In Colombia, an expression for when something went wrong and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. The Colombian equivalent of "tough luck" or "oh well," used when a situation did not go your way and there is no going back.

Tanned animal hide used to make shoes, bags, jackets, and accessories. Leather goods are a status symbol and a craft tradition across Latin America, especially in Mexico and Argentina.

In Colombia, to stop pretending to be young or innocent and let your real age or intentions show. "Chupo" means pacifier, so the image is someone literally dropping the pacifier: you cannot fake being a baby anymore. Used when someone has been trying hard to pass as younger or more naive than they clearly are.

A person who broadcasts live content on the internet as their main activity, profession, or serious hobby. From gamers to talk show hosts, streamers have turned live broadcasting into a legitimate career.

An obsessive fan who defends their favorite artist to the death on social media without accepting any criticism. Comes from the Eminem song about a deranged fan and became a universal term in pop culture.

A group collection where everyone chips in to cover a shared expense. Used across Latin America for gifts, meals, drinks, or any cost nobody wants to shoulder alone. The word literally means "cow," but the idea is everyone contributing their share into a common pot.

A nerdy, bookish, or overly earnest person who lacks social spontaneity and always picks studying or staying in over any kind of fun. The term can be affectionate or gently mocking depending on tone and context, and its intensity varies by country.

In Colombia, 'ahora' can mean 'later' or 'in a while,' not necessarily right now. Watch out for the confusion: if a Colombian says 'ahora voy,' they might take a good while to actually show up.

A cooked cornmeal patty wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk, served as a side dish in Colombia and Panama. Bollos come in several varieties: plain, with cheese, or with chicharrón. On the Caribbean coast of Colombia, a bollo alongside sancocho and suero is the quintessential coastal breakfast.

A person cursed with chronic bad luck where everything goes wrong, as if they have a permanent dark cloud following them around. Being salado means the universe seems to have a personal vendetta against you.

A person who has the exact same name as you. It creates an instant bond between strangers, finding your tocayo is like discovering a name twin you never knew you had.

An image, video, or piece of text that spreads across the internet and becomes a shared cultural reference. The basic unit of digital humor: it mutates, adapts to any context, and connects people from all over the world through the same joke.

The paved space on the side of the street for pedestrians to walk safely. It's the pedestrian's sacred zone that cars should respect but in many cities invade without mercy.

To want two people to be together romantically, whether they're real people or fictional characters. The favorite hobby of fans who imagine couples and defend them with their lives on social media.

To stand someone up, to not show up for a date or commitment and leave the other person waiting alone. The worst way to disrespect someone who made time to see you.

An informal hustle or creative strategy to make a living when there's no formal employment available. It's the Latin American art of surviving through side gigs, street vending, or whatever pays the bills.

Dough stuffed with meat, chicken, cheese, or whatever you can think of, fried or baked to perfection. Every country has their own version and everyone swears theirs are the best.

A person with emotionally damaging behaviors: manipulation, extreme jealousy, control, and constant drama. Being tóxico is the biggest red flag in dating.

To intentionally forget something, dismiss its importance, and actively choose not to carry the burden of it, often as a means of moving on or starting anew.

A very attractive, gorgeous woman. It's a widespread street compliment in Latin America that can be sweet between couples or bold when said to strangers.

To stay up all night, either voluntarily or because you can't fall asleep. It's the battle between your body begging for rest and your brain deciding it's the perfect time to overthink everything.

In Colombia, to read a situation correctly and understand what is really going on before saying or doing something that could backfire. It is a call to pay attention to the context around you, pick up on the cues, and act with awareness instead of walking in blind.

Something that was posted on Twitter/X and became public for the whole world to see and judge. Once a message is "tuiteado," there is no taking it back, because the internet never forgets and never forgives. Used across all Spanish speaking countries as the standard verb for tweeting.

A person who desperately seeks approval and attention from the opposite sex by trying to seem different or special. The classic 'I'm not like the others' that everyone can spot from a mile away.

Tight, voluminous curly hair. Used in Colombia and Venezuela with no negative connotation at all; it is simply a neutral, everyday description of a natural and very common hair type. Crespo hair is celebrated, not stigmatized, in the places this word comes from.

To play like a coward in video games: hiding, camping, or avoiding direct fights. In gaming, 'ratear' is the strategy of those who prefer surviving over actually fighting.

To make the most of a situation, resource, or person. Someone who sabe sacar provecho (knows how to capitalize) never lets a good opportunity go to waste, and can even turn a bad situation into a win.

To fall short of expectations, to underdeliver after a lot of buildup. Across Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Spain, when something or someone "queda a deber," the gap between what was promised and what actually happened is painfully obvious.

When a program, app, or video game glitches and behaves erratically and unexpectedly. Also used for people who get confused, freeze up, or act weird as if their brain just crashed.

To drop or release something new into the world: music, a video game item, a product, or digital content. It's the gamer and music anglicism used for any hyped-up launch.