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More expressions that confuse Spanish students
| Spanish expression | Literal translation | Real meaning in English |
|---|---|---|
| estar amolado (Mexico) | to be ground down / worn | to be broke, in trouble, or in a bad situation |
| ser maleta | to be a suitcase | to be bad at something, clumsy, or useless at a task |
| chuchulucos (Mexico) | little trinkets / knick-knacks | junk food, small treats, or random little things, candy |
| raspadito (NYC) | little scraped thing | scratch-off, scratch and win lottery. |
| raspado (Mexico) | scraped | shaved ice or slush (neutral form, not diminutive) |
| ni a cuál irle | not even which one to choose, to root for. | all options are bad; you don’t know which is worse (or which is the less bad). Irle a = to root for. |
| a huevo / a guevo (Mexico) | at egg | definitely, of course, absolutely (can sound rude). Don’t use it, just understand it. |
| bien mamón (MX) | very “mamón” | very annoying, arrogant, or picky (strong slang) |
| endrogarse (MX) | to get into drugs? | to go into debt, often badly |
| lomito (MX) | little loin | dog (cute, affectionate term, like “doggo”) |
| echar un volado (MX) | to throw a toss | to flip a coin |
Notes and usage
Estar amolado is very common when someone is short on money or going through a rough time. You might hear “ando bien amolado” meaning “I’m really broke right now.” Estar amolado can be used for a broken gadget or machine. Amolarse, el cargador se amoló. ¡No la amueles!” is informal Mexican Spanish slang expressing disbelief, surprise, or telling someone to stop messing around, similar to “You’re kidding!”, “No way!”
Mexican newspaper article about chuchulucos:
¿Qué son los chuchulucos? Dulces, antojos y tradición popular mexicana
La RAE no registra el término, pero su uso está profundamente arraigado en el español mexicano
