Giving minimal signs of interest to keep someone hooked without any real intention of getting serious. Emotional breadcrumbs: a like here, a random message there — just enough so they don't forget you but never enough to move forward.

An informal Brazilian neighborhood adopted into Spanish to describe densely populated, self-built settlements. The word evokes images of hillside communities with their own rules, music, and struggles.

To mug or rob someone with direct threats on the street in Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and Peru. This is the classic street holdup that leaves you without your phone, your wallet, and with a scare that stays with you for weeks. An "atraco" is a robbery with intimidation, not a sneaky pickpocket job.

The short, affectionate way to call a teacher in all of Latin America. It's the natural, respectful yet casual way students address whoever teaches them every day.