In Colombia, a shady alliance or secret scheme between several people to harm someone else or take unfair advantage. Being in manguala means being in a hidden plot with others.

Something absolutely amazing or top-tier, used in paisa slang from the Medellin region of Colombia. When something is una machera, it's at its very best.

To blow a deal right when it is almost sealed, sometimes through poor attitude, sometimes by letting a minor detail spiral out of control. Used in Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico for the business version of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

The office brown-noser who systematically flatters whoever holds authority to get special treatment or avoid consequences. In Colombia and Venezuela the cepillo always has a compliment ready and would never contradict the boss.

A person who's extraordinarily good at something, especially in football or sports in general. It's the highest compliment to recognize pure talent and natural ability that can't be taught.

In Colombia, to smooth-talk or lay on the charm to win someone over. The person "tirando letra" is running a seductive script to get into someone's good graces.

Colombian slang for a glorious, out-of-control good time. When a party or situation becomes a despapaye, nobody is behaving, nobody is stopping, and everyone is having the time of their life without a care in the world.

When two people mutually like each other on a dating app like Tinder and can start chatting. The match is the first step of modern digital romance, that virtual spark that can lead to a date or ghosting.

In Colombia, to skim small amounts of money repeatedly and discreetly, like trimming a little off the top each time. Each individual amount seems insignificant, which is exactly why it goes unnoticed for so long. The kind of theft that only becomes visible when you finally add it all up.

Refusing to accept an uncomfortable reality and inventing justifications to feel better about it. Calling someone out for "cope" means accusing them of self-delusion. Widely used in online discourse across Spanish-speaking countries.

A Twitch emote and chat slang used across the Spanish-speaking internet to express sadness or disappointment, usually in an ironic or overdramatic way.

Twitch and gaming slang for being so angry and frustrated you lose your mind. A blend of "mad" and "balding," implying you are fuming so hard you would go bald. Used across Spanish-speaking streaming communities.

To kill time, lounge around, and do absolutely nothing productive. In Colombia, tirar corriente is the guilt-free art of resting: lying around, chatting idly, watching the ceiling. Not laziness, just a full commitment to switching off.

A vulture or opportunistic person who takes advantage of others' misfortune to grab whatever they can. In Colombia and Venezuela the gallinazo always shows up when someone's in trouble to see what's there for the taking.

The pain of unrequited love or a broken heart that drives you to do crazy things. Despecho is the fuel behind the best ranchera, vallenato, and bachata songs ever written.

Sounds like the English word "pog." A Twitch gaming culture exclamation shouted when something incredible or hype happens. Comes from the PogChamp emote.

A classic Twitch emote placed at the end of a message to signal sarcasm or a joke. It tells the reader not to take what was just said at face value, the same way someone might say "just kidding."

To go out and celebrate, have a night out with no restrictions. Irse de fiesta is the universal weekend plan across Latin America, it implies dancing, drinks, late nights, and the kind of stories you'll tell for years.

The obsession with maximizing physical attractiveness through routines, diets, facial exercises, or procedures, popularized on forums and TikTok. An extreme pursuit of improving one's appearance that became a whole subculture.

Acronym for "fear, uncertainty and doubt." Negative or alarmist information spread to make people sell or lose confidence in something. A key term in crypto and investment communities.

The female version of "incel," a woman who identifies as involuntarily celibate and participates in online communities built around that resentment narrative. A term from forums and social media.

To cheat on your partner. Used across Spain and Latin America, the "cuernos" (horns) imagery comes from an old European tradition where a betrayed husband was said to grow horns. The betrayal rarely stays secret for long and almost always ends up as the group chat's main topic for weeks.

To give up, to quit trying because you've run out of strength and motivation to keep fighting. It comes from boxing, where the trainer literally threw in the towel to save their fighter from more damage.

Something unexpected, out of nowhere, with no apparent reason. An English loanword adopted across the entire Spanish-speaking world, especially among young people on social media.

Taking ownership of your actions without shifting blame onto others. Borrowed directly from English and used in wellness, workplace, and social media talk across Latin America and Spain. When someone lacks accountability, they always find a way to make everything someone else's fault.

Short for "parcero," this is how Colombians refer to a close friend or someone they fully trust. It works as a greeting or as a way to talk about someone in your inner circle, from the neighborhood to the office.

A shameless person who says or does whatever they want without any pudor or concern for how it looks. In Colombia and Venezuela the descarado doesn't care, what others wouldn't dare, they do without a second thought.

To park a vehicle in Colombia, Venezuela, and Central America, what Mexico calls 'estacionar.' It comes from the English 'to park' adapted into Spanish.

A drug trafficker or anyone connected to the narco underworld at any level. In Colombia the word carries enormous cultural weight given the country's history with cartels in the 1980s and 90s, and it is used matter-of-factly across all social classes, from news reports to everyday conversation.

To gossip and talk behind people's backs with all the juicy details about their private lives. In Venezuela and Colombia, "comadrear" describes someone who is more invested in other people's business than their own, and does it regularly and enthusiastically.