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/Sounds like "EHL" (as in "egg") + "OH" (as in "oh") + "troh" (as in "troll") + "LAH" (as in "lava") + "doh" (as in "door")/

Meaning

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.

Examples

My uncle left for the States twenty years ago and never came back.

Over there on the other side you earn in dollars, but everything costs more.

Regional synonyms

A top-tier expert who works like a precision machine and makes everything look effortless. In Argentina and Uruguay, a maquinista does not need instructions twice: you hand them the task and they just deliver, no drama, no fuss.