To experience lag or delay in a video game or app due to bad internet connection or server issues. When you're lagging, your character teleports, shots don't register, and rage ensues.

In Peru, someone who gets embarrassed easily, shrinks from attention, or plays dumb out of shyness. A paltón holds back from asking for what they want, speaking up, or joining in because they are too worried about looking silly or drawing attention to themselves.

A corn cob with its kernels still attached, the whole ear of corn in its natural form. It's what you boil, grill, or strip for kernels across all of Latin America.

Cool, awesome, something positive that you enjoy and makes you feel good. It's perhaps the most widely exported word from Caribbean and Andean Spanish, a universal synonym for everything being perfect.

A person of mixed Indigenous and African descent, a term with colonial roots used in Ecuador and Peru. Can be used in a neutral or descriptive way to refer to that mixed coastal heritage, or as an insult depending entirely on tone and context. Some people reclaim it with pride.

A Peruvian exclamation of great surprise, amazement, or disbelief, a mild euphemism to avoid saying something stronger. It got even more popular with the hit movie of the same name.

A person who creates TikTok content as their main activity, profession, or serious side hustle. Tiktokers turned 60-second videos into a full career path and cultural phenomenon.

That sudden, inexplicable feeling of repulsion toward someone you used to find attractive. One tiny, often ridiculous detail shatters all the attraction at once, and you simply cannot look at that person the same way ever again.

A pothole in the road that can wreck your car, blow a tire, or swallow your entire wheel. Potholes are the unofficial mascot of Latin American streets.

Short for "mutuals": people who follow you and you follow back on social media. Your moots are your actual online circle, the people you actually talk to and interact with regularly on platforms like Twitter or TikTok.

A classic cocktail of rum and Coca-Cola with a squeeze of lime, named after Cuban independence. It's probably the most ordered drink at any Latin bar for its simplicity and perfect flavor.

One Peruvian sol, the basic unit of currency in Lima street slang. In Peru, one luca equals one sol, so everyday prices, debts, and small transactions all get talked about in lucas. Casual, fast, and universally understood in markets and on the street.

A Latin urban music genre born in Puerto Rico that dominated the entire planet with its impossible-to-ignore beat. Reggaetón is the sound that plays at every party, every car, and every phone in the Spanish-speaking world.

A woman with spiritual powers who connects with the spirit world to heal, guide, or protect. She's a respected figure in indigenous cultures throughout Latin America.

To subscribe to someone's social media profile in order to view their content. The basic gesture of digital approval.

To mentally prepare oneself to face a difficult situation with courage and without complaining. In Latin America, it's a sign of bravery and determination.

To make a mistake or mess up, especially by saying something inappropriate at the worst possible moment. When you screw up unintentionally, everyone notices, and there's no way to unsay what you said.

To keep hovering around someone on social media after they ghosted you, with zero dignity. Watching their stories, liking old photos, but never actually talking to them directly.

A person who's always in a bad mood, negative, and doesn't enjoy absolutely anything in life. They're the one who ruins everyone's plans with their pessimistic attitude and ability to drain the group's energy.

To throw something or get rid of something that's no longer useful. In this sense it's about launching objects through the air or tossing things in the trash.

A close friend or trusted buddy in Peru, the most affectionate, street-level way to address someone you vibe with. It's the Peruvian nickname with local flavor that shows real closeness and brotherhood.

A dumb person or someone who doesn't understand things no matter how many times you explain. Calling someone burro is a classic since elementary school that never goes out of style, it stings, but we've all heard it.

To ask someone to watch over, check on, or keep a casual eye on something for a moment. A common, light request across all Spanish-speaking countries, no deep commitment needed, just a quick glance.

Flat broke, completely out of cash until payday. Used in Peru, Chile, and Bolivia, "misio" is the casual, unapologetic way to say you have hit the financial wall. Not a crisis, just the universal end-of-month condition that everyone gets.

Traffic, the flow of vehicles through city streets and avenues. In Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, talking about el transito usually means complaining about the gridlock that turns a fifteen-minute trip into an hour-long ordeal.

To create or share memes on the internet, the modern art of making millions laugh with a clever image and text. It's Gen Z's favorite form of communication for commenting on absolutely everything that happens.

A state of mental peace and emotional balance that the millennial and Gen Z generations seek. The number one life goal of the 21st century.

Right now, immediately, without a second of delay, Peru's way of saying something needs to happen this instant. Al toque is the urgency of Lima packed into two words: when someone says al toque, they mean it's happening now, not in five minutes.

To overthink or mentally loop on the same problem without ever reaching a conclusion. Used widely across the Spanish-speaking world, dar vueltas is that unproductive mental spiral that keeps you stuck instead of moving forward.

A hidden stash spot for something valuable or secret. In Chile it also means 'a lot', so 'caleta de plata' could be hidden money or tons of money, depending on the country.