rufo
n.— «“En California los mexicanos dicen ‘Guachaut’ (watch out: cuidado) o ‘simon’ cuando se saludan (yes, man: sí, hombre). En Nueva York los puertorriqueños dicen ‘rufo’ (roof: techo)”, narró Morales.» —“El spanglish: un fenómeno lingüístico que se abre paso en los EEUU” IBLNEWS (New York) Feb. 9, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...
A listener in Unadilla, New York, says her husband, whose family is French-Canadian, uses the phrase That burns my onions when something irritates him. There are several kitchen-related metaphors used to express anger, including that steams my...