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/Sounds like "pah" (as in "park") + "peh" (as in "pet") + "LOHN" (as in "loan")/

Meaning

A public embarrassment big enough for everyone to witness and remember. Making a papelón means you messed up in front of an audience: forgot your speech, fell down the stairs at work, or said something completely wrong in a meeting. The shame has witnesses.

Examples

He made a complete fool of himself when he forgot his speech in front of everyone.

She fell down the stairs at work during lunch, total embarrassment.

Regional synonyms

In Spain, to go for a short aimless stroll around the neighborhood or city with no fixed destination and no real plan. People take a voltio to clear their heads, kill some time, or just get some air. A casual loop through familiar streets.