Chile Forum

by **tombrad2** on Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:34 pm

What Tonyakaserg says about the eye-evil (mal de ojo) is also an old superstition in the rural areas. People used to think that some persons had "strong sigth" cabable to sick a baby (the sicknes was called "empacho"), that is why in very isolated/rural places is unpolite to admire a small children or cheer a baby, because people fear thay can transmit him/her the "mal de ojo".

By the way "mish!" is an expression widely used here in Chile in the last 3-4 years!

by **zulu789** on Fri Jun 29, 2007 4:27 pm

My 0.02 chauchas to the topic..

Part of my ancestors are Sicilian, and it is a common thing there , a disease called "Malocchio" or Mal de OJO en Spanish.

That is why some little babies carry in their dresses a little"horn' made of red coral...to protect...
Once i was a baby, I was cured of "Empacho" by a sicilian Witch in a very spooky ceremony , that i still remember after many years.

I still remember the words pronounced in heavy sicilian accent : "te coto , te cote ,a fondo du mare te mande"

It means "I cut you, I have cut you, to the deep of the oceans I sent you"

I was " MEDIDO" (measured) numerous times in Chile to cure some maladies....

It is a procedure that involves a a tailor's measuring tape, water , and God...

I have to tell you... it works...

by **tonyakaserg** on Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:42 am

thanks for that.. i found it quite interesting when i heard about it.. may have some truth to it.. also found the belief in red wool as a bracelet.. saw it on many peple and asked why they wore it.. got told it was to keep bad spirits away.. not quite red coral but red nonetheless.. interesting..

by **tonyakaserg** on Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:44 pm

Found these Chilenismos.. thought i'd share..

Informal Vocabulary and “dichos” (sayings) of young Chileans:

A
Aguita (de hierba): herbal tea / infusion
Al tiro: right away
Andar con la caña: to have a hangover
Andar con los monos: to be upset
Andar pato: to be broke
Asado: barbeque, party

B
Bakán: cool
Bici: bicycle
Bolsero: someone who constantly asks for money, food or other things

C
Cabra: little girl
Cabreado: to be bored
Cachai?: you know, you get it?
Cachar el mote: to know what’s up
Cachipun: the rock, paper, scissors-game
Carrete: party; Carretear: to party
Chalas: flip-flops / sandals
Chalado: a crazy person
Choclo: corn
Colectivo: shared taxi with a set route
Confort: toilet paper
Copete: alcoholic drink
Copucha: gossip
Cueca: national dance of Chile/type of music
Cuico: upper-class, yuppy, posh
Curado: drunk

D
Dale no ma’: keep going
Dar jugo: bother someone with lame jokes or sloppy remarks
Dar pelota: to give importance to someone or something

E
Echar la casa por la ventana: to have a big party
Embarrarla: to mess up something
Engrupir: to lie with ulterior motives (to impress)
Estar bajoneado: to feel sad /down

F
Filete: something very good
Florero: a person who likes to be the centre of attention
Flojo: lazy;
Flojera: laziness
Fome: lame, boring
Fresco: shameless person

G
Garabatos: curses, bad words
Gamba: 100 pesos
Grosso: cool
Guata/ita: tummy, stomache
Guatear: to fail, to mess up
Guagua: baby

H
Harto: a lot, too much
Hay feeling: there’s a chemistry between two people
Heavy: serious
Huaso: Chilean cowboy

I
Impeke: impeccable, excellent
Irse en volada: to go over the limit, to overdo something

J
Jorobar: to insist shamelessly

L
La U: 1) university, 2) a Chilean soccer team “Universidad de Chile”
¿La Dura?: for real? seriously?
Lata: boring, a pain
Lanza: a thief
Llueven/caen los patos asados: it’s very hot (weather)
Lolo/a: Teenager, young person
Luca: 1.000 pesos

M
Machetear: to beg for money
Mateo: very smart person
Me teni hasta aqui!: I’m sick of you
Micro: bus
Mino/a: an attractive person, i.e. chic

N
Novio/ a: fiancée
No tener a la mano: to miss out on something

O
Ojo al charqui: to be attentive to something
Once: afternoon tea

P
Pailón/a: a very tall person
Pajarón: 1) absentminded person, 2) bird
Papaya: 1) easy, 2) papaya
Pasar piola: to go unnoticed
Pastel: 1) a clueless person, 2) cake
Pelao: bold
Peluo: complicated
Pesado: someone who is obnoxious, or mean
Pinchar: To hook-up
Pisco: drink made of white grapes; grape brandy
Pituto: an influential contact or connection
Plata: 1) money, 2) silver
Polera: t-shirt
Pololo/ a: boyfriend/ girlfriend;
Pololear: to date
¡Pucha!: Darn, shoot
Pulento: amazing

Q
¿Qué Onda?: what’s up, what’s the deal?
Quiñento: 500 pesos

R
Regalón/a: someone who receives preferential treatment (positive connotation)
Rollo: a problem

S
Sacar pica: to cause envy
Seco/a: to be very good at something
Sí po’: yes

T
Taco: traffic
Taita: father
Tata: grandfather
Tecito: afternoon tea
Tener el diente largo: to be very hungry
Tener tuto: to be tired
¿Te Pesca?: is it your thing? are you interested?
¿Te Tinca?: you think so? you into it?
Top: cool
Trago: a drink

U
Un ratito: in a little while
Un palo: One million pesos

V
Vaca: 1/collection of money amongst people to buy something and share it, 2/cow
Vacilon: a party
Vender la mula: to swindle, to lie
Vitrinear: window-shopping

W
Wakala: repugnant

Z
Zapatillas: sneakers/runners

by **JHyre** on Wed Feb 20, 2008 1:02 pm

Nice list!

I always associated "pinchar" with "attract attention/glances from opposite sex", basically being "checked out". Am I all wet on that?

Hyre

by **el puelche** on Wed Feb 20, 2008 1:16 pm

pinchar...depends on how you use it in the sentence and the conjugation....the best list I have seen in a long time that so welll covers everything from a to z...a couple are a little off and others have eveolved furthur beyond what they say...for example I don't see "carrete" on there which could be "going out on the town" or "whoring<not literal meaning from english>" but more carousing...usually by young mechon university types but male only, now the word has begun to be used by young women of about 22 to 25 or so ...when used its like for them to say..." hey, boys we got spurs in the tack box, we know how to use them and we will and in fact we did last night...jajajajajaaj..."...its sassy but sassy on the edge and cute...

p out

I have to seriously get some work done....I'll be out for awhile...chaoito

by **RWS** on Wed Feb 20, 2008 3:00 pm

Interesting list and informative, Tony. Aren't many of those words ("asado", "choclo", "huaso", at least a dozen others) pretty mainstream, though?

by **tonyakaserg** on Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:47 pm

RWS wrote:Interesting list and informative, Tony. Aren't many of those words ("asado", "choclo", "huaso", at least a dozen others) pretty mainstream, though?

yes they are..

by **tonyakaserg** on Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:53 pm

pinchar is also used when someone rings you on ur cell phone and hangs up with the purspose of either getting you to call back or just to let ya know they are thinking of ya.. my wife has the habit of doing this to her friends and family... 'te voy a pinchar cuando lleguemos y me llamas!' or ' la pinche por que no la e visto en harto tiempo..'..

by **eeuunikkeiexpat** on Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:02 pm

RE: the pinging by phone call ringing

So I'm not the only one this happens to

- pinchar - oh the wonders or modern communications technology interwining with Chilean culture

by **JaimeC** on Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:50 am

SOTIHUE

In Curico, this is use to refer to people who by choice or bad lock are without a job. When you are without a job, you automatically become a member o a society called the ‘Sotihue’ or “Sociedad Tiradores de Huevas” because all this people do al day long is walk around with their hands in their pockets puling their Testicles (Nuts)

by **Vicki and Greg Lansen** on Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:44 am

pinging....phones and phone etiquette! Anyone ever notice that when a Chilean makes a phone call to the wrong number...i/e my phone rings, I answer, Hola? And they just hang up.

I also wanted to mention that everyone should consider going back and start at the beginning on this thread. Really great interesting language issues, fun slang. Be careful using slang though...a word or phrase in one place might be funny, in another, a horrible social mistep!

Vicki

by **tonyakaserg** on Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:07 am

Vicki and Greg Lansen wrote:pinging....phones and phone etiquette! Anyone ever notice that when a Chilean makes a phone call to the wrong number...i/e my phone rings, I answer, Hola? And they just hang up.

Vicky, Perhaps it's cos (and i aint 100% sure on this) u say 'hola' and not 'Alo?' .. my wife keeps telling me to use the latter when on the phone and the first (hola) when i see the person.. of course i get confused and i use them in th wrong order... just a thought..

by **PRECIOSA_FLOR** on Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:40 pm

Hola guachitos/guachitas!

el puelche wrote:PENCA

this is the word for "bummer" or "crappy..."

You win the polla gol but loose the ticket on the way to cash it in "que penca!!!"

you get home and there was a party but no food is left..."que penca!!!"

ciao. puelche out

Please don't use this though. It is considered a very ugly word. Es ordinario. (Very low class) A more common word to use to explain the same feeling is "fome"....que fome. fue fome. es fome. I could write a book about Chilenismos, but guess what there is already a book! It is called How to Survive the Chilean Jungle. Such a great little book!!

by **tombrad2** on Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:41 pm

It is a very subtle matter. Well, "penca" (low quality) is not replaced by "fome" (dull, boring) but it may be used sometimes in this sense. It is a very complex because in Chile four letter words are not used by low class only as -let´s say- rappers slang, they are widely used between friends in all social classes, including high rank businessmen, politicians, etc. It is a sort of demonstration of familiarity or confidence.

However I agree with preciosa_flor that a gringo better avoid to use most of slang or 4 letter word unless he is very sure on what he is doing. Anyway is important to UNDERSTAND slang and expressions, but to use it is more complicated

BTW some some equivalent for "penca" I guess "malo" (formal) "chanta" (unformal)

Chile Forum

CHILENISMOS, MYTHS AND LEGENDS

Mal de ojo

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