for madmen only - the blog

*NSFW = “Not Safe For Work”

As you know by now, our upcoming production of Oedipus el Rey is a Chicano adaptation by Luis Alfaro, and that means there’s a fair amount of Spanish in the show. While everyone in our diverse and talented cast speaks at least some Spanish, not everyone understood all of Luis’, er, “colorful” slang. Enter Assistant Director Sonia Fernandez, who put together this quick-and-dirty (emphasis on the dirty) glossary for some of the more interesting Spanish words in the script.

I bribed Sonia to let me take a peek at her list, and she’s graciously allowed me to share it with you. Warning: If there are little children reading over your shoulder, this might be a good time to turn on some Dora the Explorer.

an alleluia

Religious, born again Christian

baboso

stupid, a slobbering idiot

barrio

neighborhood, ‘hood, ghetto

cabrón

bastard, son of a bitch (also a Billy goat)

chamaco

kid (male)

chaparrito

shorty (chaparro is short, so this is a diminutive of short)

chi-chi

breast

chingao

a variation of chingado, meaning fucked up

chismoso

a gossip

cholo

A cholo is a Chicano male who typically dresses in chinos, a wife-beater sleeveless t-shirt or a flannel shirt with only the top buttoned, a hairnet, or with a bandana around the forehead, usually halfway down over the eyes. Cholos often have black ink tattoos, commonly involving Catholic imagery, or calligraphy messages or family names. The U.S. context of the word Cholo/Chola originated in Los Angeles and refers to a chicano gangster.

ese

what you call your close friend, something like dude or homeboy (used mostly by Chicanos in Southern California)

loteria

Mexican bingo that uses cards with images instead of numbers

el mero, mero

the top, the leader, the Man

mocoso

snot-nosed kid (masculine)

mierda

shit

oye

Hey! literally it means ‘listen’ or ‘to hear’

pinché

fucking (as an adjective curse, not as in sex) also worthless

pendejo

idiot, dumb ass

puta

whore

rabia

rage

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