Admin
Here are ten colloquial expressions that you’ll hear on the street, in songs, and even in movies. Be careful — some of them are pejorative or rude, so it’s important to learn them for understanding, not for repeating in formal situations.
| Spanish Expression | Literal Translation | Meaning / English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Ser solo pantalla | To be only a screen | To be fake or all show — someone who pretends to be something they’re not. Someone who projects something they are not. |
| ¡Brincos dieras! | You wish you were jumping (of happiness, I guess) | “You wish!” (sarcastic disbelief) |
| tener la vara alta (MX) | to have the rod high | to set high standards / To have high expectations. It could also indicate a very important person, specially in a corporate or political position. |
| Mandamás | Biggest boss, the one who gives the most orders. | Big shot / top boss / the one who gives orders |
| De volada | In flight / flying | Right away / immediately / really fast |
| Putamadral (MX) | A motherload (very vulgar) | A huge amount (informal and strong — don’t repeat!) The RAE dictionary shows this Mexican word without any warning. |
| Un mitote | A noisy fuss | A mess / commotion / gossip situation. Mitotero is a gossipy person. |
| Una rechifla | A booing / whistling | Loud booing / public disapproval. Chiflar (in a stadium, for example) and silbar means whistling. |
| Mano (from hermano) (MX) | Bro / brother (it sounds like hand) | Buddy / pal / friend (colloquial, friendly). Hermano (brother) but shortened to mano (bro). |
| La jeta. / Estar jetón, quedarse jetón (MX) | The snout / big mouth | The face (very informal — like “mug” in UK English) / Estar jetón means to be asleep (MX), and quedarse jetón means to fall asleep (MX).. |
Ser solo pantalla describes someone who likes to show off or exaggerate what they have — like pretending to be rich or powerful when they’re not. It means that someone projects something that is not real.
Meanwhile, brincos dieras is a mix of sarcasm and rhythm — short, funny, and sharp.
Words like mandamás and mano are not offensive but still informal, while la jeta and putamadral belong to the “don’t say them in polite company” category.
Putamadral is very vulgar, the Royal Academy Dictionary includes this word, it indicates that it’s used in Mexico, but it doesn’t warn that you cannot use this word in every situation. Don’t use it.
