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Spanish is our language, but not all Spanish is created equal. Depending on what Spanish-speaking country you’re in, some words have different meanings. If you’re not careful, you could find yourself saying something very different from what you intended to say. Here are a few possible scenarios that you should try to avoid:
Let’s say you’re in Mexico and you want some cake. Ask for a torta, and you’ll get a sandwich. If you’re in Argentina, and you ask for a torta, you’ll get your cake. But, if you ask for a bizcocho, you’ll get a nasty look from the lady at the counter in return, because bizcocho is slang for vagina.
If you get a bug bite in Puerto Rico, do not say that you got bitten by a bicho. A bicho in Puerto Rico is slang for a penis. Play it safe and stick to insecto.
In need of a bus in Chile? Don’t ask where you can find a guagua because they’ll point to the nearest baby. Instead, ask for a micro. If you ask for a guagua in Mexico, they’ll point to the nearest dog. Better to ask for the nearest camión. But if you’re in the Caribbean, they’ll understand and send you to the nearest bus stop.
Joking around in Mexico, you decide to call someone a pendejo. Suddenly, you’re in a fistfight because you just called them an asshole. But don’t worry, you’ll be safe in Peru, where it just means a smart person with no common sense, or in the Dominican Republic where it means a coward, and calling someone that isn’t such a big deal.
Looking for your jacket in Mexico? Ask for your chamarra, not your chaqueta. Chaqueta in Mexico is the term used for masturbation.
In most countries, ahorita means you’re going to do something right now. But in the Caribbean, ahorita means in a little while. If you have plans to go out, keep this in mind because this can cause some confusion!
And finally, if you’re in the Caribbean, and you want a banana but you ask for a platano, you’ll get a plantain instead. Next time, ask for a guineo.
About Cindy Tovar
we eat pasteles!! yes love bizcocho
I blame the Republican war on Latinos!
I love this article! As a half Chicana half Nuyorican I often have to stop & think am I using the Mexican word or the Puerto Rican word.
I did ask a lady in a Mexican pinata store where I could buy a bizcocho. She looked at me strangely & ask where I was from. I had no idea it had it’s own meaning.
Bizcocho! En la republica dominicana es pastel pero en Mexico significa algo un poco grosero. I can also name seven different Spanish words for “straw.”
Bizcocho no es grosero en Mexico !!!!!! Solo si fuera de doble sentido sino no es groseria…..
With my heavily accented Spanish, people assume I’ll say the wrong word either way.
I say,”delicioso”. Excellent piece!
here is a the curveball in barranquilla colombia tamales or pastels =ayacas
*pasteles…tamales & pasteles are not the same thing now pasteles & bizcocho mean the same thing, cake.
Good article!
@ Sonia V Diaz _BIZCOCHO_ ASI ES COMO LE DECIMOS AL PAN DULCE, EN MEXICO.
Great piece and its funny that only in Panama do we say Patacones for tostones… And Tamales no es igual de Pasteles. Viva Panama we have our own words for everything chuchaaaaaa!!! Lol
I may be wrong but it’s to my understanding that tamal is cooked in steam and pastel is baked in the oven. We use both in Nicaragua y El Salvador.
Tamales y Pasteles are not the same thing…similar but not the same. Both are delicious! Que Viva mi Puerto Rico!
bizcocho is cake in english cundo en mexico es muy especial para un hombre en una mujer y pastel es cake en Republica dominicana,CASI TODO LATIN AMERICAN USAN DIFFERENTES PALABRAS PARA SUS COSAS. EN DR CHAKABANA ES UNA GUAYABERA LO SE PORQUE YO SOY DE PUERTO RICO Y MI ESPOSO ES DOMINICANO. PERO NOS ENTENDEMOS MUY BIEN!!!
“ahorita” for me means *now.* when my peruvian bf says it, he means “later”… can get frustrating!!
Tamal. I’m Colombian and bizcocho could be either or depending on how you use it. Oh and Amy, hate to break it to you but a lot of Colombians say patacones including myself.
Chaqueta is also used in Mexico, which means jacket, guagua is also used in Mexico but only in some parts of Veracruz. Not all of Mexico have the same slang, every state/town/city has their own lol
Esta es el slang del estado de Veracruz en Mexico, estas no son escuchadas en otras partes de Mexico solo en Veracruz
Jarioso: caliente
Iris: cosa, objeto, saludo, situaciones
Cabula: Mentira
Paro, Balona: favor
Castre: enfadar a alguien con comentarios de burla
Coño: clasica expresion de alegria, tristeza, enojo, inicio de cualquier conversacion
Guato: bastante o mucho
Helodia: cerveza
Don’t forget those cones of brown sugar. I grew calling it PANOCHA and when I was describing a recipe to a Colombian, his eyes got really wide! Hahahaha I guess some people calling it Piloncillo of something like that.
Lol
@ Andrea we use ahorita like ok lo voy hacer horita meaning mas luego n im puerto rican.
pasteles …. to me those are cakes, but in NY I learned that those are also tamales that you put ketchup on =oX
My Colombian tia makes a kick-ass sancocho – but in Cuba, sancocho is what is fed to pigs!
pasteles and tamales are two completely different things…and if you put KETCHUP on pasteles….. you ain’t no true Boricua
Love it, the Spanish language is so rich, the most important thing is that we learn from each other while having fun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyp7xt-ygy0 check out this video “que dificil es hablar el español”
micro
Micro
The micro. BTW this article was hilarious.
micro
MICRO…….
Micro