Most Chicano slang words come from what is known as Calo. Many of these words were created and frequently used during the pachuco era of the 1930s and 1940s, although some words were created later.

Most of these words are used solely amongst Chicanos themselves, although there are some words here that are also used by people in Mexico or other Latin American countries. But again, many of these words seem to be generally used only by Mexican-Americans.

On a side note, not all Chicanos use these words. Some may only use a few in their vocabulary, and some may not use any at all. With that said, many Chicanos use these words daily as it is part of their normal vocabulary. There are many more words that could have gone on this list, and this list is not complete.

I heard most of these words on a regular basis growing up in Los Angeles from the 1980s up until the present day. You might also want to note to yourself that sometimes words are regional and used much more in a certain geographical area than other places.

Words commonly used by Mexican-Americans

• Ay Wey – Oh shit!.
  Example – Two men are walking down the street and a dog starts coming toward them. One man may tell the other man “Ey Wey, there’s a dog coming toward us.”
• Bomba – Bomb. The term is used when referring to an old car from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s.
  Example – “That’s a bad ass bomba right there.”
• Borracho – A person that is drunk. A drunk female would be a borracha.
  Example – “Yeah, I know Nacho. He’s that borracho always standing in front of the liquor store.”
• Border Brother – Friendly term for Mexicans that are from Mexico. Usually used for illegal immigrants.
  Example: – “Sometimes I kick it with Pedro. He’s a cool border brother.”
• Brocha – A thick mustache. Literally the word means “brush.”
  Example: – “Doesn’t Edgar look so much older with that brocha?”
• Canton – Refers to a person’s home. It can be a house, apartment or any other kind of dwelling.
  Example – “Hey, let’s all meet up at Hector’s canton later on.”
• Carnal – Means brother. Mostly used literally for someone’s brother. Also, sometimes used in reference to a very good friend.
  Example: – “Who you talking about Luis? Man, we grew up together. That’s my carnal right there.”
• Carucha – A term used to refer to someone’s car.
  Example: – “Hey Geno, go get my wallet. I left it in the carucha.”
• Cerio – Really; Seriously; Are you serious?
  Example: Person 1 – “Hey man, I just got hired at the Amazon warehouse.” Person 2: “Cerio? That’s a firme job, I worked there for a couple of months last year.”
• Chale – No
  Example – Person 1 – “Hey man, is it true you went out with Rita last night? – Person 2 – “Chale, you know that girls not my style.”
• Chavala – Little girl. Used as an insult to a male that lacks courage.
  Example: – “Hey fool, stop acting like a chavala and come with us to the party.”
• Chingasos – A physical fight.
  Example: Person 1 – “How’d you get that black eye?” – Person 2 – “I got in to some chingasos last night.”
• Chopping it up – To conversate and catch up. Similar to the term shooting the breeze.
  Example: – “I seen Pedro the other day. We hung out chopping it up for hours.”
• Crime Partner – Someone that gets in to mischievous situations with one another. Usually a best friend.
  Example: – “Oh you know Ricky? Shit, we go way back. We used to be crime partners.”
• Cuete – A gun. It don’t matter which kind.
  Example: – “Hey man, you know where I can get a cuete?”
• Dog – A friendly reference to a friend or acquaintance.
  Example: – “What’s up dog? How you doing?”
• East Los – This is just a short term abbreviation for East Los Angeles.
  Example: – “Do you want to take a cruise with me? I have to go pick up something from my grandma’s house over there in East Los.”
• Ese – Guy; Dude; Man. Used primarily by Sureno gang members. Although others also use it.
  Example: – “Hurry up ese, your taking forever.”
• Esa – Girl; Lady. This is the feminine form of ese.
  Example: – “Come on esa, I’m gonna take you to get your nails done.”
• Feria – Money. This word literally means “Fair” such as a carnival.
  Example: Person 1 – “Hey man, can you loan me $50?” Person 2 – “I can’t, I won’t have any feria until Friday when I get paid.”
• Firme – Cool, good or likeable.
  Example 1: – “That was a firme movie.” – Example 2: “That fool Ruben is firme, he took us all cruising down the boulevard last night.”
• Frajo – Cigarette
  Example: – “Hey fool, you have an extra frajo?”
• Fool – Sometimes spelled foo. Not to be confused with the literally meaning of a fool. This term is used in a friendly gesture without offending.
  Example: – “What’s up fool, so we gonna go to the concert next month or what?”
• Frio – A frio is a cigarette that is dipped into P.C.P. and smoked. A frio is also called a “Cool.”
  Example: – Person 1: “So what’s up, are we gonna smoke a frio or what?” Person 2 – “Hell no, I smoked a cool last weekend and got all messed up. I ain’t touching that stuff again!”
• Gabacho – Sometimes spelled gavacho. The word is used to describe a white man. A white woman would be a gabacha.
  Example: – “Back in the 1960s almost all the cops were gabachos.”
• Gacho – This word is used when something is done in bad taste. May be translated as “Messed up.” or “Mean.”
  Example: – Person 1 – “Yeah man, they lied about him hitting her, and the cops arrested him.” – Person 2 – “Cerio? That’s gacho.”
• Homeboy – This term is used whenever referring to a good friend. Originally, the word was used to refer to someone that was from the same neighborhood. Some still do use it in that way. But “Homeboy” is now used by most when they are speaking of a good friend, no matter where they are from.
  Example: “Oh yeah! I know Gilbert, that’s my homeboy.”
• Homes – A word that is used when talking to a friend. Similar to homeboy, but will usually be used when talking directly to the individual.
  Example: – “What’s up homes, are we still going to that party tonight or what?”
• Huero – A white person with blonde hair and blue or green eyes. Sometimes, a Latino with light skinned features may have the nickname Huero.
  Example – Person 1: “Who’s going?” – Person 2 – “Me, Ricky, Jaime and Huero.”
• Hyna – This word means girl and can be used for females of all ages but is usually not used for little girls or older ladies.
  Example: – “Oh yeah, I know that hyna. I used to go to school with her.”
• Jale – A job. Can be used as an actual employment job or just something that needs to be done.
  Example: – “I never see Angel any more since he got that new jale.”
• Jefa / Jefita – Mother.
  Example: – “I met your jefa the other day, you look just like here.”
• Jefe / Jefito – Father. Jefe literally means boss.
  Example: – Person 1 – “Are you coming with us?” – Person 2 – “I don’t know, let me ask my jefe if it’s okay.”
• Jura – The police.
  Example: – “Run fool, the jura is coming.”
• Leño – Joint. Literally means a chunk of wood.
  Example: – “What’s up man, you gonna spark up that leño or what?”
• Leva – A coward or wuss.
  Example: – “Are you coming or what? Don’t be a leva homie.”
• Manflora – A lesbian. The term is used a lot for butches or dikes.
  Example: – “Have you seen Christina lately. She turned into a manflora.”
• Mayate – Derogatory term for a black male. A black female would be a mayata.
  Example: – “I don’t like going to that part of the neighborhood, there’s too many mayetes over there.”
• Mayatero – A person that tries to act like their black. They may u se the “N” word when they talk and their whole demeanor will be that of a black person.
  Example: – “I don’t like hanging out with Rudy, he’s turned in to a mayatero.”
• Mojado – Literately means wet. Used in slang to describe a wetback which is an illegal immigrant coming into the United States illegally.
  Example: – “I know that fool, his family are nothing but a bunch of mojados.”
• Mota – Marijuana; weed.
  Example: – “Let’s go to my pad, I got some mota over there.”
• Old Lady – Girlfriend or wife.
  Example: – “It’s cool fool. Just stay home. I don’t want your old lady to trip. You’ll be sleeping on the couch later.”
• Órale – Alright; horray; right on.
  Example: – “Órale Hugo, is that your new ride or what?”
• Paisa – A term used to describe those that have recently entered the United States. Synonym of border-brother.
  Example: – “Damn fool, last week I was drinking with my paisa neighbors. They can drink.”
• Pedo – When someone is intoxicated; drunk. Literally means “Fart.”
  Example: – “I saw Ruben get home last night. He was all pedod out.”
• Pedo – A problem. Generally used when someone has a personal dispute with somebody else.
  Example: – “What’s up dog? You got pedo or what? We can get get down right now!”
• Pinta – Jail; more commonly used for prison.
  Example: – “That’s Angel’s brother Victor. He just did three years in the pinta.”
• Pisto – Generally used for beer, but sometimes used for any alcohol.
  Example: – “Let’s go to the store and get some pisto.”
• Placa – Used to describe a tattoo, or graffiti on a wall to show someone’s identity.
  Example 1: – “That’s a firme placa you have on your back. – Example 2: “Those fools threw up their placas all over the wall at the liquor store.”
• Que no? – Isn’t that so?
  Example: – “That’s Jesse’s sister que no?”
• Que Onda – What’s up. Used a lot when greeting border brothers.
  Example: – Person 1 – “Que onda amigo? – “Person 2 – “No mucho.”
• Qvo – What’s up; Hello; What’s going on? Can also be “Qvole.”
  Example: – Person 1 – “Qvole homie.” – Person 2 – “Qvo.”
• Sancho – A secret sidekick boyfriend.
  Example: – “That fool beat the crap out of her because he found out she had a sancho.”
• Sancha – A secret sidekick girlfriend.
  Example: – “You better watch out man. If your hyna finds out about your sancha you’re gonna be in a world of shit.”.
• Simón – Yes
  Example: – Person 1 – “Hey man, are you going to school tomorrow?” – Person 2 – “Simón, I’ll be there.”
• Spensa _ Excuse me, sorry or my bad. Other variations of this word are “Dispensa” or “Aspensa.”
  Example: – A man bumps into another man on accident. He might say “Spensa homeboy.” This is telling the other guy excuse me or I’m sorry. No disrespect.
• Tecato – A heroin addict; a hype.
  Example: – “I don’t hang around with him, he turned in to a tecato.”
• Trucha – To look out.
  Example: “Hey fool, I gotta take a leak in these bushes, keep trucha.”
• Varrio – Neighborhood.
  Example: – “Richard is from a different varrio, but he’s a firme vato.”
• Vato – Guy; dude; man.
  Example: – “I know that vato, he’ cool as hell.”
• Vieja – Girlfriend or wife. Literally means old lady.
  Example: – “Come with us. You can bring your vieja and your kids.”
• Wino – Someone that consumes too much alcohol. Basically an alcoholic.
  Example: – “Eddie turned in to a wino. He’s always hanging out in front of the liquor store.”
• Yeska – Weed; marijuana.
  Example: – “Oh hell yeah, spark up that yeska!”