List of Puerto Rican Slang Words and Phrases - B

B

• Baile, botella y baraja - Literally, "Dance, Bottle, and Cards". Used to allude to seemingly innocuous, even beneficial, yet premeditated plans intended to keep someone entertained while others (usually, the government) go about not fulfilling their expected duties or obligations. "Mantener entre baile, botella y baraja" (Literally, "To keep between Dance, Bottle, and Cards". To keep entertained so as to keep busy and distracted from what's going on around.) The phrase was coined by historians to describe the government of Miguel de la Torre (1822-1837). "El gobierno de las tres B"
• Bellaco - Literally, a knave, a sly person. Someone who is in "heat" or having sexual desires. English slang term, Horny.
• Bembé - Series of afrocuban dances dedicated to the orishas. Also term bemba or bembe for lips when used without an accent.
• ¡Bendito! - Contraction of "¡Bendito sea Dios!"; "Blessed be God". Equates to the English "Good Lord!", used to show sympathy or sorrow towards someone. See also, "Ay Bendito!".
• Bicho - Literally, "bug" in Spanish, but in Puerto Rico it is used as a slang word for "penis".
• Bildin - Anglicism for "building".
• ¡Boa! - Literally, a serpent. Used to mock someone in a jokeful manner when he/she falls or trips.
• Bochinche - Gossip. "Bochinchoso" (Gossiper). "Mijo, que bochinche so formo!" (Man, what a gossip developed!). "Esa mujer es una bochinchosa" (That woman is a gossiper). Also used to describe a heated verbal argument between two or more groups more common) or between two or more people (less common).
• Bregar - To deal with something, particularly, to deal with a problem or challenge. To toil in life's travails. "La brega" (The daily travails of life required to make a living.) Also, to deal with something without actually making a concrete commitment to find a soluion. May be heard from government officials as their response for problems in the Island: "Ya estamos bregando con eso." ("We are already looking into that.") "Bregaste" ("You dealt me a bad hand".) A phrase said to someone who is not of good faith or who has betrayed or turned on you by playing a double-face.
• Brutal - The best or the worst of something. Cool, amazing. "Awesome", if the best of something or "Aweful", if the worst of something. From the word "Brute".
• Bruto - Dumb, idiot. "¡Que bruto!" ("What an idiot!").