think of it!

Don't be surprised if people start to laugh after hearing "se la toca"

• But it depends on the conext, doesn't it. For example, if you say: correte hacia alla, por favor, (while waiting in a line, for instance) there is nothing wrong with it - bomberapolac Oct 27, 2011
• si bombera, eso se puede decir, pero por lo demás, cogu, genial el mensaje, jejeje, eso de prohibido me ha encantado, señores, busquen en el diccionario;) - Heidita Oct 27, 2011
• When I was living in Madrid, one of our maids on arriving in the morning used to announce with some regularity, "¡Huele a polvos!" (and then laugh hysterically). - samdie Oct 27, 2011

Answer 9

Palo is a stick or a pole, but in Mexico (I believe) this could mean you know what.

Pues en España:

¡Vaya palo!

This can mean they ripped you off in a restaurant--

or

Omg...such bad luck, that's bad news....

• Interesting! - Deanski Oct 26, 2011

Answer 10

Palo is a wonderfully multipurpose word in Venezuela:

Palo 'e Ron / Palo e' Güisqui: a stiff drink of rum / whisky

Palo de agua: a great big downpour

Darle palo: hit / beat someone up (careful! See Deanski's post. In other countries this could have a seriously embarrassing alternative meaning!)

Palo (Money): millions - 10 Palos - 10 million

Palo de hombre: worthy, manly man.

Caerse a palos: drink heavily

Palazo: to hit with a stick. In baseball, a great hit.

• pufff, para que veas, este hilo puede ser divertido, jeje, nada de eso se usa en españa - Heidita Oct 26, 2011

Answer 11

Exercise caution when using the word "chaqueta" in Mexico (and maybe some areas of Central America, I don't know.) A jacket in Mexico is referred to as a "chamarra". "Chaqueta" is not used in polite company and rarely refers to an article of clothing.

• Oh no.. I know I've said this.... - MLucie Oct 26, 2011
• hmmm::looking this up right away:::: no idea, in Spain it can only mean jacket, weird, jeje - Heidita Oct 27, 2011
• o m g, lol, well well...we certainly don't want to mix that one up, jejejeje, this one is really funny, such an innocent word indeed - Heidita Oct 27, 2011
• Oh, I have doubled your post. Sorry for that. I haven't noticed it, though ;) - bomberapolac Oct 27, 2011

Answer 12

Speaking of differences amongst English speaking countries: A friend of mine is a nurse in the United States. She worked for a couple of years in Australia as a nurse, where the verb "to nurse" apparently is commonly used to refer to a nurse helping a patient. In the US "to nurse" means only to give suck to a baby. My friend said that when one of her Australian colleagues said to her "Why don;t you go into room 102 and nurse the new patient" she replied that she absolutely would not!

• I live in the US and we would say that. Like the phrase, nurse back to health, or nursing a patient, I hear that all the time here. - Markster200 Oct 26, 2011
• Hmm, I think you can say "nurse a patient" in the US, too, but maybe it differs regionally. - RosaVerde Oct 26, 2011
• In other countries as well, apparently they say "nurse a beer/drink," whilst here in the US I think it's more common to say "milk a beer/drink," which my British/Canadian friends found strange. - RosaVerde Oct 26, 2011
• In the UK we use nurse in both ways, we nurse a baby, as if breastfeed, or we an nurse a patient. Context makes clear what you mean. - MaryMcc Oct 26, 2011
• Yes, of course "to nurse a patient back to health", but just "to nurse a patient"? I am not familiar with the abbreviated form in the US. - mountaingirl Oct 26, 2011
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Answer 13

Cute

Mary's post reminds me of a cute little thing guys say (I don't think it has disappeared altogether, I'll ask my son if he's familiar with it)

"Just going to put Percy in the porcelain!"

'Porcelain' here meaning the toilet/urinal.

I don't imagine saying that could offend anybody, however it would cause chuckles if said by someone whose first language isn't English.

Nasty

There are in England, as everywhere I suppose, many unpleasant phrases referring to sex, some of which might sound innocuous but really are not and are very vulgar and utterly offensive:

I'd do her.

I've had her.

I'd give her one. (Or even worse, "I'd give it one".)

• Oct 27, 2011
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• wow, not this percy thing, that is really a surprise to me, jeje, very funny - Heidita Oct 27, 2011
• I can feel the nastiness of I'd do her and I've had her. However, the third example, specially with 'it', would puzzle me. Very enlightening, galsally :) I loved the porcelain one! - cogumela Oct 27, 2011
• I've heard people say the "I'd do her" but the other two not so much, I assume they are more common in England - spanish-at-h Oct 27, 2011
• percy in the porcelain? haha, that sounds really dirty to me, but I'm from america so that might be why - unMica Nov 1, 2011

Answer 14

You have to be careful in English too, there are all sorts of slang words for a man's umm private parts, many of them can be quite innocent in some contexts, some are even names. For example Dick, or Percy.

On one forum I belong to you cannot type the word Dick, you have to leave spaces, which looks really funny when it is someone's name. By the way Percy is a euphemism often used by young children. so not really a 'dirty' word but it may set off some giggles.

• Never heard the word "Percy" but how about "Johnson"? - --Mariana-- Oct 26, 2011
• Noep not heard Johnson, but if you refer to your cat as a pussy you may get some smirks too. This is a reference to female anatomy. - MaryMcc Oct 26, 2011

Answer 15

And, of course, there is the famous "tortilla" which in Spain refers to an omelet and in Mexico and Central America refers to the flattened round cooked dough usually made from ground corn.

And, there is the slang "tortillera" referring to a lesbian. (Is that in Spain also?)

• yes, that is used too, good one, patty - Heidita Oct 27, 2011