mojado n.— «Three officers with the Española Police Department called 17-year-old Juan Campos a mojado— the Spanish term for “wetback”— during a March 17 beating in his home.» —“Attorney: Cops Beat Man to ‘a...
fideo n.— «Mention fideo and you’ll likely get a happy sigh about the “yellow box”—and the mother, grandmother, aunt or uncle who makes this lesser-known staple best. Yet fideo is essentially the Spanish word for vermicelli, a...
papi store n. in urban areas with a large Latino population, a small market or bodega, especially such a store where young men loiter. Etymological Note: Perhaps from the Spanish “mami y papi store” ‘mom and pop store,’ but note that...
malcachofas n.— «My crew calls milk thistles “malcachofas,” which is their pun on mal, the Spanish word for bad, and alcachofa, Spanish for artichoke.» —“Smiling over spilled milk” by Andy Griffin Santa...
perreo n.— «“The lyrics and the way they dance to it, called the perreo, is very sexual,” says Morano, of the slow, grinding dance named after the Spanish word for “dog.” Like much of hip-hop, reggaeton’s lyrics focus on...
Hurban n. a commercial radio programming format made of music intended to be popular with Black and Spanish-speaking city-dwellers. Editorial Note: The format usually emphasizes reggaeton, dancehall, and English- and Spanish-language hip-hop, but...