When you’ve been blogging for a while, you realize something. People quit blogging all the time. Some of my favorite bloggers no longer post or took long breaks from their blogs. They’re off becoming attorneys or working on their dreams of becoming professional writers. Sometimes, we just realize that we shared too much and need to take a step back.
Anyway, one of my favorite bloggers was the <a href="http://dailytexican.blogspot.com/"Daily Texican. He stopped blogging when he moved to Seattle for law school a few years ago. One of my favorite DT features was the “cholo word of the day.” DT defined Caló, Spanglish, or common Spanish phrase (e.g., chota, Entiendes Mendez). He’d also use the words/phrases in clever sentences and translate them for non-Chicana/o consumption. I loved the translations.
In honor of DT, I’m focusing the QOTW on Caló and Spanglish.
La Pregunta: Do you use Caló and/or Spanglish words/phrases in your daily life? What’s your favorite Caló and/or Spanglish word/phrase(s)? If you’d like, define the word/phrase a la DT (see above for an example).
Lotería Chicana 
I miss DT and his cholo word of the day! I was just thinking about his blog the other day.
In regard to the question, I use calo all of the time. One of my favorites is wechala.
Fuchila.
“Yes, Cara de Apio?”
This is what my good friend Lucio says, every time he means
“Yes, Can I help you?”
He tells us that when he first moved to the U.S. he worked for a florist and his boss used to always ask his customers, “Yes can I help you?”
One day, his boss stepped out and an Anglo customer came in, so Lucio had assist by phrasing his question the only way he phonetically knew how.
He stepped to the counter and said, “Yes, Cara de Apio?” and the customer was taken care of. LOL
This of course is our greeting to him, every time he calls us on the phone. “Lucio! – Cara de Apio?”
“Yes, Cara de Apio?”
This is what my good friend Lucio says, every time he means
“Yes, Can I help you?”
He tells us that when he first moved to the U.S. he worked for a florist and his boss used to always ask his customers, “Yes can I help you?”
One day, his boss stepped out and an Anglo customer came in, so Lucio had to assist him by phrasing his question the only way he phonetically knew how.
He stepped to the counter and said, “Yes, Cara de Apio?” and the customer proceeded to place his order and was taken care of. LOL
This of course is our greeting to him, every time he calls us on the phone. “Lucio! – Cara de Apio?”
i was recently thinking of the word “Norteado” and how we often use it to meen that we are disoriented. like when you go into a building and than forget which way is the exit. I was thinking why “norteado,” and if it has anything to do with coming to ‘el norte’ and feeling lost.
okay, is not calo. “simon que yes” i say it now and then.
How about chingators? Does that qualify? I need to use that one more. Or are we talking more like “Ajoo-ah!” That one I use to scare my chamacas in the middle of a good banda song.
I miss DT’s cholo words of the day too. They always made me laugh. I’ve never heard anyone else say this, but I love saying “give me the cheese” … as in, dame el chisme.
My husband is a pro at calo and since my family is from Mexicali..spanglish is is secound nature for us…
si ya sabanas pa que cobijas…osea… si ya sabes para que preguntas
Entiendes Mendez o te esplico Federico is his fav…
He also likes to say ” dichos” I HATE when he does… it gets on my last nerve…
His favorite…. Eres como dijo Chalino…. eres mas vatayosa que aser gargaras boca abajo…WHATEVER!
chingao! (as in ‘oh my god’)
sabes chavez? (do you understand me? you know… right?)
que pues cara de nuez? (what’s up nut face?)
sabee? (from Pirates of the Carribean, Capt Jack asked ‘Sabee?’ As in ‘You know right? OR like sabes chavez)
Chingao as ‘oh my god’ P? That’s a first.
Ones I use most often are:
“Aver a que horas” when someone is taking long at something and I want to rush them.
“Uno que es chingon” pretty much whenever I feel like I excelled at something and want to gloat.
“Pos oyeme” same as above.
“Pareses nuevo” when someone does something stupid and I want to make fun of them.
…and of course other vulgar, sexist, or ‘referenced to some homosexual act’ phrases as well…but I will leave those out for now.
I do have to admit that I like using, “simón, ese!” (expressing agreement)
And another guilty pleasure I like to use is, “Ay te watcho.” (see ya later)
I know that these phrases are rather common, but I love them!