A close friend, someone from your neighborhood or crew who has your back. Borrowed from African American English into Chicano Spanish, homeboy marks a bond built on shared roots and loyalty. It is the English version of carnal, used in the US among Chicano and barrio communities.

Chicano Spanglish for the backyard or front yard of a house, from English "yard." The place where you grill carne asada, the kids play, and you mow the grass on Sundays.

An anglicism adopted in Ecuadorian, Mexican, Colombian, and Chicano Spanish to mean friend, buddy, trusted brother. Pronounced as in English but inserted into Spanish speech with total naturalness. "Qué tal brother" is the standard greeting between young men in Ecuador. Also written "broder" when hispanized. A universal word among urban Latin youth.

A forceful Mexican expression meaning nothing, no way, or not at all with total conviction. It's the most absolute denial in the Mexican vocabulary, leaving zero room for doubt or negotiation.

In Mexico and among Chicanos, something ugly, bad, unfair, or just fundamentally off. Gacho covers a wide range of negativity: from a genuinely unjust situation to behavior that is inconsiderate and disappointing. When something is gacho, there is something wrong about it that needs calling out.

A snobby, upper-class person in Mexico who acts superior and has expensive taste. Fresas speak in a distinctive way, go to exclusive places, and look down on anyone outside their social circle. Think 'preppy' but more classist.

A kid or young person in northern Mexican slang. 'Morro' can be affectionate when talking about children or slightly dismissive when referring to someone acting immature. In some contexts it also means boyfriend/girlfriend.

A Chicano and Mexican border identity that emerged in the 1940s in the US. Pachucos blended Mexican roots with the zoot suit look, spoke caló slang, and carved out their own culture between two countries, belonging fully to neither. An iconic and lasting figure in Chicano history and style.

The border and Chicano term for the other country, meaning the U.S. from Mexico or Mexico from the U.S. "Going to el otro lado" means crossing the border in search of work or a better life.

An immigration enforcement raid targeting undocumented people at a workplace, home, or public area in the US. In Latino neighborhoods, the word alone is enough for everyone to rush inside.

Girlfriend or girl in Chicano caló. Comes from the English word "honey" adapted with barrio phonetics. A classic of Chicano hip hop culture, used by US Latinos to refer to their partner with a distinctly street flavor.

A dude, guy, or man in Mexico, the most informal and direct way to refer to any male. It's not necessarily negative: it can be neutral, respectful, or dismissive depending on tone.

No, nope, not happening, don't even think about it, the casual Mexican way of shutting something down. It's a laid-back, no-big-deal way of saying no and moving on with your day.

Chicano Spanglish for a dime, the ten-cent coin. The loose change that piles up in the truck ashtray - "ni un daim" means you have absolutely no cash on you.

Chicano Spanglish for a traffic ticket, borrowed from English. Getting a ticket from the cops for speeding or driving uninsured is a costly fear in many Latino communities in the US.

Chicano Spanglish for a self-service laundromat, from the English "washateria." A fixture of barrio life: you wash the week's clothes there and chat while the dryer spins.

Chicano Spanglish for a quarter (25-cent coin), from English. Essential for the laundromat, arcade machines, and parking meters. "¿Traes cuoras?" is the classic question.

A lot, a ton, with full intensity. It's used in Mexico to exaggerate or emphasize just how much of something there is, basically the superlative of 'mucho.'

An American, a gringo, someone from the United States. In Mexico gabacho is the everyday term for a US citizen, sometimes neutral, sometimes with a slight edge depending on tone.

A pickup truck in Chicano Spanish, borrowed from English "truck." La troca is a source of neighborhood pride: used for work, moving furniture, and cruising on Sundays all washed and shiny.

Chicano Spanglish for cash money, straight from English. In the barrio a lot of work gets paid en cash, no checks or banks involved: it's the language of the informal economy.

On the US-Mexico border, the person who guides and smuggles undocumented migrants across for money. Called pollero because the migrants are called pollos (chickens); works as or for a coyote.

Chicano Spanglish for calling someone back, a calque of English "call back." It does not mean speaking backwards: it simply means returning a missed call.

A classic Chicano marking, written "C/S," placed next to graffiti and barrio tags as protection: it means whoever disrespects or crosses it out gets it back double. More a symbol of cultural identity than a threat.

Chicano Spanglish for the car's muffler, from English "muffler." When the mofle loosens up, the ranfla sounds like a jet and the whole neighborhood knows you're pulling in.

Chicano Spanglish for harvesting crops by hand in the fields, from English "to pick." The classic labor of the migrant farmworker: picking grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, or chiles under the California or Texas sun.

Chicano Spanglish for the car trunk, straight from English. Where you put the groceries, work tools, or the cooler full of meat for the carne asada.

Chicano Spanglish for one's own neighborhood, borrowed from English "neighborhood." Saying "soy del hood" carries pride and identity rooted in where you grew up, common among Latino communities in the US.

A neighborhood or district in a city with its own identity, culture, personality, and reputation. Your barrio is where you grew up, where people know your name, and where you always feel at home.

Chicano Spanglish for paid overtime hours at work, borrowed from English. Staying for "el overtime" is how you earn extra cash when rent is tight and the boss keeps you late.