List of Puerto Rican slang words and phrases
Template:Short description This article is a summary of common slang words and phrases used in Puerto Rico. Idiomatic expressions may be difficult to translate fully and may have multiple meanings, so the English translations below may not reflect the full meaning of the expression they intend to translate. This is a short list and more may be found on the Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española website.<ref name="Tesoro Lexicografico">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
List
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- a sudden nervous reaction, similar to hysterics, or losing control, experienced in response to something<ref name="Febles 2009 p. 197">Template:Cite book</ref>
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- variants are ¡Ay bendito! and dito - “aww poor you” or “oh my god”; “ay” meaning lament, and “bendito” meaning blessed.<ref name="Quinn Baselang">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Referring to food; rotten or damaged.<ref name="Quinn Baselang"/>
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- Wild, off the rails, disastrous. Doing something rash. Comes from the Arabic phrase meaning "adrift" (Arabic: على غير هدى (/ʕa.'laː.ɣajr.'hu.dan/), romanized: ealaa ghayr hudaa).
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- flawless, clean, immaculate.<ref name="Translation"/> From standard Spanish {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
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- a big party.<ref name="Quinn Baselang"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Important person. From English {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref name="Cáceres" />
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- Beer.<ref name="Quinn Baselang"/>
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- gossip<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- The name given to Puerto Rico people based on the Taíno name for the island (Borikén or Boriquen). <ref name="Quinn Baselang"/>
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- To work on a task, to do something with effort and dedication.<ref name="Alger" />
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- brother or friend.<ref name="Translation">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- a lowlife. Comes from Arabic (Arabic: كافر (/kafir), romanized: Kafir).
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- A badass, hunk or hottie.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- person who should be ashamed of their actions but isn't; a stubborn person<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- short for {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} - Guy, male,<ref name="Translation" />
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in mexico this can mean dude or guy relating to someone younger but in puerto rican slang, it is used in replacement of dinero/money
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- While in other countries this word means "insolence",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Friend, or group of friends.<ref name="Alger" />
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- Normally means “hard”, but in Puerto Rican slang means that someone is really good at what they do.<ref name="Quinn Baselang" />
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- series of lies, something that is completely false, a "pack of lies"<ref name="Embustería">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- literally translates to "eww!" or "yuck!" it is often used as an exclamation in reaction to a bad smell.
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- shameless person<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- The flower of the sugarcane.<ref >{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- steep slope<ref name="Tesoro Lexicografico" />
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- to act goofy.<ref name="Quinn Baselang" />
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- “to hang out”. Comes from the American expression “hang out”.<ref name="Alger">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- to be full.<ref name="Quinn Baselang" />
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- boyfriend / girlfriend<ref name="Tesoro Lexicografico" />
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- A person who lives in the countryside, mountain people,<ref name="Quinn Baselang" /> the agricultural worker, who cuts sugarcane, for example.<ref name="Time">Template:Cite magazine</ref> From a Taino compound word ("Jiba" meaning mountain or forest, and "iro" meaning man or men)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Drunk<ref name="Quinn Baselang" />
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- Lackey,brownoser;toady,sycophant.
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- to peep
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- Peeping Tom
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- Also, "limbel". A home-made flavored frozen treat usually made from natural fruits or sweet milk mixtures and often served on a small piece of water-resistant paper, a plastic or paper cup, or a popsicle stick.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp The name is said to have originated from the last name of Charles Lindbergh after the islanders noticed how "awfully cold as ice" he was as compared to the warmth of the locals during Lindbergh's visit to the Island in 1928.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Used when referring to something that is easy to do.<ref name="Quinn Baselang" />
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- Terms of endearment; mami when referring to a cute woman, papi when referring to a handsome man, or to address a lover<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Boy/girl<ref name="Quinn Baselang" /> In standard Spanish it means "niño/niña".
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- Friend / Buddy<ref name="sanchez">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp ("pana" is also a name for breadfruit in Puerto Rico)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp From {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.
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- to get away with murder or to get away with it
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- A way of dancing ("grinding") or a danceable song.<ref name="Quinn Baselang" />
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- “forget about that”, Disregard.<ref name="Translation" />
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- Expression of admiration, to say that something is outstanding or beyond good.<ref name="Cuarto Propio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Used to describe chaotic situations.<ref name="Alger" />
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- to get away with murder or to get away with it
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- a nobody, or a worker low on the hierarchy, or an enabler<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- traffic jam. In standard Spanish, "a bottle top" or "a clog".
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- a lowlife.
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Typically used at parties, dances, or general hype events to express of joy or excitement, hence the direct translation "That's awesome!"