List of Puerto Rican Slang Words and Phrases - A

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• ¡A galletazo limpio! - to beat up badly with your bare hands, the interpretation is that it is done by slapping someone else on his/her face, that is, with wide open hands rather than with closed fists. The phrase may have been originally adopted from Spain.
• ¡A juyir, Crispín! - Literally, "Let's flee, Crispin!". 'Juyir' is a slang for 'huir' to flee, to run away. It equates to "let's get the heck out of here!"
• ¡A las millas de chaflán! - "Driving fast", "speeding past someone", "walking fast", or "at the speed of the chamfer." Used as a criticism, such as "There he goes, driving that car with hellish speed!". Chaflán means "chamfer" in English, as in "chamfered street corners" like those of Barcelona, Spain and Ponce, Puerto Rico. Used to denote something that is done quickly, and alludes to the fact that a driver does not have to slow down as much going through a chamfered street corner as he would if it was a square corner. "Va a las millas de chaflán por la Ponce de León" (He is speeding like crazy down Ponce de Leon Avenue).
• Abombao - Smelly...damp cloth or fabric that smells from sitting out rotten. A very bad or putrid odor or something, namely food, that is spoiled.
• A lo loco - Literally, 'like crazy'. Done without much thought.
• A mí, plín - equates to "I don't give a hoot".
• Abochornarse - To be red-faced with shame or offence. To be ashamed or embarrassed. To blush. Comes from "bochorno", the Spanish Muslim woman's veil. "Abochornao" is the contraction of the participle "abochornado". Someone who embarrassed.
• Achaques - The aches and pains of growing old.
• Acho or Chacho - A contraction of the word ¡Muchacho! (meaning "Man!", "guy" or "dude"). Usually, it's used as a grammatical conjunction to bridge between thoughts.
• Acho men or Chacho men - "Damn, dude!", or simply just "Damn". Actually "acho men" as in "Oh man!" an expression of disappointment or surprise.
• Afrentao - Contraction of the participle tense 'afrentado'. An outrageously selfish person. A glutton. A person who wants it all; greedy.
• Agujita y Su Combo - "Little needle and her combo"- A record player made to sound like a Latin group. Playing records in lieu of a live band.
• Ah, pues bien ! - literally "Oh, well then…"; "Oh, Ok!"
• Ahora - "Right now". Equivalent to "Ahorita" in most of the rest of Latin America.
• Ajumao - Contraction of the participle tense 'ajumado'; drunk. A cacophony of ahumado, as in "fumed". Someone is drunk, besotted and smelly with the fumes of alcohol.
• Al cantio de un gallo - The distance a rooster can be heard when he crows. Used to insinuate it is close by. Equivalent to the American English "A stone throw's away."
• Al garete - Garete is the old rudder with shaft. Without direction or purpose. When the masts and oars broke in heavy seas and winds, the helmsman would use the 'garete' the rudder as cumbersome propulsion. The expression is originally nautical, meaning "adrift", as in "el barco iba al garete" but it is usually used to mean "a lo loco". Many people in Puerto Rico think this is a local slang word and that it is just one word "algarete" but "garete" is a word appearing in Spanish dictionaries with the same meaning as above.
• Al revés de los cristianos - Literally, "The reverse way to Christians." Old Spanish expression from the times of the Moorish kings. Equates to the English "Reverse Byzantine" expression, and used to refer to something that does not make sense.
• Alcahuete - Spanish has 25000 direct and 80 indirect Arabic words. Alcahuete is the old Spanish Arabic word "alqawwád". The gossip runner at the office or town. Also the matchmaker in illegal relations; also means to be extremely servile; also used to describe someone who spoils someone else too much.
• Amargao - Contraction of the participle tense 'amargado'; embittered. Someone that is constantly depressed; bitter.
• Anda pa'l - Is an abbreviation of "Anda pa'l sirete" or the bad word "Anda pa'l carajo". Also it refers to one that may be stunned or amazed, also scared at the moment. "Anda pa'l sirete" ("Oh crap!"). "Anda pa'l carajo" (An expression of astonishment roughly equivalent to "Get out of here!".) Similar phrase: "¡Ea, rayo!".
• Añoñar - To show affection to the point of spoiling someone. Mostly said of affection from adults towards children. It has a somewhat tender connotation. See also "Ñoño".
• Apretao - Means "crammed". Used to denote tough situations.
• Arrancao - Contraction of the participle tense 'arrancado'. Literally ripped out. He pulled on his money so much his pockets are ripped out. Without money, completely broke. Pennyless.
• Arrebatao - Contraction of the participle tense 'arrebatado'. 'Arrebato' means spiritual rapture. It implies the rapture of the 'High (drug reference). "Estoy bien arrebatao" (I'm very high)
• Arrempujate pa'ca - Come this way. Get closer.
• Arrollao - Contraction of the participle tense 'arrollado'. 'Arollo is a creek. So, literally it means stranded at the creek's bank. "Stranded" or "hanging", as in Te dejaron arollao. ("They left you hanging.")
• Así es el mambo - Literally, "That's how you dance the mambo". "Así se baila el mambo" (That's how the mambo goes). It equates to "That's the nature of the beast". That´s how it is. "Así es la cosa" ("It is what it is", or "It is how it is, like it or not").
• Atángana - An interjection similar to "In your face!".
• Averiguao - contraction of past participle "Averiguado". Nosy. As in, "Hay un perro averiguao en el techo" (There is a nosy dog on the roof).
• ¡Ay Bendito! - literally, "Oh Blessed One" - used to show frustration or exasperation when complaining about something. "An exclamation of woe or pity." The phrase often "stems from a deeply-held empathic sense" towards what is being sensed (heard, seen, touched, etc.).