paisa
n.— «There is a slang term that students in mostly Latino schools use to separate those who seem more connected to their Latino roots than to American culture: “paisas.” It comes from the word “paisano,” meaning peasants or countrymen. “It’s a softer way of saying “wetback,” ” said Joe Lechuga, 17, also known as “Buddha.” He and other Mexican American students who hang out in Senior Park say the term is affectionate, not malicious.…”Where’s Domingo? The paisa?” Buddha asked his friends one day during lunch. “Oh, he’s over there kissing some paisa girl,” another student replied.» —“Cultural Divide on Campus” by Erika Hayasaki Los Angeles Times Dec. 3, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Samantha Harvey’s novel Orbital is a sensuous, exhilarating meditation about the strangeness of life on a space station, with its mix of tedious tasks and jaw-dropping views. And: a musician who rode the rails in his youth shares the slang he...
Steve, a singer-songwriter from Rock Springs, Wyoming, shares some slang he picked up while months riding the rails and busking. Spanging refers to panhandling, from asking for “spare change.” The term bull refers to a type of security...