A very attractive, handsome man. An informal compliment that can be sweet between couples or bold when aimed at strangers. Common in Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.

A large, thick fruit that's cooked fried, roasted, in mole, or in slices across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. It's not a banana: plátano is for cooking, banana is for eating raw, and that difference is sacred.

An extra payment you receive in December as a mandatory Christmas bonus required by law in several Latin American countries. It's the boss's gift that saves your holidays, Christmas presents, and the year's accumulated debts.

Imaginary social prestige points you gain or lose based on your actions and decisions. It's the karma system invented by Gen Z where everything you do adds or subtracts from your social reputation.

A skillful dribbling move with the ball to get past and leave a rival behind in soccer. It's the art of making the defender kick air while you've already gone past them with the ball glued to your foot.

Drunk, under the influence of alcohol. A softer way to say it than "borracho," but the effect is the same: someone who has had too much and it shows. Common in Peru, Colombia, and Chile.

A total party animal who never misses a good time. First to arrive, last to leave, and if there is no party happening, a parrandero will create one. Common in Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru.

In Colombia and Venezuela, a reliable, trustworthy person who always comes through and treats people well. Being called buena nota is a genuine badge of character: it means people count on you and you never let them down.

Cheap, tacky, or low class. In Mexico and Colombia, calling someone or something corriente is saying it lacks quality, taste, or refinement. It can refer to a person with no manners, a poorly made product, or anything that just screams "bargain bin." It's a solid insult when aimed at a person.

A hardcore party person who treats every day like it could be a celebration and needs no excuse to get the music going. Across Argentina, Spain, Colombia, and beyond, the fiestero is the social engine, the one who organizes the plans, fills the dancefloor, and stays until the lights come on.

A person who obsessively spies on someone else through social media or real life, checking every photo, story, and interaction. Everyone has done it but nobody admits to being one.

High-quality, fine, transparent glass used for decorative pieces, glasses, and elegant tableware. It's the fancy stuff your grandma keeps locked in a cabinet that nobody's allowed to touch.

A pointed, passive-aggressive comment with a hidden barb underneath. In Colombia, a puyón is something said with a second intention, dressed up as casual conversation but designed to sting. The Colombian art of the indirect dig.

In Colombia, a scam, theft, or con where someone walks off with your money or belongings. A "tumbe" is the dirty move of someone who promises things and then vanishes with what's yours.

A Puerto Rican and Caribbean affectionate way to say kid, little boy, or any young male. "Mi nene" means my son (regardless of age), "los nenes" means the kids of the house. Also used between couples as a romantic nickname. In Puerto Rico the word is so standard that adult men remain "nenes" to their moms well into their fifties.

An ability or effect in video games that paralyzes the enemy for a few seconds, leaving them unable to move or attack. Landing a stun at the right moment can completely turn the tide of battle.

A heavy, draining person who weighs down any room they enter, overly intense, annoying, or just impossible to be around. Pesado is someone who doesn't read social cues and doesn't know when they're too much.

To completely ignore something or someone, to walk right past without stopping, paying attention, or engaging. The deliberate act of treating something as if it simply doesn't exist.

A hood person with a street attitude. Can be derogatory or affectionate depending on who says it and how, among friends it's pride, from a stranger it can be an insult.

In Colombia, someone who constantly teases, mocks, or messes with others in an annoying, relentless way. It's not clever humor, it's the kind of nonstop ribbing that drives people crazy.

A cheater, someone who consistently bends or breaks the rules without any guilt. Whether it's a card game, an exam, or a relationship, the "tramposo" always looks for shortcuts even at someone else's expense. It implies a pattern, not just a one-time slip.

To cheat on your partner in Colombia. Poner los cachos is the classic romantic betrayal, doing it behind their back with someone else.

Short for "outfit of the day." A social media post where someone shows off what they're wearing that day. A classic fashion tag used widely across Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

French fries with sliced sausage on top, drowned in all kinds of sauces. It's cheap, fast, and delicious street food popular across South America as the perfect late-night snack.

In Colombia, an amazing plan or outing that sounds spectacular. When something is a "planazo," nobody wants to miss out.

The laid-back, generous, good-vibes attitude of someone cool who doesn't cause drama in Colombia. Doing someone a "bacanería" means doing them a solid out of pure goodwill.

In Colombia, to firmly reject someone or cut them out of your life without hesitation. "Mandar a volar" means giving someone or something the boot, no looking back.

An imaginary internet meme "drug" that represents the self-delusion of someone making up excuses rather than accepting a loss or uncomfortable truth. "Inhaling copium" means denying the obvious.

In Colombia, someone who tattles or rats others out to authority figures or the boss. The "soplón" rushes to report what they saw to get on the good side of whoever's in charge.

Sounds like the English words "mob wife". A fashion aesthetic inspired by mafia wives from film: fur coats, red lips, big jewelry, and dramatic attitude. The trend that replaced the clean girl aesthetic.