To share someone else's content on your own profile, while still giving credit to the original creator. It's the act of digital redistribution.

A liar or someone who never follows through on their promises. A "chuto" will tell you anything you want to hear but never actually does what they said. Used in Bolivia and Peru.

To cheat on your partner behind their back, especially in Peru and Ecuador. Sacar la vuelta is the romantic betrayal nobody wants to discover but that always comes to light sooner or later.

An exclamation of shock or awe, short for "God damn," that escaped TikTok and became part of Gen Z internet vocabulary across Spanish-speaking countries. You drop it when something hits you visually or just leaves you speechless.

A player or athlete who chokes in crucial moments, who shrinks when they're needed most and fails right in the finals. It's the opposite of clutch: when pressure rises, their performance drops.

A phrase used to describe someone who promises a lot but doesn't deliver anything, whose only action is talking. This person has a tendency to speak about what should be done without taking any action, often leaving others to do the work.

A party with lots of alcohol, or the act of heavy drinking with friends until the night is over. It is that kind of gathering where booze is the absolute main character and the conversation flows at the same pace as the bottles being emptied. Used in Chile, Mexico, and Peru with the same general meaning of a boozy get together.

Completely naked, not a stitch of clothing on. The Peruvian way to say someone is totally in the buff, used casually and without any euphemism.

A traditional Peruvian dish made with cow feet cooked in peanut sauce, served with rice, a classic creole recipe from Lima.

Text abbreviation for "no te preocupes" (do not worry about it). The quick way to tell someone everything is fine and they should relax. Common in chats and social media across Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

A perfect deal where everything goes right and you profit handsomely with minimal risk or effort. It's the kind of business transaction everyone dreams of but rarely achieves.

Money, cash, funds. The everyday word for money across most of South America, from Argentina to Bolivia. While Spain uses "dinero," much of Latin America just says plata, which literally means "silver."

A fermented corn drink of ancient Andean origin that existed long before colonization. Each country makes it differently, in some it's alcoholic, in others it's sweet, but it always has indigenous roots.

Food in general, any kind of grub. In Venezuela, Colombia, and Puerto Rico, jama is the most direct way of saying you need to eat something right now.

A professional driver or someone who drives a vehicle for others as a job or by habit. In many countries it's also used informally for the friend who always drives when going out to party or on road trips.

A creamy, nutritious green fruit that's the base of guacamole and a staple of Mexican cuisine. Avocado toast made it trendy worldwide, but Latin Americans have been eating it with everything for centuries.

Boring, lame, dull, or just plain uninteresting in Peru. Used to describe people, situations, or things that are so tedious you would rather be doing literally anything else. If a party was "monse," it means it was so dead you left early or fell asleep on the couch.

A tip left for a waiter or service worker on top of the bill. In Mexico, tipping is an important social custom: 10% is the bare minimum, while 15 to 20% is what considerate people leave. Skipping the propina is a real social offense, since waitstaff depend on it.

A rallying chant fans use to motivate their team when they're losing or need a goal. Literally 'yes we can,' it's the mantra of the Latin American stadium, the chorus that says there's still hope and the scoreboard can still flip. Cesar Chavez also adopted it as a labor rights slogan in the US.

A sweatshirt or comfy athletic wear in Argentina, Chile, and the Southern Cone. It's what you throw on when the only plan for the day is being comfortable regardless of how you look, the garment of honesty.

A direct expression for telling someone you're romantically or physically attracted to them, equivalent to 'I like you' in English. It's the first big step in confessing interest, before going as far as 'te quiero' (I care about you) or 'te amo' (I love you). Saying it out loud takes guts.

Two cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche and coated in chocolate, the ultimate Argentine and Uruguayan snack. Alfajores are cultural treasures exported worldwide and devoured by the boxful.

A person who takes things way too seriously and exaggerates all their emotional reactions without control. The one who turns a tiny drama into a three-season telenovela complete with screaming and tears.

A cute, youthful, deliberately cheesy version of 'hola' used in texts and social media. It softens any conversation and is perfect for breaking the ice without sounding too serious.

The Andean tuber in all its varieties, a cultural symbol of the entire Andean region. In Peru and Bolivia the potato is the world's most versatile ingredient: over 3,000 varieties, each with a completely different taste.

In Peru, a clever and street-smart person who knows how to work any situation with wit and cunning. The "viveza criolla" is a cultural trait: the art of getting what you need through cleverness rather than force.

The belly or stomach, especially when it starts sticking out more than expected. The body part that grows most stubbornly over the years and resists every diet with quiet determination. Used affectionately or with a laugh across much of Latin America.

A temporary or informal side job to earn extra cash when times are tough in Peru. Cachuelos are the hustle economy, painting a house, fixing a car, or whatever pays the bills today.

To be alert, sharp, and on guard. When someone says "ponte mosca" or "ándate mosca," they are warning you to pay close attention because something sketchy might be going on. The fly metaphor works because flies are notoriously hard to catch and always watching their surroundings. Used across much of Latin America and Spain.

A skillful dribble past a defender in South American football, done with style and creativity. It's the art of leaving the defender behind with quick leg and hip movements that earn applause from the crowd.