La chusma...is this word used a lot?
I have heard this word frequently. Our dictionary lists it as "rabble". "Rabble" is not a word I ever use in English so I would assume I would rarely use it in Spanish. I have heard it in the last three shows I've watched.
10 Answers
Yes jeezle. It's very much used when you speak about people who care about their neighbour's life more than their own's. These people are called "chusmas" and the verb is "chusmear". Yo chusmeo, tú chusmeas, él chusmea, nosotros chusmeamos, ustedes chusmean, ellos chusmean.
Example:
Les encanta encontrarse todas las tardes y chusmear sobre lo que hacen los nuevos vecinos.
It's like gossip
Ok, lots of confusion here. I an answering this as a speaker of Carribbean Spanish. The meaning of colloquial expressions such as this can vary a lot between regions of Latin America. I won't go into cuss word variation, but urge extreme caution in this area.
Let's begin with chisme. This is a noun equivalent to gossip ( the English noun, not verb. ). It is not a form of chusma. The verb form is chismear, and someone who gossips a lot is a chismoso.
Now Chusma. Most often used as an adjective "Esa gente son chusma".There is no verb form. "Rabble" is too collective, as one person can be chusma. It is closer to "trash" as in "white trash", and " uncouth". It is perjorative, but does not necessarily focus on the person's means, as a wealthy person with poor manners and bad taste can be "chusma". It is not necessarily a snobbish term, as it is often used by all classes. Another form is "chusmeria", which is a noun, as in " Que chusmeria!" Indicating that event or exchange between people was very trashy. The Jerry Springer show would be "una chusmeria".
Chusma is Mexican, for bad people more or less, It is used in el Chavo.
"Rabble" is not a word I ever use in English so I would assume I would rarely use it in Spanish.
So what do you use? "unwashed masses", "common herd", "hoi polloi", "plebians"? In English one might say "mob leader" or "demagogue (somewhat literary) but it's hard to beat "rabble rouser" for alliteration.
As Agora says you should not confuse "chismear" gossip, with Chusma. I discovered "chusma" as being the lower class group of a population.
In México, "chusma" is "la plebe" or sometimes "el lumpen", meaning the lesser educated people or those marginalized by society. In my country, we still have the freedom to use these words. I know many countries have lost this freedom thanks to the politically correct groups.
"Chusma" is heard quite often in daily life.
Hi jeezzle! Word chusma in Spanish refers to a group of people (mainly low class), pleb, mob. In Cuba, the word has a very derogatory meaning and is used with the intention of belittling women that are "easy" with men and dress with loud and skimpy clothes. Also, to name people who lack manners and respect for themselves and/or others, rude, vulgar, offensive, indecent, immoral. People that usually talk loudly using profanities and coarse language and have rough and gross looks.
I've never heard "chusmear" used like that (it sounds like regionalism, because it is not in any of my dictionaries; not even those for Latin America), but with that precise meaning you have "chismear" or "chismorrear", which look suspiciously similar. The word "chusma", from a completely different origin, is not a word you use everyday (unless you are very unlucky), but I'd say it is more commonly used than rabble, but not as much as often as mob or scum.
yes it is used alot 
I wish I could help Jeezzle. This is the best I could come up with for the English word "rabble": rabble rouser
