The key pillar, the backbone person who holds everything together. In Mexico and Central America, calling someone a puntal means they're essential — the one the whole operation depends on, the irreplaceable piece of the puzzle.

Scared off, frightened away or deeply unsettled by something. In Mexico an espantado is someone who got spooked — whether by a price, a person or a situation — and ran.

Someone painfully slow to react, emotionally flat, and unbothered by anything. In Mexico, atole is a thick corn drink — and sangre de atole (atole blood) means your blood runs as thick and slow as that drink, with zero urgency or fire.

In Spain, to be completely absent-minded, totally unaware of what's happening around you. Used for someone who lives in their own world and has completely disconnected from present reality.