A Central American farewell used in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, equivalent to "goodbye," "later," or "see you around." The standard way to close a conversation without ceremony. It also works as an affirmation: "vaya pues, agreed." Intonation shifts the shade, but the effect is always to close the subject.

Friend, bro, buddy, the Latin American adaptation of the English 'brother' that spread across Central America and beyond. Bróder is everyday, warm, and used constantly between male friends as a term of address and affection.

A slap across the face, open-handed and sharp. Across Mexico and Central America, a cachetada is the classic disciplinary gesture or the ultimate statement in a fight. The sound alone says everything.

Tangled up in a complicated situation or a messy relationship with no clear way out. In Mexico and Central America, someone who is enredado is too deep in whatever they got themselves into to see the exit clearly.

A cigarette, or more specifically a cigarette butt. In Central America, pucho is the everyday word for a smoke, used casually to bum one or describe a cheap cigarette burned down to the filter.

Empty talk, lies, or hollow nonsense with no substance behind it. In Central America, when something is "pura paja" it is all hot air. The person who "habla paja" talks a lot and means nothing, or exaggerates wildly to seem more important than they are.

A boy or young man, a kid. In Guatemala and Nicaragua, 'chibolo' is an affectionate way to refer to young guys from the neighborhood, casual and friendly.

Someone who limps or walks with an irregular, unsteady gait, due to a twisted ankle, flat feet, or some other condition. In Mexico and Central America the word is used bluntly, sometimes just descriptive, sometimes with a mocking or affectionate edge depending on the relationship.

A stubborn person who will not budge or change their position no matter how much reasoning or evidence you throw at them. Used across Mexico and Central America as a synonym for hardheaded or pigheaded.

An exclamation used in Central America to shoo away animals, especially dogs. Saying "zuzo" to a dog is a command to get lost and stop being a nuisance.

A lot, loads, way too much. In Costa Rica and Nicaragua machín is the intensifier that turns any amount into an overwhelming quantity.

A kid or young boy, the everyday word in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. The Central American equivalent of Mexico's "chavo." No negative connotation: just a warm, neutral word for a child or teenager.

Right away, immediately, without waiting. Used in Chile and Central America to signal that something is happening or will happen right now, no delays. The Central American and Chilean way of saying "on it" or "coming right up."

Money or cash. The everyday word for money in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, used in both casual and practical contexts. Need to pay for something? You need pisto.

A stray or mixed-breed dog with no pedigree. In Mexico and Central America the term is used in a neutral or even affectionate way to talk about mixed-breed dogs, with no negative connotation at all.

A dangerous or troublesome person, someone with a history of risky behavior that makes them best avoided. Used in Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua to flag someone as bad news before you get involved with them.

To ruin something that was working fine, whether food that spoils, a plan that falls apart, or a relationship that gets damaged beyond easy repair. What gets "echado a perder" does not have a simple fix anymore. Used widely across Mexico and Central America.

Your crew, your squad, the tight group of friends you always hang out with. In Central America, parche refers specifically to the people themselves: the homies you go out with every weekend, the group that stays together from school through adulthood.

To joke around, tease, or not be serious. In Nicaragua and Costa Rica, 'te estoy chanceando' means 'I'm just messing with you', it's the phrase that softens an edgy comment and signals it was all in good fun.

Finger-licking good, so delicious you keep licking your fingers after eating. The highest possible compliment you can give food in Mexico and Central America.

To wake up very early, before dawn or at the crack of day. In Mexico and Central America, madrugar is treated as a virtue: the one who rises early gets ahead. It also works figuratively to mean getting a head start on something or beating someone to the punch.

Residue, dregs, or the stuff left at the bottom of a drink or food in Central America. It's that sediment nobody wants to drink, the leftovers at the bottom of the cup when the good part of the coffee is gone.

A sweatshirt, hoodie, or jacket: the outer layer you grab before heading out. In Central America, "chompa" covers everything from a light pullover to a proper warm jacket. The word comes from the English "jumper," adapted phonetically into Central American Spanish.

To catch, grab, or arrest someone who was escaping or doing something wrong. In Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama, getting trincado means getting caught red-handed with no way to deny it.

A small child or little kid in Nicaragua, one of the most affectionate words in the Nicaraguan vocabulary. You say "chiguin" with a smile, picturing a little one running around causing harmless mischief. It captures the whole energy of early childhood in a single word.

To treat, to pick up the tab, to pay for someone else. In Mexico and Central America when someone dispara they're being generous, dinner, drinks, the whole thing is on them.

Someone who is annoying and difficult to deal with, whose attitude wears everyone around them out. In Mexico and Central America, a pesado tends to complain too much, exaggerate, or create tension in any environment without even trying.

A Nicaraguan person. The nickname comes from "pinol," a traditional drink made from toasted ground corn that is a symbol of Nicaraguan culture and identity. Nicaraguans wear the label with pride: being a pinolero means carrying deep indigenous roots and an unshakeable national character.

In Nicaragua and Costa Rica, something or someone that's cool, good, or awesome, a Central American way of saying something is top-notch.

Tripe soup made from beef or pork intestines, a staple across Central America and the undisputed go-to hangover cure. After a rough night, mondongo is what people swear by to get back on their feet. Grandmothers across Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama make it with the confidence of someone who knows it works.