In Mexico, the sacred foundation of all cuisine — a round, flat disc made of corn or flour masa used to wrap, scoop, or accompany absolutely everything. No tortilla, no Mexican food.

Friend, buddy, or close person in Guatemala and El Salvador. Here "cerote" is affectionate among friends, completely opposite to its use as an insult in Mexico where it refers to a piece of excrement. Context and country are everything with this word.

Cash or money in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras — the most common way to refer to dough in Central America. Without pisto, you're not doing much of anything.

The Central American exclamation of surprise that replaces stronger swear words. It's the perfect euphemism used in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras for literally everything.