abeja de Castilla: f. (European) honey bee (Apis mellifera). Also called abeja de miel.
NB: The killer or Africanized bee (A. mellifera scutellata) is called abeja asesina or abeja africanizada.

agach�n: m. slang 1. sale of used clothes and/or shoes, usu. imported from the United States. // adj. 2. del agach�n: secondhand clothes and/or shoes. [Compr� ropa fina, nueva y no ropa del agach�n. He bought fine, new clothing and not castoffs.] [fr. agachar, to bend over: fr. the action of shoppers bending down to examine articles spread out on sidewalks or shop floors]

ala de �ngel: f. angel wing begonia (Begonia maculata).

a Mundo y Raimundo: m. everyone; every Tom, Dick and Harry; everybody and his brother. [Le cont� sus problemas a Mundo y Raimundo. She told everybody and his brother about her problems.]
NB: A version of this term appearing in two daily newspapers is a raimundo y medio mundo.

angarilla: f. rural 1. one of a pair of stout, fork-shaped sticks that are placed on either side of a beast of burden and used to carry firewood. 2. pannier (specif. one of a pair of crates or boxes slung over the back of a pack animal and used to carry goods, provisions, etc.).
NB: The closely related term �rgana is also translated as panniers, but are actually a different type - a pair of very large, leather or skin bags or sacks.

a Mundo y Raimundo: p. everyone; every Tom, Dick and Harry; everybody and his brother. [Le cont� sus problemas a Mundo y Raimundo. She told everybody and his brother about her problems.]
NB: A version of this term appearing in two daily newspapers is a raimundo y medio mundo.

aparejo: m. rural packsaddle (specif. one consisting of a wood framework covered with raw leather that is placed on pack animals for carrying heavy loads). Also apero. Cf. ALBARDA.

�rgana: f. rural saddlebag (made of rawhide); large leather sack (one of a pair slung across the back of a mule or horse and used for carrying goods, provisions, etc.). Cf. APAREJO, ANGARILLA, BOTA.

arriba: adj. slang 1. high, stoned (intoxicated with drugs). [Casi todos los d�as lo miraban arriba. Most days they saw him stoned. - La Tribuna] 2. andar arriba: to be high (under the effects of drugs).

aseadora: f. charwoman, scrubwoman, janitress, cleaning woman.

atol: m. 1. a porridge or mush made from ground young or green corn boiled in water and whose ingredients include milk, sugar and salt. 2. atol chuco or atol agria: a sour, insipid drink or porridge popular in the departments of Cop�n and Intibuc� that is made from ground mature corn boiled in water, to which roasted squash seeds and red kidney beans are added. 3. dar atol con el dedo: to mislead or deceive (someone) with false promises, pull the wool over one's eyes, string along. Variant atole. [fr. Nahuatl at�lli or atolli]

ayote: m. 1. winter squash. // ayote saz�n: ripe squash. // ayote tierno: young (unripe) squash. 2. slang head, noggin. 3. ahumarse el ayote (a) : (for one's plans, goals, aspirations, arrangements, etc.) to go up in smoke, fall through; dash one's hopes; upset the applecart. [fr. Nahuatl ayotli]

-azo: suffix 1. large amount, large quanity. See CACHIMBAZO, MACANAZO, PIJAZO, VERGAZO. 2. harsh economic or fiscal measures. See PAQUETAZO, TRANCAZO. 3. exorbitant price hike. [Econom�a prepara otro manguerazo. Economy ministry prepares another exorbitant gasoline hike. -- La Prensa] 4. scandal. 5. shot of hard liquor. See BOMBAZO, CACHIMBAZO, CHIBOLAZO, COYOLAZO, FAROLAZO, MACANAZO, MAMEYAZO, PENCAZO, PIJAZO, PIROLAZO, TAPAZO, TAPIRULAZO.
NB: In academy Spanish, -azo is a) an augmentative ending, and b) a suffix used to indicate a heavy blow, whack or explosion. See CACHIMBAZO, MACANAZO, VERGAZO. (4) Sometimes used as a noun, usually in the plural. During the administration of President Rafael Leonardo Callejas, the use of -azo to denote scandal gained enormous popularity in the media. Examples in the local press include arrozazo (the irregular import of rice); carrazo (the irregular import of Italian cars and machinery into Honduras); chinazo (a people smuggling operation that consisted of selling Honduran nationality to Chinese citizens.); furgonazo (irregularities in the import of merchandise in tractor trailers trucks at border customs checkpoints); plazazo (the alleged sale of teaching posts in public schools to unemployed teachers by public education officials); telazo (the irregular import and sale of clothing and cloth in San Pedro Sula); tractorazo (the use of government machinery and equipment for personal use by officials of the Natural Resources Ministry); and visazo (a U.S. visa scam). This suffix is used in much the same way as "-gate" is by U.S. journalists to name scandals.

babosada: f. 1. nonsense, foolishness. [Esas acusaciones son babosadas. Those accusations are pure nonsense.] 2. trifle (something of little value or importance). 3. hacer babosadas: to do foolish or stupid things. 4. salir con babosadas: to be evasive, beat about; spout nonsense. [No me salga con esas babosadas. Don't give me that crap.]

balde: m. 1. bucket, pail. 2. slang knife. Syn. pu�al . Variant valde.

barba amarilla: m. fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper). Variant barbamarilla. [lit. yellow chin, fr. the yellow-ocher color of the lower jaw]
NB: This extremely venomous snake is common in the North Coast, esp. in sugar cane, coffee and banana plantations below 1,000 feet. It is also found in parts of western Honduras, La Mosquitia and much of Olancho. Called terciopelo in Costa Rica and Nicaragua and yellow-jawed tommygoff in Belize.

bayal: m. a climbing palm (Desmoncus orthacanthos) whose stems are used by the Gar�funas to weave baskets, hats and other items.
NB: Called "basket tie-tie", "grugru" and "grigri" in Creole.

blanquillo: m. egg. Syn. huevo.
NB: This term is often preferred over the term huevo, which in slang means "testicles."

bolado: m. slang babe, doll (attractive woman). [Ese bolado es bueno. That's a good-looking broad.] Variant volado.

bombazo: m. 1. slang drink, swig of liquor. Syn. trago. 2. soccer powerful shot or kick (at the goal), low drive (esp. one that results in a score). 3. smashup (vehicular collision). 4. bombshell (sensational news report, scandalous story, etc.)

bote: m. 1. bottle. 2. slang joint, slammer; prison. [Se lo llevaron al bote. He was taken to jail.] Syn. c�rcel. // ir a parar al bote: to land in jail, wind up or end up in the slammer. 3. echar un bote: to take a swig (of hard liquor, esp. guaro), have a drink. [Echemos un par de botes. Let's have a couple of drinks.]
NB: (3) In this case, bote refers to octavo, the name given to a 1/8-liter flask of the Yuscar�n brand liquor.

bubucha: f. guppy (Poecilia spp.). Also olomina.

bulto: m. 1. bundle of imported used clothes and/or shoes (ready to be opened and sold). 2. vulgar mound, the hump, twat (the female genitals). // adj. 3. de bulto: secondhand (clothes, shoes). [�Esos zapatos son nuevos o son de bulto? Are these shoes new or secondhand?]

butuco: m. 1. bluggoe, horse banana, hog banana (Musa acuminata x balbisiana, ABB group). Also chata, chato, cuadrado, majoncho (in La Paz and Cop�n), moroca (in western Honduras). Cf. FILIPINO, PL�TANO. 2. slang short, stout person. // adj. 3. short and stout, stubby.
NB: (1) This short, stubby, starchier variety of cooking banana is called charter banana in the Bay Islands.

caballo: m. slang 1. trousers, pants. Syn. pantal�n. // adj. 2. severe (particularly with respect to weather conditions, such as extreme heat or cold); difficult. [Este sol est� caballo. Today's a scorcher.] 3. daring, valiant, gutsy. [Ese tal por cual es caballo. That guy's got guts.] Cf. PERRO.

caba�uelas: f. the first 18 days of January that in local tradition correspond to each of the year's months (i.e. January 1 to January, January 2 to February, etc; from the 13th through 18th days the morning corresponds to one month and the afternoon the next) and that are closely observed by farmers to forecast the weather for the entire year.
NB: For example, showers on January 4 means that April will be a rainy month. Called pintas in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

cabr�n: m. vulgar 1. asshole, bastard. 2. a superb person; male buddy or chum - a term employed among males that is similar in use to the English obscenties "mother-fucker", "son of a gun", "ass-hole"; often used in direct address. 3. obs. cuckold.
NB: (1) This is a very strong insult.

caca: f. 1. excrement, dung (children's expression). 2. nonsense, crap. [Deje de hablar caca. Quit talking crap or Cut the crap.] 3. sand, sleep, sleepers. [Tiene caca en los ojos. He's got sand in his eyes.] See CAGADO (3,5).

cachimba: f. vulgar 1. cunt, snatch (vagina). 2. head honcho, top banana, top dog - usually preceded by mera. [...tenemos que esperar a ver qu� dice la mera cachimba. ...we have to wait and see what the head honcho has to say. - J. Montenegro, La Tribuna]

cachito: m. bull's horn acacia (Acacia collinsii) - a shrub up to 3 m. tall with compound bipinnate leaves and a trunk covered with large pairs of hollow spines, similar in appearance to the horns of a bull, that are used to make necklaces and other adornments.

cacho: m. 1. horn (of a bovine). 2. antenna (of an insect, etc.) - often used in dim. cachito. 3. slang conservative, Nationalist (a member of the conservative National Party). 4. slang shoe. Syn. zapato. 5. ponerse los cachos (a): to be unfaithful, wear horns, cheat on (said of a woman). Also ponerse los cuernos, ponerse los de carey.

cagado: adj. vulgar 1. afraid, scared shitless, usu. used in the phrase estar cagado: to be trembling with fear, be scared shitless. Variant estar cagado del miedo. Syn. tener miedo. 2. same, similar, usu. used in the diminutive in the phrase estar cagadito a: to be the spitting image of, be a chip off the old block; take after. [Ese cipote est� cagadito al pap�. That kid's the spitting image of his father.] Variant salir cagadito a. Syn. estar muy parecido a. 3. amanecer con los ojos cagados: to wake up with sand in one's eyes. 4. estar cagado de la risa: to wet one's pants laughing. 5. tener los ojos cagados: to have sleepers in one's eyes. [Ten�a los ojos cagados. He had sleepers in his eyes.]

cagalera: f. a tree (Bumelia obtusifolia) of the Sapodilla family up to 14 m. high, bearing spines, that is common in and around Tegucigalpa and produces an edible bluish-black drupe.

cagar(se) : v. vulgar 1. to shit, take a crap. Syn. defecar. 2. to botch (up), make a mess. 3. to irritate, bug; bore. [Ya la cagan. You're trying my patience.] Syn. fastidiar. 4. to shit in one's pants (out of fear), be shit-scared. 5. cagarse de la risa: to wet one's pants laughing. Also canturriar de la risa. 6. As� como come el rey, caga el buey. epigram, lit. "In the same way a king eats, an ox craps." A jocular rhyme chiding a person for the large amount of food he or she is consuming, or someone who is an interminable eater. It is also used to refer to a person who defecates frequently or excessively. Variant As� como come el mulo, caga el culo.

cag�n: m. 1. a person who defecates frequently, a person who has diarrhea. 2. coward, fraidy-cat. // adj. vulgar 3. diarrheic. 4. cowardly, chicken.

caiteada: f. 1. shindig, dance. 2. pegar una buena caiteada: to kick up one's heals, trip the light fantastic (dance), shake a leg. See CAITAZO.

calabazo: m. rural pumpkin-shell bowl (a bowl made from a dried pumpkin shell, usu. used for storing food and especially tortillas).

calaguala: f. 1. serpent fern, golden polypody, hare's foot fern (Phlebodium aureum). 2. creeping golden polypody (P. decumanum). [fr. Quechua]
NB: (1) An extract from this fern is used to treat vitiligo, psoriasis and other ailments. (2) Research is currently being conducted on an extract obtained from this species to treat AIDS and cancer.

calambre: m. a mixed drink made with gin, red wine, sugar and ice; shaken in a glass bottle; and served with a slice of lemon.
NB: Other admixtures may be used. This famous cure for hangovers is the specialty of the New Bar - more popularly know as Tito Aguacate - in downtown Tegucigalpa.

camotillo: m. 1. a small palm-like cycad (Zamia loddigesii) having highly poisonous roots. 2. dar camotillo: to kill, to murder (esp. through the use of poison).

campe�o: m. banana worker (specif. one who lives and works on a large foreign-owned banana plantation), banana plantation worker.

candelilla: f. 1. lightening bug, firefly (any of several species of the genera Pyrophorus, family Elat�ridae; and Aspisoma, Photinus and Photurus, family Lamyridae). Also cocuyo, cucuyo. Syn. luci�rnaga. 2. froghopper (Aeneolamia spp.).

cangrejo: m. brace roots, aerial nodal roots (specif. roots growing from a cornstalk above the soil surface).

canturrear: v. 1. to defecate. Variant canturriar. Syn. defecar. 2. canturriar de la risa see CAGAR. [euphemism for cagar, to shit] ca�a de Cristo: f. a spiral ginger (Costus scaber) that has red, cone-like bracts with yellow inflorescence.
NB: A member of the ginger family, this herb is grown as an ornamental and the root and stem are used for medicinal purposes.

ca�afistula: f. pl. spindlelegs, sticklegs (referring either to long, thin legs or a tall, thin person). [No jug� en el partido porque tuvo pena que le vieran las ca�af�stulas. He did not play in the match because he was ashamed that they would see his spindlelegs.] Variant ca�af�stolas.

caoba: f. mahogany (specif. Honduran mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), also caoba del Atl�ntico; and Pacific Coast mahogany (S. humilis), also caoba del Pac�fico). [fr. Taino]

caribe: m. red banana, Jamaica red (Musa acuminata, AAA group). Also caribe rojo, guineo rojo.

casaca: f. 1. nonsense, rubbish. 2. small talk. 3. sports jersey. [Oscar Mart�nez seguir� vistiendo la casaca del Victoria. Oscar Mart�nez will continue to wear Victoria's colors.] 4. tirar casaca: to bullshit, sweet-talk, lay it on. // interj. 5. cero casacas: nope; zilch, nothing doing. Cf. PAJA.

casa de citas: f. call house, brothel. Syn. burdel, prost�bulo.

casaquero: m. slick talker, bullshitter; fibber. See PAJERO.

chachaguata: f. 1. female twin. 2. slang double-barreled pistol. 3. carpenter ant (Camponotus conspicuus and other spp.). Variant chachaguate.
NB: (3) This orange-red, medium-sized ant is a common household pest. Called chachagua in Costa Rica.

chag�itoso: adj. muddy, soggy; marshy; (ground) covered with puddles. Syn. fangoso.

chainiada: f. 1. shoeshine, shine. // adj. 2. shiny; spiffy, spruce, well-dressed.

chainiado: adj. shiny; spiffy, spruce, well-dressed. [�Donde va tan chainiado? Where are you going all spiffed up?]

chancho m. 1. pig, hog. 2. slob (dirty person). 3. A cada chancho le llega su s�bado. proverb This saying implies that sooner or later one will pay for one's wickedness or bad deeds; wicked people get their just desserts sooner or later. Other variants replace s�bado with d�a or pascua. 4. no irse chancho con mazorca to not get by (someone or something), miss nothing, not escape notice, usu. used as no se (le) va chancho con mazorca. One variant replaces chancho with cerdo. // adj. 5. dirty, filthy. 6. lewd, vulgar.

chancho de monte: m. peccary (either of two species). Also coche de monte, cuche de monte. See JAG�ILLA, QUEQUEO.

chanflear: v. soccer to kick a soccer ball in such a way that it curves: to curve, hook. [El centro viene chanfleado. The pass into the goal area is hooking.]

chaparro: m. 1. chaparro, sandpaper tree (Curatella americana); a small to medium-sized scrubby tree whose leathery leaves have a sandpaper texture and are used for polishing and scouring purposes. Also raspaguacal. 2. a vine (Davilla kunthii) whose leaves are used as sandpaper and to scour pots. 3. echar un chaparro: to have a shot or swig of guaro.

chapia: f. clearing (of land); slashing, cutting (of vegetation), weeding. Also chapea.

charamila: f. a mixture of methylated spirits and other ingredients (to kill the odor and bad taste) that is consumed by alcoholic street people, usu. in orange juice cartons. Cf. pachanguero.

charamilero: m. 1. a person who sells illicit alcoholic substances to indigents. 2. street drunkard, drunk derelict, specif. one who consumes a mixture of methylated spirits and other ingredients (charamila).

chasta: adj. lousy, shoddy; mediocre; square. Also shasta. See CHUECO.

chepa: f. slang 1. (the) fuzz, heat (police force, police officers collectively). 2. lady cop (policewoman).

chepo: m. slang pig, cop (officer of the Polic�a Preventiva). [...los chepos fueron los que me pusieron la trampa para meterme al presidio. ...it was the cops who set me up in order to put me in prison. -- La Tribuna]

cheto: m. slang 1. butt, ass. 2. dish, babe (attractive woman). [�Que cheto! What a tail!] // adj. 3. attractive. [Est� poniendo cheto. She's becoming attractive.] 4. cargar un buen cheto: to have a good figure (said of a woman). [Te cargas un buen cheto. You've got a good-looking bod.] 5. lamerle el cheto: to lick one's ass, kiss one's ass, brown-nose. 6. Cara seria, cheto alegre. epigram, lit. "Serious face, loose butt." This saying implies that a person, esp. a woman, who is serious or grim looking is great in bed. The traditional variant is Cara seria, sexo alegre (J. Aguilar Paz). The opposite is Cara alegre, sexo fr�o -- a person who has a cheerful face is lousy in bed.

chibolazo: m. 1. large lump, swelling (esp. a bump on the head); goose egg. 2. slang shot, swig, drink (of liquor).

chiche: f. 1. breast. Syn. pecho, mama. 2. dar chiche: to give (a baby) one's breast; breast-feed, suckle. [Las mujeres le dan chiche - chiches secas y flacas y casi sin leche - a sus hijos, mientras los hombres juegan dados y toman aguardiente cladestino. The women give their breasts - dry, thin breasts and almost without milk - to their children, while the men play dice and drink hooch. - El Heraldo] // adj. 3. easy, a cinch; soft, agreeable. [No es chiche. It's not easy. or It's no piece of cake.] [fr. Nahuatl chichihuali or chichitl]

chig�inada: f. bunch of kids, group of young children.

chilca: f. mule fat (Baccharis salicifolia).
NB: The roots and leaves of this woody shrub found growing along streams and rivers are used in folk medicine.

chimba: f. pipe gun, steel-pipe gun, homemade gun; homemade shotgun.

chimbero: m. gunmaker (specif. a person who makes steel-pipe guns. [Mi hijo es sanito, no es chimbero. My son's a good boy, he's no gunmaker. -- La Tribuna]

china¹: f. 1. nursemaid, nanny. Syn. aya, ni�era. [fr. Quechua]
NB: This term originally meant Indian woman, and then woman in general.

china²: f. garden balsam, rose balsam (Impatiens balsamina). Also flor de china.

chinamo: m. stall, fair booth (esp. a temporary one). [fr. Nahuatl chinamitl]

chinche picuda: f. kissing bug (Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma dimidiata, family Reduviidae).
NB: Both species serve as vectors of Chagas' disease. This insect is called chinche chupasangre in Costa Rica and vinchuca in other Latin American countries.

chingada: f. vulgar 1. boonies, boon docks, in the middle of nowhere -- usu. used in the phrase en la chinngada grande. 2. ir(se) a la chingada: to clear out, leave, disappear; get the fuck out of here, go take a flying-fuck. [Si no dejas el guaro, me voy a la chingada grande. If you don't quit the booze, I'm clearing out.] 3. mandar a la chingada or mandar a la chingada grande: to tell someone to go to hell; tell someone to fuck off. Also mandar a la mierda. See PORRA, A LA DROGA.

chingo: adj. 1. tailless; bobtail. 2. short (esp. in reference to dresses). Syn. corto. // m. 3. see TAMAG�S CAF�. [fr. Nahuatl tzingo, in the anus; fr. the custom of cutting off the tail of some domestic animals, leaving the anus bare]

chipil�n: m. any of several erect perennial legumes of the genus Crotalaria with edible leaves that are consumed in some parts of Honduras, the most common species being C. longirostrata. [fr. Nahuatl]

chiricuto: m. slang 1. recruit. Syn. reculta. 2. private (lowest rank in the Honduran Armed Forces); "dogface."

chismol: m. a vinegar-based sauce for grilled meats made of tomato, onion, green pepper, juice of the sour orange (naranja agria) and parsley or coriander. Variants chilmol, chimol, chimole, chirmol. [fr. Nahuatl chilmolli: chilli, chili pepper, and molli, seasoning or sauce]

chorear: v. to look for and gather wild mushrooms; to pick wild mushrooms, esp. the choro species.

chucho: m. mutt, pooch (dog). [fr. Nahuatl]

chula: f. an evil night spirit, specifically a hideous female being in Honduran folklore who parents use to threaten disobedient children, roughly the same way bogeyman is used in English to frighten children into behaving themselves. [Port�te bien, mijito, porque si no te va a llevar la chula. Behave yourself child, because if you don't the chula will come and get you.]. Also la vieja. 2. no salir ni la chula: to go home empty-handed, to gain nothing. [No le sali� ni la chula.]
NB: Called nana chula in "Hondure�ismos."

chuzo: m. 1. a. metal tip, point (of a digging or dibble stick). b. digging stick, dibble stick. [el m�todo del chuzo dibbling method] Variants chuso, chusa, chuza. Also barreta, bord�n, huisute, macana, pujaguante. 2. slang knife, shiv. Syn. cuchillo.

cicimite: m. a large anthropoid of native Honduran folklore that lives in the uninhabited hills and mountains of the country and abducts human beings of the opposite sex for procreation purposes - in the majority of accounts and stories it is male anthropoids abducting human females for mates. The cicimite is said to be about the size of a man, naked, hairy and long-nailed, with the feet turned backward. This is Honduras' equivalent to bigfoot. .] Variants sisimite, cicimique, sisimike, sisimiki, chichimite (by E. Conzemius). [fr. Nahuatl tzitzimitl, devil]
NB: According to Dr. Jes�s Aguilar Paz in "Tradiciones y Leyendas de Honduras," the word itacayo or hitacay is synonymous with cicimite, although he adds that other people believe it is an entirely different creature. It has also been suggested that the mythical cicimite is based on a real-life animal: the sloth. The cicimite is called �lak or uhlak in Miskito. In "Vocabulario Popular Nicarag�ense" by Rabella and Pallais, sisimico means "diablo" - devil. Translated as "mountain demon" by Wolfgang von Hagen in his book, "Jungle in the clouds: A naturalist's explorations in the Republic of Honduras."

ciclo com�n: m. lower secondary education: the Honduran equivalent to junior high school (grades 7 to 9, referred to as cursos and not grados in the non-bilingual schools, i.e. primer curso or primer curso de ciclo com�n is the equivalent to 7th grade, etc.).

ciclo diversificado: m. upper secondary education: the period of secondary education corresponding to high school (grades 10 to 12), specif. a program of studies at the high school level in which students may choose from several different academic and career possibilities.

ciguanaba: f. the femme fatale of Indian and Ladino folklore: a beautiful, seductive female spirit who appears to men -- especially philanderers -- traveling alone at night, often near running water; the spirit lures her victim to a desolate site where she then bares her enormous breasts and says in an alluring voice, "Ven, toma tu teta!" (Come, get your teat!), on which her face changes to one of a cackling hag, causing the man to flee in terror. Variants siguanaba, sihuanaba, cihuanaba, siguan�bana, segua, cegua, cigua. Also la sucia, tetona. [fr. Nahuatl cihuat, woman, and nahual, spirit]
NB: Rafael Manzanares states in his work "Por las sendas del folklore" that this spirit is called la sucia when it appears near rivers, cegua near the beach, and ciguanaba in the wild. In several glossaries, the cegua is described as having the body of a woman and the head of a horse. Also spelled ceguanaba in Nicaragua.

cipe: adj. (said of a toddler) weak, sickly, whiny and/or irritable. [fr. Nahuatl tziptl]
NB: According to old wives' tales, this condition may develop in an unweaned toddler whose mother becomes pregnant. The reasoning behind this belief is that the young child thinks the unborn sibling is going to take his or her place - especially if the child does not receive sufficient attention and affection from the mother. Other symptoms include constant crying and wanting to be cuddled.

cipotada: f. 1. bunch of kids, group of young children. 2. an act or action performed by or characteristic of a group of young children; kid stuff, childish thing.

ciruela corona: f. a variety of Spanish plum (Spondius purpurea). See JOCOTE. [so-called because it has several protuberances in the form of a ring on one end, like a "crown."]

ciruela garrobera: f. an orange-red, smooth-skinned variety of the Spanish plum (Spondius purpurea) with an acid, watery pulp that is used to make jams and preserves. See JOCOTE. [fr. garrobo, a lizard + era, an adjective-forming suffix: so called because it is eaten by garrobos]

cogollero: m. fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) - an important pest of corn and many other crops. Also gusano cogollero, gusano cortador.

cohete: m. slang heater, piece (handgun, pistol). Syn. pistola. // adj. slang 2. plastered (drunk). 3. andar cohete: to be plastered (drunk). 4. ir de cohete: to leave in a hurry, depart in haste; to take off for. [Sacerdote va de cohete pero demandar� al Estado. Priest clears out but he will sue the government. -- La Tribuna] 5. ponerse cohete: to get plastered. 6. quemar cohetes: to set off firecrackers, shoot off firecrackers. Also reventar cohetes, tirar cohetes.
NB: Often spelled and usually pronounced cuete, and cuetillo in the diminutive form. (6) This is a case of equivalent but not exact translations. In Spanish, "set off" might be translated as "causar explotar" or "hacer explotar" while in English quemar means "set fire to", reventar means "burst" or "cause to burst", and tirar means "throw."

cohete quemado: m. slang 1. nonvirgin woman, damaged goods, soiled goods. [Es un cohete quemado. She's damaged goods.] 2. a person who is over the hill, washed up, finished; has-been. [El segundo error fue armar esta diz que selecci�n con mayor�a de jugadores del Motagua, verdaderos cohetes quemados... The second mistake was to form this so-called national team with mostly over-the-hill players of Motagua... - La Tribuna]

colectivo: m. collective taxi, shared taxi. Also taxi colectivo. See RULETERO.
NB: Shared taxis follow a fixed route from a punto de taxi, taxicab stand, in the center of a city to an outlying barrio, colonia or district (and vice versa) for a set fee, which was L6.50 for most Tegucigalpa routes in 2001. Generally, a colectivo will not depart until it is full, dropping off and picking up additional passengers along its route. Colectivos originally took five passengers, but a new ordinance reduced the number to four. As of 2001, all taxicabs were required to be white in color.

comelenguas: m. tongue-eater - a mythical nocturnal bat-like creature, roughly the size of a turkey, that reputedly eats the tongues and sucks the blood of cattle without leaving any traces or signs of a struggle. [...atribu�an a la constante desaparici�n de sus ganados a toda la fauna de la monta�a, desde el le�n y el tigre hasta el fant�stico comelenguas ...attributed the constant disappearance of cattle to all the mountain's fauna, from the puma and jaguar to the fantastic tongue-eater. - - Cuentos Completos, V�ctor C�ceres Laraa]
NB: According to one cattle rancher in the Comayagua area, the comelenguas is a bird-like animal that eats the tongues of dead cows. The comelenguas is a precursor of the chupacabras or goat sucker, a mythical creature that is reputedly responsible for animal mutilations in Puerto Rico, the United States and several Latin American nations. This creature is called sacalenguas in "Por las sendas del folklore" by Rafael Manzanares. One campesino living outside Tegucigalpa calls it el deslenguador. In an article first published in 1970 in the "Revista de la Academia Hondure�a de Geograf�a e Historia" and republished in the daily La Tribuna in January 2001, Pompilio Ortega affirms that the mysterious and unexplained deaths of cattle attributed to the comelenguas in the past were more likely due to foot-and- mouth disease.

copal: m. 1. copal, holy wood (Bursera graveolens)- a small tree from whose bark and/or resin an incense is made. 2. the incense made from the bark and/or aromatic resinous gum of the copal tree that is used in Lenca rituals. [fr. Nahuatl copalli]

cornuda: f. eyelash (pit) viper (Bothriechis schlegelii). See YEMA DE HUEVO.

cort�s: m. trumpet tree (Tabebuia chrysantha). See SAN JUAN.

corvo: m. rural 1. a machete that is wider and curved at the end. 2. see MACHETE TACO.

coyol: m. 1. wine palm, Mexican wine palm (Acrocomia mexicana). Also palmera de coyol. 2. pl. slang rocks, nuts (testicles). 3. tener los coyoles rayados: to have balls (courage). [El hecho de haber sobrevivido de aquella vor�gine de pasiones era prueba de que ten�a los coyoles bien rayados. The fact that he survived that vortex of passion was proof that he had balls. - Se da todav�a el arroz, Ram�n Amaya Amador] 3. A coyol quebrado, coyol comida. exp. From hand to mouth. From paycheck to paycheck. From one day to the next. [fr. Nahuatl coyolli, rattle]
NB: (1) In Olancho, the trees are cut down and channels or hollows cut into the trunk, which immediately fill with sap. The sap is allowed to ferment and the resulting drink consumed from the log with a carrizo or straw made from a slender piece of cane. This traditional alcoholic beverage is called vino de coyol. The fronds are used to make palmitos or ramitos for Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) and small crosses.

cranear: v. to think hard, rack one's brains, cudgel one's brains.

cuche: m. 1. pig. 2. nothing. [Ni cuche dijo. He didn't say a word.] // adj. 3. in a helpless or weak position, unable to act or move. 4. boxed in, blocked in (said of a parked car). 5. (in games) unable to move or play a piece, unable to make a shot -- usu. used with the verbs tener or estar. 6. dejar cuche: to silence, shut up; clip one's wings. Syn. callar. // interj. 7. shoo -- used to frighten away a pig; a pig call. [pos. fr. Lenca k�ce]

cuchilla: f. (of corn/maize) spike, ear shoot. Also navajuela (Choluteca).

cuchillar: v. (of corn/maize) to form spikes, form ear shoots. Also navajuelear (Choluteca).

cuete: m., see COHETE. [respelling of cohete]

cuma: f. a farm tool with a slightly concave, rectangular- shaped blade tapering toward the end that is attached to a wooden handle; used for weeding, esp. in corn fields. Also machete de pando, machete pando. [fr. Nahuatl quahuitl, tree and maitl, hand]

cumaj�n: N.C. m. cathouse, whorehouse (brothel). Syn. prost�bulo.
NB: Terms used in the national press for brothel include: burdel (brothel, bordel), casa de cita or casa de citas (call house), centro de tolerancia (house of ill repute), lupanar (brothel) prost�bulo (house of prostitution).

dar volant�n: v.p. 1. to knock over; turn over. 2. to eliminate, get rid of, remove. [La funcionaria le acaba de dar volant�n a un antiguo y admirado ceib�n que se encontraba frente a su casa... The government official has just chopped down a large old and admired silk-cotton tree that was in front of her house... - El Heraldo] 3. to lay, fuck. [Le voy a dar volant�n a unas cuantas. I'm going to get some ass.]

d�til: m. lady-finger, lady's finger (Musa acuminata, AA group).

de cachete embarrado: adj. 1. a period of agreement and goodwill following the establishment of a relationship, honeymoon. Variant de cachetes embarrados. [Alcalde y directivo de patronato de cachete embarrado. Honeymoon between mayor and community boards.] 2. andar de cachetes embarrados: a. to go steady with, date, see. [Una joven amiga m�a anduvo de cachetes embarrados con un empresario... A young lady friend of mine dated a businessman... - J. Montenegro, La Tribuna] b. to be on a cloud, walk on air; be infatuated, be head over heals in love; to be walking on sunshine. Also andar de mieles embarrados.

de cocina: adj. soccer (when the ball is passed) between the legs (of an opposing player). Variant por la cocina.

dejar silbando en la loma: v.p. 1. to leave out in the cold. 2. to string along, keep waiting for something that was promised (such as a job, promotion, etc.), keep someone in a state of uncertainty, to leave (someone) to whistle for (something). See QUEDAR SILBANDO EN LA LOMA.

del otro bando: adj. gay. [Para m� hubiese sido peor que me dijeran que era del otro bando... For me it would have been worse if they had said he was one of those. - El Heraldo] Also del otro lado.

deschambado: m. 1. unemployed person; pl. the unemployed. // 2. adj. unemployed.

de panza: adv. only just, by the skin of one's teeth, barely, by a hair (esp. with respect to a grade on an examination or for a course). [Pas� de panza. He got a scraping grade.] Variant de panzazo.
NB: This expression is frequently heard among students who obtain a 60, the lowest passing grade in most schools.

desengomarse: v. to get over a hangover, take a drink to cure a hangover; to sober up. Syn. desembriagar.
NB: One Honduran folk remedy for curing hangovers consists of drinking guaro with Coca-Cola and then eating some egg soup with a lot of hot sauce to sweat it off -- like the English proverb, "To have a hair of the dog..." Another remedy is drinking a calambre.

desplumado: m. slang 1. lempira, devalued lempira. [Hoy la misma res la venden por 5 mil desplumados. Today, the same head of cattle is sold for 5,000 lempiras. -- La Tribuna] Also indio desplumado. // adj. 2. devalued (in reference to the lempira). [lit. deplumed, fr. the progressive loss of feathers in the headband of Lenca chief Lempira on the coins and currency of Honduras]
NB: In 1931, the first silver coins of Honduras' new monetary unit entered into circulation bearing the effigy of Lenca chief Lempira. From 1931 until 1973, Lempira's headband had three feathers in it. In 1951, the newly created Central Bank of Honduras issued the first national paper currency. On the one lempira note, the chief's headband now had just one feather. Following the redesign of the nation's currency and coins in 1978, the headband of the new likeness of Lempira has no feathers. Hondurans jokingly compare the loss of Lempira's feathers with the devaluation of their currency, which has slid from Lps. 2 to US$1 to more than Lps. 16 to US$1 since the mid- 1980s, hence the origin of this term.

echarse: v. 1. to bed, fuck. [El cree que las muchachas s�lo son para echarse. He believes that girls are only good for fucking.] 2. echar un palomazo: to get laid, get it on (copulate). Also echar un palo, echar un palito. See POLVO, TALCO.

enano: m. 1. dwarf banana, dwarf Cavendish (Musa acuminata, AAA group). 2. one eighth-liter bottle of guaro. 3. echar un enano: to have a drink (of guaro, specif. a one eighth-liter bottle). See OCTAVO.

encantos: m. wares, stuff, sexual attributes, physical endowments, goodies (euphemism for the breasts, buttocks and genitals of a woman). [Las mujeres muestran sus encantos. The women exhibit their wares.]

enchachar: v. 1. to cuff (handcuff). 2. to boot, attach a Denver boot to (a vehicle). [Automovilista asesto golpiza a agente por enchacharle carro. Car owner clobbers policeman for attaching a Denver boot to his car.]
NB: One Spanish daily has used chachar instead of enchachar on several occasions: No chachar�n carros en barrios y colonias. (Boots will not be attached to cars in barrios and residential districts.)

entilar(se): v. to soot, cover with soot, be or get sooty, blacken. Syn. tiznar.

est�n pariendo los venados: exp. a popular saying applied to a weather condition in which rain is falling while at the same time the sun is shining, somewhat akin to the English proverb, "The devil is beating his wife." (If it rains when the sun is shining, the devil is beating his wife.) .] Variant est�n pariendo las venadas.

estar chupando ca�a: v.p. a catch phrase used to indicate that one's pants or underwear are drawn up sharply and sticking between the buttocks; to have underwear (dress, pants, etc.) up one's ass; (for one's underwear, dress, etc.) to ride up (one's crack), be riding up.
NB: The verb andar can also be used instead of estar. A Nicaraguan equivalent, according to "Folklore de Nicaragua," is andar mordiendo la perra.

federal: adj. slang 1. ugly. [Esa secretaria juega en el federal. That secretary is downright ugly.] Syn. feo. 2. ponerse federal: (of a situation, event, etc.) to get out of hand; become or get ugly, take a nasty turn, not look good, get crazy. [Esto se est� poniendo federal. This is getting ugly.] Also ponerse feo.
NB: Federal is also the name of a former first division soccer club.

fiesta de traje: f. slang a party in which each guest is expected to bring something to eat or drink: BYOB (bring your own booze), pot luck party, bottle party. [Es una fiesta de traje. It's a pot luck party.]
NB: This idiom is a play on the words traje (suit, esp. one that would be worn at a formal gathering) and traer (to bring).

fif�: m. slang pansy, fairy (effeminate man; homosexual). See also CHULETA, COCHO, COCOPI�A, CUCHUFLETO, CUCHUMBO, CUMBO, DEL OTRO BANDO, DEL OTRO LADO, MANO CAIDA, MARIQUITA, PI�A, PLAYO, PORR�N, SE LE MOJA LA CANOA.
NB: Other general Spanish vulgar terms for homosexual that are widely used in Honduras include culero, marica and maric�n. These three terms are equivalent to "fag" or "queer" in English when referring to homosexuals, or to "sissy" or "wimp" when referring to a weak-willed or cowardly person.

filipino: m. pelipita (Musa acuminata x balbisiana, ABB group) - a common variety of cooking banana similar to the butuco. Also filipita.
NB: This variety, which has replaced the well-liked bluggoe in parts of Honduras, is also called butuco.

frijol cipe: m. fresh kidney bean -- nearly ripe to ripe kidney bean harvested before the pods have dried on the plants.
NB: These tender beans are cooked before they can dry and turn hard.

friquiado: adj. 1. irritated, annoyed, irked, angry. 2. embarrassed; flustered; mortified. Syn. apenado.

friquiar: v. 1. to irritate, irk; to anger. Syn. enojar. [Me voy a friquiar.] 2. to embarrass, fluster; be ready to sink through the floor. Syn. avergonzar. Variant friquear.
NB: This word is of foreign origin and may be dervived from English, freak out.

fufurufo: m. 1. snob; a person who has or pretends to have wealth and/or social position and boasts about it. // adj. 2. stuck-up, snobbish. [Pero tambi�n hubo momentos bonitos, como cuando jugaba f�tbol con Chele Alboroto o cuando le ense��bamos la lengua a las do�itas fufurufas que llegaban en grandes carrazos a la misa del domingo. But there were also good times, like when I played soccer with Chele Alboroto or when we stuck out our tongues at the snotty old dames who came to Sunday mass in their big, flashy cars. - El Heraldo]

gallo: m. 1. old clothing, hand-me-down, castoff. [Isabel recibi� de buen agrado gallitos que le regalaban su cu�ada. Isabel gladly received the hand-me-downs that her sister-in-law gave her.] 2. vulgar pussy, twat (female genitals); clitoris. 3. agarrar del gallo: (among women) to beat up, clobber. [La agarraron del gallo. They whipped her ass.] 4. a precio de gallo muerto: dirt cheap, for a song. Syn. barato. 5. picar el gallo: to have a sexual itch, be horny, be hot (said of a woman). [Ya cuando les pica el gallo se vuelven locas. When they've got the itch they go crazy.] Also picar la rana. 6. ser gallo (para algo): to be a whiz (at something), be adept (at something).

gar�funa: m. 1. Black Carib, Central American Carib: a member of an ethnic group living along the North Coast of Honduras, specif. from Masca, Cort�s to Plaplaya, Gracias a Dios. The Gar�funa are the descendants of escaped African slaves and Caribs on St. Vincent Island who were deported by the British to Roat�n, the Bay Islands on April 12, 1797, moving to the mainland shortly afterward. 2. language of the Gar�funa people, which is classified in the Macro-Arawakan family. The Gar�funa language is descended from Arawak and Caribe with heavy French and Spanish influence, and to a lesser extent, African and English. // adj. 3. of or pertaining to the Gar�funa people, their culture, etc.
NB: Among Gar�funas, the word gar�nagu or garinagu is a collective noun referring to their people and culture as a whole, while gar�funa refers to an individual. There are also Gar�funa communities on the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts of Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

gas: m. 1. kerosene. Syn. keroseno, queroseno. 2. spirits, usu. used in the phrases bajarse el gas: to lower the spirits, dampen the spirits, fall into despair; subirse el gas: to raise the spirits, to cheer up. [A Honduras entero se le subi� el gas con el bronce, logrado ayer en la Copa Am�rica. The entire Honduran nation brimmed with cheer over the bronze obtained yesterday in the Copa America. - La Tribuna] Syn. �nimo.

gata: f. maid, household servant girl, skivvy. [Se la llev� a trabajar de gata a la casa. He took her to his home to work as a maid.] Syn. dom�stica.

gato: m. 1. underling, small fry, pipsqueak, low man on the totem pole. [Juan es un gato en la oficina. John is a pipsqueak in the office.] 2. biceps (of the upper arm). 3. unos cuatro gatos: a few people. [Solamente llegaron unos cuatro gatos a la presentaci�n. Only a few people came to the presentation.] Also unos cuatro pelones.

guarero: m. 1. drinker, souse (specif. a person who habitually drinks heavy liquors and esp. guaro.) // adj. 2. of or pertaining to guaro or its consumption, used in phrases such as panza guarera or pancita guarera (analogous to "beer belly" in English).

gato: m. 1. underling, small fry, pipsqueak, low man on the totem pole. [Juan es un gato en la oficina. John is a pipsqueak in the office.] 2. calf muscle; biceps (of the upper arm). 3. unos cuatro gatos: a few people. [Solamente llegaron unos cuatro gatos a la presentaci�n. Only a few people came to the presentation.] Also unos cuatro pelones.

guamil: m. bush fallow, forest fallow (specif. cultivated land that has been abandoned to natural regrowth for at least 5 years; with vegetation consisting of tall grasses, thorny shrubs and small trees); overgrown field (of brush and trees). [Los campesinos limpian el guamil viejo. The peasants are clearing the old fallow.] [fr. Nahuatl huac-milli: huacqui, dry + milli, field]

guatal: m. 1. field of thickly planted corn (to be used for fodder). 2. fallow (specif. one composed of stubble, small herbs and grasses); field abandoned to natural regrowth (mostly grasses and bushes); overgrown field (of grass and brush). Also guatera. Cf. GUAMIL.

guayaba: f. 1. guava (fruit). 2. nonsense; lie. [�Qu� guayaba que est� diciendo! What nonsense he's saying!] Syn. mentira, embuste. 3. a. brass ring (wealth or a political office, such as the presidency, mayorship or seat in congress, regarded as an objective or prize). [Mario Rivera tambi�n va por la guayaba. Mario Rivera is also going for the brass ring. - La Tribuna] b. plum (something excellent or desirable, esp. a choice position or post). [Pero debe ser buena la guayaba porque muchos(as) andaban viendo como se sentaban en esa silla. But it must be a choice plum because a lot of people were looking how they could sit in that chair. - La Tribuna] [fr. Taino]
NB: The fruit of the guava tree is usually used for jelly and preserves.

gu�fiti: m. a traditional Gar�funa alcoholic liquor made by adding bitterwood and various herbs and spices to guaro or another liquor (white rum) in a bottle, and then allowing it to age several days before being consumed. Variant kifiti. [Gar�funa for amargo, bitter]
NB: Among the Garifuna, this alcoholic liquor is sometimes used for medicinal purposes and as an aphrodisiac. Depending on the recipe, herbs and spices used as flavoring agents include cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, anise and rosemary. Honey is also sometimes an ingredient.

guineo: m. banana, green (unripe) banana. Also pronounced guineyo. See M�NIMO.

guineo indio: m. native banana, creole banana (broadly any locally-grown, sometimes inferior - with respect to size, quantity and/or taste - banana variety).

hablar pasta pasta: v.p. to speak plainly, waste no words, talk man to man. See RIATA (6), VERGA (11).

hecho le�a: adj. beat, exhausted, worn to a frazzle, shot to hell - usu. used with the verbs andar or estar. [Estoy hecho le�a. I'm beat.] Also hecho mierda, hecho paste, hecho pija, hecho polvo, hecho verga.

hembrita: f. French plantain (Musa acuminata x balbisiana, AAB group).

hijillo: m. noxious odor or effluvium, whether real or imaginary, that emanates from dead animals, esp. human corpses. [Ya hay que enterrarlo porque empieza a jederse, ya echa hijillo... It has to be buried now because it's beginning to stink, it's giving off hijillo now... - Cu�nteme otra, Teofilito, Te�filo Trejo] Variants ijillo, ijiyo, ihijo, ihio. [fr. Nahuatl ihiot]
NB: According to Honduran folklore, this effluvium can cause illness in people with colds, open sores or wounds, and they should therefore avoid places where corpses are found, such as funeral homes and cemeteries. Moreover, it is believed that hijillo is bad for menstruating women. Some people also affirm that this vapor can cause sickness in plants. Somewhat akin to the word "miasma" in English. Called bajo in northern Honduras. Spelled vaho in "Los Hijos del Copal y la Candela" by Anne Chapman.

h�jole: interj. holy cow, geez, huh oh, yikes. [euphemism for hijo de puta]

horchata: f. 1. a cold beverage made from rice, ground seeds (morro) of the calabash tree (j�caro), squash seeds, grated lemon rinds, cinnamon, sugar and water that is generally served at social gatherings, esp. children's birthday parties. 2. viene la do�a de la horchata: exp. jocular catch phrase indicating that a downpour is imminent. [Apurate, que viene la do�a de la horchata. Hurry up, it's going to rain.] Also viene la do�a del fresco. Cf. ELVER.

hule: m. slang 1. rubber (condom). // adj. 2. broke, without money - usu. used with the verbs andar, estar, dejar and quedar. [Nos dejaron hule. They left us penniless.] 3. useless, unusable, worn-out (due to age). [Posiblemente la bater�a ya est� hule. It's possible the battery is worn- out.] 4. over the hill, finished. [pol�ticamente est� hule politically he's finished] [fr. Nahuatl ulli]

hurgandillo: adj. mischievous. [Es que estos cipotes son tan hurgand�os... It's just that these kids are so mischievous... - La Tribuna] Variant hurgand�o.

indio desnudo: m. gumbo-limbo, tourist tree (Bursera simaruba). See JI�ICUAJO.

interesante: adj. 1. pregnant. [...que hab�a manifestado algunos antojos y que todo hac�a suponer que se hallaba interesante. ...had cravings and everything suggested that she was with child. -- La Juana Chica, V�ctor C�ceres Lara] 2. en estado interesante: in an interesting state or condition, pregnant.
NB: Other similar standard Spanish terms include en estado de gravidez and the euphemistic en estado de buena esperanza. Among the verbs used with all three terms are estar, encontrarse y hallarse.

jal�n: m. 1. drag, puff (on a cigarette). [Le peg� un jal�n al cigarrillo. He took a puff on the cigarette.]; Dim. jaloncito. 2. lift, ride. Syn. avent�n. 3. pedir jal�n: to hitch a ride, hitchhike. [Familia se salva de morir despu�s de pedir hal�n. Family escapes death after hitching a ride. - La Prensa] .] Variant hal�n.

jayanada: f. 1. nonsense, blather, drivel. Syn. tonter�a. [S�lo jayanadas habla. That's just nonsense he's saying.] 2. dirty word, foul language.

jilote: m. baby corn, immature ear of corn (a small, unripe ear of maize). Cf. ELOTE, OLOTE. [fr. Nahuatl xilotl, hair]

joder: v. vulgar 1. to bother, be a nuisance. [�No jod�s! Quit bothering me! or Fuck off!]. Syn. molestar. 2. to have some fun - usu. in the phrase joder el bote. Syn. divertirse. 3. to break (something), wreck, fuck up. 4. to hurt (oneself). 5. to screw, cheat, deceive. 6. rare to fuck. 7. joder con: to mess with, mess around with (someone). // interj. 8.�no jod�s! or �jod�s!: a. no shit!, no kidding!, you're kidding! b. damn you, screw you.

jodinche: m. 1. jerk, dork, twerp. 2. pesterer; pain in the ass. Variant jodincho. [euphemism for jodido o jode�n]

jolote: m. 1. see CHOMPIPE. 2. ahorcar el jolote: v. to choke the chicken (masturbate). Syn. masturbarse. [shortening of guajolote]

juma: f. slang 1. drunkenness; binge. Syn. borrachera. 2. a juma: plastered (drunk). 3. bajarse la juma: to sober up, get over a hangover. Also baj�rsele (a uno) la borrachera. 4. irse la juma: to become sober, sober up.

lecher�a: f. slang milk-bottles, cream-jugs, jugs (breasts). [El escote es tan bajo que casi me sale la lecher�a. The neckline (of the dress) is so low that my jugs almost fall out.]

lempira: m. the name of the monetary unit of Honduras, valued at $0.50 when it was created in 1926. For slang terms for lempira, see BAMBA, BOLA, CHAPA, COCO, DESPLUMADO, INDIO, MARACANDACA, MORLACO, PESEBRE, PESO, RANA, ROLA, RUCA, TAYUL, VARA, YUCA. [fr. Lempira, which means Se�or de la Sierra - Lord of the Mountains: a great Lenca Indian chief who led an ill-fated rebellion against the Spanish conquistadors in 1537]
NB: Often shortened and pronounced as "lemps" or "limps" by Americans and other English-speaking foreigners in Honduras. Officially, L. is the symbol used to denote lempiras. However, LPS. or Lps. is also used extensively.

licha: f. 1. rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum). 2. litchi, lychee (fruit of the Litchi chinensis). Variant liche.
NB: (1) The standard Spanish name for this fruit is rambut�n. According to two newspaper articles, this fruit is also known as peluda.

loroco: m. a herbaceous vine (Fernaldia pandurata) whose edible flowers and buds are used in a number of recipes.

maceta: f. slang 1. head. Syn. cabeza. 2. a maceta: plastered (drunk). [Anda bien a maceta. He's stone drunk.] 3. agarrar a maceta: to beat up. [La agarr� a maceta. He beat the daylights out of her.] 4. dar maceta: to give (someone) a thumping, wallop. 5. dar en la maceta: to hit on the head. 6. montar maceta: to beat up on, thrash. 7. rumbar maceta: to criticize sharply, lambast. 8. zampar maceta: to clobber, give (someone) a beating.

macheteada: f. a fried wheat tortilla with a small amount of honey or cr�me fra�che on top that is usually served with coffee. Also macheteada de harina.
NB: The name is derived from the three slits - machetazos - that are made on the tortilla before it is fried.

macho: m. 1. he-mule. 2. a piece of cheese wrapped in a freshly-made tortilla that is squeezed into a sausage shape and served as an appetizer. 3. horn plantain; false horn plantain (Musa acuminata X balbisiana, AAB group). Also pl�tano macho. 4. A macho regalado no se le busca lado. proverb Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. .] Variants A macho regalado, no se le busca colmillo de oro; A macho dado no hay que buscarle colmillo (A. Membre�o). 5. Este macho es mi mula. saying, lit. "This male is my mule." This expression applies to a person who is exceedingly stubborn or obstinate, and often haughty and/or dense to boot; especially, referring to someone who refuses to heed advice. Roughly equivalent to "as stubborn as a mule." .] Variants Este macho es mi mula y en �l me voy montado (El Refranero); Este macho es mi mula y en �l monto (El Refranero); Esta mula es mi macho, aunque sea un chancho (F.A. Medina; El Refranero); Este macho es mi mula y no me bajo; Este macho es mi mula, no hay Cristo que lo ponga en el camino (Prisi�n Verde).
NB: (1) The female mule is called mula.

machuca: f. mashed (green) plantain, esp. served in a traditional Gar�funa dish of fresh fish and coconut. [Yo soy gar�funa, soy negro, descendiente de caribes, come machuca, bailo punta y el mar es mi confidente. I am Garifuna, I am Black, descendent of Caribs, I eat machuca, I dance punta and the sea is my confidant. - Ninfa Pati�o, La Prensa] Cf. TOSTONES.
NB: Plantains are mashed in a wooden mortar called hana in Gar�funa.

madre: adj. slang 1. tremendous, terrific (esp. in the phrase a toda madre). [Me siento a toda madre. I feel great.] [Esa pel�cula estaba a toda madre. That movie was great.] [Peg� unas lloradas madres. He cried his eyes out.] 2. dar en la madre: to strike; hit with considerable force (esp. on the head or in the face). 3. darse en la madre: a. to be at each other's throats, fight, brawl. b. to hurt or injure oneself (in a fall, accident, etc.). 4. llevar la madre, see LLEVARLE JUDAS. 5. mentar la madre: to call someone names, call someone a son of a bitch. See PUTA. 6. partir la madre: to smash someone's face in, break someone's face. [�Te voy a partir la madre con este garrote! I'm going to smash your face in with this billy club! - El Heraldo] 7. quebrarse la madre: a. to fight, exchange blows b. to have an accident (esp. be seriously injured or die in a vehicular accident). 8. sacarle la madre a uno: to provoke someone, upset someone.

magalla: f. whore, slut. [De seguro se est� acordando de aquella magalla que anduvo con �l. I'll bet he's thinking about that slut who used to go out with him.] Aug. magallona: big whore.

ma�z muerto: m. ear rot of corn/maize (a fungal disease caused by Stenocarpella macrospora, S. maydis macrospora, and Fusarium moniliforme). Also mazorca muerta, pudrici�n de la mazorca.

maje: m. slang 1. punk; jerk, idiot. 2. guy, buddy, dude, man - - also used as a familiar address, esp. among young people who are close friends. 3. hacerse el maje: see HACERSE �L DE A PESO. // adj. 4. stupid, dumb. [�No seas maje! Don't be stupid! or Don't be a jerk!]

malacatear: v. rural (of corn/maize) to emerge from the leaf whorl (said of the tassel), be ready to tassel out. Also candelear. [back formation from malacate, spindle - fr. the resemblance of the tassel to aa spindle + -ar, verb ending]
NB: This term refers specifically to the formation of the shoot at the top of the cornstalk that contains the male inflorescence, and not to the actual tasseling out or branching of the tassel.]

mala hierba: f. a common weed (Croton ciliatoglanduliferum) of the spurge family that is very poisonous and can cause blindness in case of eye contact.

maluco: adj. 1. nasty, mean; hardhearted; dastardly. Syn. malucho. 2. irritated, annoyed - usu. used with the verbs andar, estar, poner. [...se puso maluca cuando le preguntaron si los fondos que utiliz� para su gira, eran propios o de la municipalidad... ...she became irritated when they asked her if the funds she had used for her trip were her own or those of the municipality... - La Tribuna] [El gobierno de Estados Unidos est� un tanto maluco porque el Congreso no aprob� la Ley de Lavados de Activos. The United States is somewhat annoyed because Congress did not approve the Law on Asset Laundering. - - La Tribuna]

mamada: f. vulgar 1. action of necking or petting. [Le pegue una mamada a esa chava. He was all over that chick.] 2. blow job. 3. mamada de bollo: box lunch, face job (an act of cunnilingus).

mamar: v. slang 1. to kill. [Cu�dese don Eugenio que se lo quieren mamar. Take care, Eugenio, 'cause they want to ice you.] Syn. matar. 2. to neck, pet. Syn. rebanar. 3. to suck (perform oral sex). // mamar el pito: to give head. Also chupar la verga. 4. mamar la teta: to milk (exploit), sponge off, live off the government. [...pues es m�s f�cil trabajar mamando la teta del Estado que buscar un trabajo en la Empresa Privada. ...it's much easier to live off the government than to look for work in the private sector. - El Peri�dico] [El Jefe est� mamando a muchas tetas y a yo s�lo me da una babosada. The boss is making a bundle from all his rackets and he only gives me a pittance. - El Tunco Crescencio, Eliseo P�rez Cadalso.]

mameyazo: m. slang 1. blow, wallop; punch. Syn. golpe. 2. shot of liquor, drink, swig. [Le zamp� un mameyazo de ron. He took a swig of rum.] Variant mamellazo. Syn. trago.
NB: (2) It is possible that this sense is derived from "Ron Flor de Mamey" produced by Destiler�a Monserrat, as this rum is sometimes referred to as mameyazo.

manzano: m. apple banana, silk banana (Musa acuminata x balbisiana, AAB group). Also guineo manzano.

mapamundi: m. slang moon, bottom, rump. Variant mapa-mundi. Syn. nalgas.

maquila: f. the manufacturing industry whose facilities are located in export processing zones that assembles products for exportation overseas; in-bond assembly. [fr. Arabic makila, a unit of liquid capacity used by the Moors in Spain]
NB: In "Hondure�ismos" by A. Membre�o, maquila is a unit of weight equivalent to 5 arrobas or 125 lbs.

maquiladora: f. 1. an apparel, electronics or furniture factory, usu. foreign owned, located in industrial parks (export processing or free zone) that imports components duty-free for assembly in Honduras and exports the finished products overseas; in-bond processing for export. 2. industrial park.
NB: Sometimes referred to as "sweatshops" in the foreign press because wages are low (compared to U.S. or European standards), hours long, and most workers are women.

mara: f. gang, youth gang. Syn. pandilla.
NB: Arnold Gir�n Mej�a, in an article published in "El Nuevo Milenio," speculates that mara is derived from either amargura, bitterness or marabunta, swarm of migratory army ants.

marero: m. 1. gang member, hoodlum. Syn. pandillero. // adj. 2. (of or pertaining to a) gang; gang-related. [la delincuencia marera gang delinquency]

marmah�n: m. 1. durum wheat semolina (noodles in the form of pellets or granules). 2. a dish, similar to couscous, prepared with semolina.

media cuchara: f. 1. apprentice to a mason or bricklayer. 2. unskilled mason, shoddy mason, jackleg bricklayer (esp. in the sense of one who has never fully learned the trade).
NB: Cuchara here means trowel.

merusero: m. 1. a journalist who engages in the unethical practice of charging politicians, government officials, institutions, organizations, businesses, etc. a fee -- monetary or in kind -- for writing a favorable article about them (or for not writing an unfavorable article), esp. one that takes on the appearance of a legitimate news report or feature, with or without the knowledge of the news media for whom the journalist works; a journalist who gets paid for writing favorably about something or whose expenses are wholly subsidized by a client. // adj. 2. engaging in the unethical practice of receiving money, goods, freebies or anything else in exchange for writing a favorable story about a client (or for not writing an unfavorable story). Also machaquero.

mi�rcoles: f. slang 1. crap, crapola. // interj. 2. darn, shoot. 3. ni mi�rcoles: nothing, zip. [euphemism for mierda, shit]

mikis: m. pl. 1. cartoons. Syn. dibujos animados. 2. nonsense, malarkey, hot air; talk. [S�lo es mickis. He's just a lot of talk.] [Dejate de mikis, ahorita estoy de vacaciones. Cut the nonsense, I'm on vacation now. - - La Tribuna] 3. features, (full) extrass, bells and whistles. [...con todos los mikis. ...with all the bells and whistles.] 4. andar con mikis: to dodge the issue, beat around the bush -- usu. used in the negative. [No anduvo con miquis. He didn't beat around the bush.] Variants mickis, miquis. [fr. Mickey Mouse, the cartoon character created by Walt Disney]

milpa: f. corn/maize field (esp. a small plot of land used by campesino families to grow corn/maize and beans); corn/maize plantings. Syn. maizal. [fr. Nahuatl milli, parcel of land, and pan, in or on]

milpear: v. to work the corn/maize fields, cultivate corn/maize.

milpero: m. any of several varieties of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) planted with corn/maize. Also frijol milpero.

mincho: m. slang 1. fear, funk. Syn. miedo. 2. dar mincho: to scare, to be scared. [...a m� me da mincho subirme a un avi�n. ...I'm scared to get on an airplane. - El Tiempo]

m�nimo: m. (dessert or sweet) banana (Musa acuminata, AAA group). Also called guineo(esp. North Coast), banana (rare), banano (esp. in newspaper produce advertisements, even though technically this word refers to the plant and not the fruit), cambur (rarely used). See CARIBE, CARIBE BLANCO, CENIZO, D�TIL, ENANO, GUINEO INDIO, MANZANO. Cf. PL�TANO.
NB: These terms refer to any yellow AAA-type banana. Principal cultivars grown in Honduras include Cavendish and, to a lesser extent, Gros Michel. The word cambur is of South American origin.

misa negra: f. back room meeting; intrigue. [El tambi�n ha estado en misas negras. He has also partaken in back room meetings.]

mondongo: m. 1. tripe soup - a traditional Sunday soup made of tripe (stomach tissue of a cow), vegetables (including baby corn, ripe corn, carrots, potatoes, plantain, cabbage), a sweet bread called corazones, annatto, cloves, coriander and other seasonings. 2. paunch, pot, belly, esp. a fat one.

misquito: m. 1. miskitu: a member of an aboriginal people who live mostly in the coastal lowlands and along the rivers of Gracias a Dios department (La Mosquitia). The Miskitos are believed to be descendants of a Sumo subtribe who intermarried with English buccaneers and Black African slaves, the latter survivors of a slave ship that wrecked near Cape Gracias a Dios around the middle of the 17th century. 2. language of the Miskitu people, which belongs to Misumalpan family (a branch of the Macro-Chibcha group). // adj. 3. of or pertaining to the Miskito people, their culture, etc. Variants miskito, miskitu. Also indio misquito, mosco.
NB: Miskitus also inhabit parts of the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua. Some scholars have suggested that the word miskito is derived from the English musket, which was introduced in the Mosquitia Coast by British buccaneers during the 17th century. In colonial times, the term zambos or sambos, which means Black and Indian half-breed, was sometimes synonymous with miskito.

mordel�n: adj. bribable, corrupt, on the take. [polic�as mordelones policemen on the take, dirty cops]

nancear: v. 1. to pick up nances from the ground or from the tree, gather nances. 2. to look for easy pickings; reap the benefits (without having had to work for them).
NB: Nancitear in Nicaragua.

ocote: m. pine (specif. any of several species of pine trees, esp. the oocarpa pine (Pinus oocarpa), the most abundant and most important pine species in Honduras growing at altitudes between 800 and 1600 m). [fr. Nahuatl ocotl, torch]
NB: Pinus oocarpa is also called pino blanco. The other pine species found in Honduras are generally called pino. They are the Honduras or Caribbean or slash or pitch pine (pino costanero, P. caribaea var. hondurensis), found below 600 m.; the smooth-bark Mexican pine (P. pseudostrobus), which grows in the moist highlands (1000 - 3000 m.) of Honduras; P. maximinoi< (pino llor�n or pino triste); P. tecunumanii (pino rojo); ayacahuite, Mexican white pine (P. ayacahuite); and P. hartwegii (pino de monta�a). On February 4, 1927, the National Congress passed Act 48 making the oocarpa pine the national tree of Honduras.

pacaya: f. pacaya palm (Chamaedorea tepejilote). [Quiche pacay, root]
NB: The edible immature male inflorescence is considered a delicacy by some Hondurans.

pachanga: f. party, bash (esp. one that is lively or rowdy). See also CHARRANGO, CHOJ�N, CHONGUENGUE, FIESTA DE TRAJE, PEREQUE, PIJ�N, RUNGA. Syn. fiesta.

pach�n: adj. hairy, fuzzy (esp. with respect to the arms and legs). [Es pach�n. He's hairy.]

pacuso: adj. having a bad smell, smelly. [Todo el tiempo ella andaba pacusa. She smelled really bad all the time.] [acronym made from the first two letters of pata (foot), culo (anus), sobaco (armpit)]

paja: f. sometimes vulgar 1. insincere or exaggerated talk (jazz), flowery language. 2. fib, lie. 3. nonsense, bullshit - often used as pura paja. [Deje de hablar pajas. Cut the crap.] Dim. pajarita. 4. no andar con paja: to not beat around the bush, be straightforward, to not be bullshiting. [Ese maje no anda con pajas. That dude doesn't beat around the bush.] 5. a. hacer la paja: to jack off, masturbate (someone else). b. hacerse la paja: to jack off, masturbate (oneself). See MANUELA. 6. tirar paja: to lay it on; shoot the breeze; softsoap. [...llegaban personas del sexo femenino a tirar pajita a un se�or muy serio ...individuals of the fair sex showed up and sweet-talked a serious gentleman - La Tribuna]

p�jarito: m. 1. nickname of Jos� Ram�n Villeda Morales (1908- 1971), democratically-elected president of Honduras (1957-1963). 2. weenie (children's word for penis).

pajuil: m. 1. great curassow (Crax rubra). Variants paujil, pijuil, pijul, pag�il. 2. slang nitwit, dope, fool. Syn. bobo, tonto. [fr. Quechua]

papo: m. 1. nitwit, fool, chump. Syn. bobo, patanatas. // adj. 2. stupid, witless. Syn. tonto. 3. stupefied. [Las preguntas de los estudiantes dejaron papo al maestro. The students' questions stupefied the teacher.] Syn. at�nito, sorprendido.

pataste: m. chayote, vegetable pear, mirliton (a spiny, pear- shaped, light- green vegetable). Also g�isquil, guisquil, huisquil. Cf. PERULERO. [fr. Nahuatl papachtli or pataxtli]
NB: In some Tegucigalpa supermarkets, the dark green variety is labeled g�isquil, the yellowish-white variety perulero and the more common light-green variety pataste.

patepluma: m. (nickname) native of Santa B�rbara department. Variants pate'pluma, pata de pluma. [lit. feather foot, reputedly coined by Gregorio "Indio" Ferrera in the revolution of 1824 for their refusal to fight]

pedo: m. 1. fart. 2. problem. [�Cu�l es tu pedo? What's your problem?] 3. hot air, all talk and no action; irresolute. [�Ellos s�lo son pedos! They're all hot air.] Also s�lo es pedos y no caga. 4. del a�o del pedo: antique, outmoded, pass� (old). 5. hacerse pedo: to leave in haste, split. [Se hizo pedo. He took off.] [�Hacete pedo! Get lost!] 6. �no hay pedo!: it's no big deal! 7. �que pedo loco?: what's up, dude? 8. sacar un pedo: to startle, give (someone) a start. [Me sac� un pedo. He startled me.] Syn. asustar. 9. salir or irse echo un pedo: to leave in haste, take off, dash out. 10. tirar pedos: to let a fart, crack a fart. 11. valerse pedo: to not give a shit. [Me vale pedo. I don't give a shit.] 12. Huevo duro, pedo seguro. epigram This saying is a humorous warning that hard-boiled eggs are flatulent; "Eat a hard boiled egg and you're sure to fart."

peine de mico: m. monkey's comb (Pithecoctenium crucigerum).
NB: The large, oblong spine-covered fruit of this member of the trumpet creeper family resembles a dark brown spiny sea urchin. When dry, it is sometimes used in rural areas for scouring or scrubbing objects.

perder las llaves: v.p. to have diarrhea. Syn. tener diarrea.

picaflor: m. 1. hummingbird (any of numerous species of the genera Amazilia, Colibri, etc.). Also colibr�, chupaflor, chupamiel, burri�n, gorri�n, gurri�n. 2. ladies' man, skirt chaser (the analogy here is of a man going from one woman to another like a hummingbird goes from one flower to another).
NB: (1) Although technically the word for sparrow in standard Spanish, Hondurans frequently call the hummingbird gorri�n, often pronounced gurri�n or burri�n.

picapica: f. 1. cowage, cowitch (Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens). [Es una peste horrible, la picapica. Cowitch is a horrible pest. - Celia Aguilar] 2. a twining herb (Canavalia villosa) of the legume family whose pods are covered with fine stinging hairs.
NB: (1) The nonstinging type that is cultivated in Honduras is the velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis). See FRIJOL DE ABONO. (2) Canavalia villosa is a close relative of the jack bean (C. ensiformis).

pija atr�s: vulgar 1. in a helpless or weak position, unable to act, over a barrel, up shit creek. 2. tener pija atr�s: a. to have someone over a barrel; have someone by the balls. b. to have under one's thumb; have tied to one's apron strings; be pussy-whipped (said of a man dominated by a woman). Also (abbreviation) P.A.

pijinear: v. slang to party, have a good time, carouse. [Va a pijinear toda la noche con sus amigos en el Bulevar Moraz�n. He's going to whoop it up with his friends all night long on Morazan Boulevard.] Syn. divertirse, parrandear.

pipi�n: m. cushaw (Cucurbita argyrosperma) - the fruit of this cucurbit is generally white with longitudinal green stripes.

pirinola: f. 1. teetotum (a small top). 2. vulgar penis. // adj. 3. en pirinola: naked, in the buff, usu. used in the phrase andar en pirinola: to be naked, walk around in the buff. [var. of perinola]

pisada: f. vulgar 1. lay, fuck, fucking (an act of copulation). 2. screwing, shafting (an act or instance of unjust treatment, esp. used among students to refer to an unfair failing grade received on an examination, class or course). Also aplazada, hurgada, reventada.

pisandinga: f. vulgar 1. sexual intercourse (specif. in the sense of a wild, energetic and/or extended session of sexual activity), heavy fucking. [Utilizo la pisandinga para ayudarme a pensar mejor... I use fucking to help me think better... -- El Tornillo Sin Fin] 2. wild party (esp. one in which everyone is engaged in sexual activity with their respective partner); fuckathon, fuck fest, orgy.

pisar: v. vulgar to screw, fuck. See also APORREAR, ATORAR, BAILAR, COGER, CUEVEAR, DAR CHICHARR�N, DAR JAB�N, DAR VOLANT�N, DESTRIPAR EL TOMATE, DESTUSAR, ECHARSE, ECHAR UN PALOMAZO, ECHAR UN PALO, ECHAR UN POLVO, ECHAR UN TALCO, ECHAR VERGA, JODER, MATAR, MACHUCAR, QUEBRAR, REVENTAR, SUBIRSE EL GUAYABO, TOPAR, TOSTAR, TROLEAR, TRONAR, TUMBAR.

platanillo: m. wild plantain (any of the genus Heliconia grown as ornamentals).
NB: The small, round black seed of one species has a lighter-colored spot that some Hondurans say resembles the shape of the official image of the Virgin of Suyapa.

pl�tano: m. plantain, cooking banana (Musa acuminata X balbisiana). See BUTUCO, FILIPINO, HEMBRITA, MACHO. Cf. M�NIMO.
NB: Green plantains are thinly sliced crosswise, diagonally or lengthwise and fried in vegetable oil or lard to make plantain chips (tajadas or tajaditas), which are somewhat like potato chips; or cut more thickly crosswise to make tostones. Almost ripe plantains, usually yellow to yellow-black in color, are used as vegetables in soups and stews, such as tapado; boiled or steamed. Fully ripe plantains, the skins of which are mostly or entirely black, are fried (without their skins), baked or grilled (in their skins) and served as a dessert. Plantains are rarely eaten raw, even when ripe.

pochote: m. 1. a silky fiber, dirty white in color and similar to kapok, that is used by campesinos to stuff mattresses and pillows. 2. any of several trees from which these fibers are obtained, such as the a. shavingbrush tree (Pseudobombax ellipticum). b. (Pachira quinata). c. any of several species of the genus Ceiba. [fr. Nahuatl pochotl]
NB: One of the principal differences between pochote and ceiba is that the trunk and branches of the former is covered with spines while the latter is smooth.

polvo: m. slang 1. lay, fuck (an act of copulation). [Estos polvitos le salieron caros. He paid a high price for those scores.] 2. ejaculation, semen -- gen. used only in the phrase echar un polvo: to get laid, shoot one's load, get it off. Also echar un polvorete. See ECHAR(SE).

ponerse las pilas: v.p. to get energized, get on the ball, get off (one's) butt, get the lead out, get cracking, get going. [�Ponganse las pilas! Let's get this show on the road!]

popof: f. 1. upper-cruster, socialite. // adj. 2. posh. 3. snooty, haughty. [...no quiere gente popof en la ceremonia. ...he doesn't want snooty people in the ceremony.]
NB: This word may be derived from English "popoff." However, the Academia Mexicana states that it may stem from the Russian surname "Popov."

porfa: adv. please. Variant por fa'. [blend of por favor]

porra: f. 1. fans. 2. de porra: irritating, annoying, darned. [El chucho de porra ese ya se call� por fin. That darned dog finally stopped yapping. -- El Lepasil, V�ctor C�ceres Lara] 3. en la quinta porra: far away, in the boondocks, in the sticks, in the middle of nowhere. Also en la porra grande, en la pija grande, en la verga grande. [Vive en la porra grande. He lives in the boonies.] 4. irse a la porra: to go away, leave, get the hell out of here, often used as an interjection expressing departure. [�Me voy a la porra! I'm outa here!] [�Quiere que el stress se le vaya a la porra? Do you want the stress to go away?] 5. mandar a la porra: a. to send packing b. to tell (someone) to jump in a lake. 6. ni porra: nothing whatever. [No le entend�a ni porra lo que dec�a. I understood zilch of what he said.] 7. tirar a la porra: to send packing; throw out. [Lo tiraron a la porra. They sent him packing.]; Cf. CHINGADA. [(3) mod. of en la quinta pino]

posadas: f. a traditional Catholic rite, organized in most neighborhoods nine days before Christmas, that consists of carrying images or figures of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph from house to house, accompanied by singing, prayers and refreshments. The imagines stay in a different home each night until Christmas Eve. This activity is a reenactment of the Holy family's search for shelter prior to the birth of Christ. Cf. PEREGRINOS.

pujaguante: m. obs. digging stick, dibble stick (esp. one with a metal tip at one end). See CHUZO.

pujag�e: m. soft corn, flour corn (specif. a variety of white corn having long ears and wrinkled, pulpy kernels that are ground to make meal). Variant pujagua. Also malaco (Terrero, San Buenaventura). See PINOLE. [fr. Nahuatl puxani, soft, pulpy]

pulper�a: f. 1. a small neighborhood store, usu. in or part of the owner's residence, that sells groceries along with a variety of other disparate items, including (but not limited to) stationery, school supplies, electrician's tape, clothing, needles and thread, hard liquor, etc. 2. nickel- and-dime business. Variant pulpe.

pulpero: m. person who owns or runs a small neighborhood store; grocer.

punto de taxi: m. taxicab stand (specif. one for shared or collective taxis). Also punto colectivo de taxis.

puta: f. vulgar 1. whore. Dim. put�a (a little bitch, a little whore). See also GRINGUERA, MAGALLA, PISADORA, TRAGONA. 2. hijo de puta: son of a bitch. Also hijo de la gran puta, hijo de mil putas. 3. la puta madre: mother-fucker. 4. ser m�s puta que las gallinas: (said of a woman) to be exceedingly promiscuous, be dripping for it, fuck anything that moves - hyperbole that lit. means to be more whorish than the hens. // adj. 5. fuckin', bloody (intensifier). 6. en puta: a (fucking) lot of, a great deal [Robaron en puta. They robbed a fucking lot.] 7. hartarse en puta: to gorge oneself, stuff one's face. 8. �qu� putas...?: what the fuck...? [�Qu� putas quiere? What the fuck do you want?] Syn. �qu� diablos...? 9. �sepa putas!: who the fuck knows! Syn. �qui�n sabe! // interj. 10. shit!, fuck! (expletive). 11. a la puta or a la gran puta: oath, expletive or exclamation of anger, surprise or wonder. [�A la puta, se me olvid�! Oh, fuck, I forgot!]
NB: General Spanish terms used for prostitute (prostituta) in Honduras, particularly in the written press, are ramera (whore), meretriz (meretrix), harp�a (harpy), mujer de la calle (streetwalker), muchacha de la vida alegre (girl of pleasure), mujer de la vida alegre (woman of pleasure), ambulante (streetwalker), trabajadora del sexo (female sex worker), trabajadora comercial del sexo (female commercial sex worker), vendedora de sexo (female sex worker).

putear: v. vulgar 1. to whore. 2. to cuss out, chew ass (scold); insult. [Su mam� le dio una buena puteada por no haber hecho sus tareas escolares. His mother cussed him out for not having done his homework.] Variant putiar. Syn. rega�ar.

puto: m. vulgar 1. man-whore (male prostitute). 2. lecher, womanizer (a chaser or seducer of women). // adj. 3. fuckin', bloody (intensifier).
NB: General Spanish terms used for male prostitutes in Honduras, especially in the written press, are trabajador del sexo (male sex worker), trabajador comercial del sexo (male commercial sex worker), vendedor de sexo (male sex worker).

puyar: v. 1. to prick, prod. 2. to give (someone) a shot (injection). Syn. inyectar. 3. to sting (bees, wasps, etc.). Syn. picar.

quebracho: m. quebracho (any of several leguminous, hard-wooded trees of the genus Lysiloma, 6 to 12 m. high, that are used for medicinal purposes, such as Lysiloma auritum, L. desmostachys and L. multifoliatum). Variant quibracho. [var. of quiebrahacha: quiebra, breaks + hacha, hatchet]

quedar silbando en la loma: v.p. 1. to be left out in the cold. [Recomiendan a obreros ponerse pilas para no quedar silbando en la loma. The workers are advised to get on the ball so they won't left out in the cold. - La Tribuna] 2. to be strung along, be kept waiting for something that was promised (such as a job, promotion, etc.), be kept in a state of uncertainty; be left to whistle for (something). See DEJAR SILBANDO EN LA LOMA. [lit. to be left whistling on the hill.]

quemar: v. 1. to snitch. Syn. delatar. 2. quemarse la miel: to have one's heart set on, burn with desire, be spoiling for. [No se le quema la miel por ser alcalde. He has no interest in running for mayor.] 3. quemar la pata (con) a. to cuckold, cheat on, run around (usu. said of women). [Te diste cuenta que a Miguel le quem� la pata la mujer. Did you hear that Michael's wife is cheating on him?] [Le quem� la pata con su mejor amigo. I slept with his best friend.] b. betray, deceive (an idea or ideal). Cf. PAGAR MAL.

quiscamote: m. yautia, tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium). [fr. Nahuatl cuahuitl, tree + camotli, tuberous root (sweet potato)]
NB: Labeled tiquisque in some Tegucigalpa supermarkets, the name by which the yautia is known in Costa Rica.

rapadura: f. unrefined cane sugar, raw cane sugar; dark brown sugar cake. Variant raspadura. Also dulce de rapadura, dulce, panela. Cf. TAPA DE RAPADURA.

rascuajo: m. 1. slob, sloven. [Ese hombre es un rascuajo. That man's a slob.] // adj. 2. shabby, tacky. Variant rascuacho.

repollero: m. soccer ballboy. Syn. recogebola, recogepelotas.

resistolero: m. slang glue sniffer (drug addict). [after Resistol, trademark name of a brand of shoe glue]
NB: The overwhelming majority of glue sniffers are street children.

reventar: v. vulgar 1. to flunk, be flunked (an examination, class or course). 2. to fuck (copulate, esp. in a vigorous or rough manner); give (a woman) the works; deflower. [Ese jodidio le revent� esa chava. That dude popped that chick's cherry.]

riata: f. 1. do-nothing, sluggard. [Es la riata. He's a lazy do-nothing.] 2. inept person, meathead. // adj. 3. a riata: plastered (drunk). [Anda a riata. He's drunk.] 4. dar riata: to whip, lash. Syn. azotar. 5. echar riata: to work hard, get on the ball, bust one's butt. 6. montarle riata: to hit, beat, rough up; punish, thrash. Also montarle pija, montarle verga. 7. tirarle riata: to criticize sharply; lambast. 8. valerle riata: to not give a damn. 9. volarle riata: to criticize sharply, slam. [var. of reata, rope, strap]
NB: The word "lariat" in English is derived from la reata.

ronr�n: m. 1. beetle, scarab beetle (specif. any one of several medium- to large-size adult scarab beetles of the genera Phyllophaga, Anomala, Cyclocephala, etc., family Scarabaeidae). 2. bumble bee (Bombus spp.). 3. a metal bottle cap, flattened with a hammer or rock, with two holes pierced near the center through which a piece of string is passed; the ends of the string are taken in each hand and stretched until taut, causing the bottle cap to spin and produce a buzzing sound, hence the name of this children's toy. [fr. the humming sound they make when flying]

rosquilla: f. 1. a hard, salty, ring-shaped biscuit made from cornmeal, cuajada and mantequilla rala that is generally served with coffee. 2. vulgar anus. Syn. ano.
NB: Sometimes spelled and pronounced rosqu�a.

rucu-rucu: adv. fifty-fifty, usu. used in the phrase ir rucu- rucu: to split fifty-fifty, split down the middle, go halves. Variants ruco-ruco, rucurrucu, rrucurrucu. See MITIMITA. Syn. a medias.

ruletear: v. to seek passengers (said of a taxi driver), hack. [En prisi�n por ruletear un taxi con reporte de robado. In prison for seeking passengers in a cab that was reported stolen. - La Tribuna]

ruletero: m. 1. cabdriver, hackie. Syn. taxista. 2. ruletero de punto: a cabdriver who works a fixed route (specif. the driver of a collective taxi). // adj. 3. of or pertaining to a taxi. [...todas aquellas unidades ruleteras tendr�n que quitarle el polarizado. ...all those taxis will have to remove the tinting from their windows. - La Tribuna]
NB: This word may be derived from the French verb, rouler, to roll, ride.

runguero: m. slang 1. merrymaker, carouser, reveler. Syn. parrandero. 2. brawler, streetfighter; troublemaker.

San Juan: m. 1. any of several tall trees of the Vochysiaceae family, including Vochysia hondurensis, V. ferruginea and V. guatemalensis, with brilliant yellow flowers whose light wood - straw yellow to red brown in color - is used for making rustic furniture and in construction. Also (depending on the species) San Juan rojo, San Juan pozo, San Juan de pozo. 2. white mahogany, primavera (Tabebuia donnell-smithii). Also cort�s.

ser m�s hojas que almuerzo: v.p. 1. to be all show and no substance, have very little substance. [La revoluci�n moral es m�s hojas que tamal. The moral revolution is all fluff and no stuff. - Labor Day slogan] 2. to be much ado about nothing. Also m�s hojas que tamal, m�s hojas que tamales.

SIDA: m. 1. (acronym for s�ndrome de inmuno-deficiencia adquirida) AIDS. [SIDA o vida, usted decida. AIDS or life, you decide. -- National AIDS campaign slogan] Variants Sida, sida. 2. Mejor vieja conocida que joven con SIDA. epigram "Better an old woman you know than a young one with AIDS." The advice to men in this saying is that it is better to stick with one's mate or spouse than to risk getting AIDS by having casual sex with a younger, unknown partner. Variant M�s vale vieja conocida que joven con Sida. 3. acronym for Servicio Internacional de Discado Autom�tico (International Automatic Dialing Service).

suntupi�: m. centipede (Class Chilopoda). [Un suntupi� le pic�. A centipede bit him.] Variants zuntupi�, zuntopi�. Syn. ciempi�s.

s�per¹: f. premium gasoline. Also gasolina s�per. [shortened fr. gasolina superior]

s�per²: m. supermarket. [shortened from supermercado]

talco: m. slang ejaculation, semen -- gen. used just in the phrase echar un talco: to get laid, shoot one's load, get it off.

tamag�s: m. 1. pit viper (specif. any of several species belonging to three related genera, including the Honduran palm viper (Bothriechis marchi), also tamag�s verde; Bocourt's pit viper (B. bicolor), also tamag�s verde; Godman's pit viper (Cerrophidion godmani), also tamag�s caf�; and the western hog- nosed pit viper (Porthidium ophryomegas), also tamag�s negro. 2. viper (an insidious person, esp. one who is a politician); snake in the grass. 3. long speech or public address, talkathon; long essay, article or report. // adj. 4. insidious, treacherous. [En este pa�s hay mucha gente tamag�s. There are a lot of treacherous people in this country.] [pos. fr. Nahuatl]
NB: (1) The same species found in Belize are called tommygoff. In his survey of La Mosquitia, E. Conzemius refers to these snakes as "tomagoff," suggesting a relationship between the word tamag�s and tommygoff. According to Gustavo Cruz in "Serpientes Venenosas de Honduras," Porthidium ophryomegas is also called pansigua.

tapa: f. slang trap, yap (mouth).

tapaculo: m. West Indian elm, bastard cedar (Guazuma ulmifolia). [...infusiones de semillas de tapaculo para contener la diarrea. ...infusions made from the seeds of bastard cedar to stop the diarrhea. - La Tribuna] Also palo de tapaculo, caulote, cablote.

tapado: m. 1. a popular soup or stew made of meat (usu. salted beef, pork ribs and sausage), plantains (green and ripe), cassava, green bananas, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, various seasonings and, in some recipes, coconut milk and/or meat (previously grated, boiled and sieved) that is prepared in a large pot covered (tapado) with plantain skins (conchas). 2. Hombre casado, ni frito ni asado, s�lo en tapado. epigram, lit. " A married man, neither fried nor grilled, only in stew." This jocular expression is a warning to women against getting involved with married men. Generally, the shorter version Hombre casado, ni frito ni asado is used. [fr. the practice of covering the pot with plantain skins in making this dish]
NB: There are two principal types of this stew: tapado olanchano, which does not call for coconut in the recipe, and tapado coste�o, which uses coconut. On the North Coast, fish replaces or is used together with meat in tapado de pescado.

tapirulo: m. slang 1. drink, shot (of liquor). Aug. tapirulazo. // m./adj. 2. plastered, drunk. [Cuando una mujer est� tapirula, no sabe ni lo que hace. When a women is drunk, she doesn't even know what she's doing.] Syn. ebrio, borracho.

tarea: f. rural 1. 1/16 of a manzana or 625 square varas (traditionally the amount of land a campesino could work in one day). 2. 12 x 12 brazadas.

tatasc�n: m. 1. kingpin, head honcho, big cheese. [Ahora ver�n quien es el mero tatasc�n de C.A.! Now you'll see who's the head honcho in Central America! - La Tribuna] 2. a large tree (Perymenium grande) with yellow flowers that is used as living fence posts. [fr. Nahuatl]
NB: (2) Spelled tatascamite and tatascame, in "El Espa�ol que hablamos en el Salvador" by Pedro G. Rivas. Spelled tatascon in "Los Hijos del Copal y la Candela" by Anne Chapman.

ticam�n: adj. 1. powerless to act. 2. tener ticam�m: to tie one's hands, have one's hands tied, have over a barrel. [Al ex-presidente le tienen ticam�n ahora. They've got the former president over a barrel now.] [reputedly fr. English stick 'em up or stick up man]

tigre: m. 1. jaguar (Panthera onca). Also tecu�n. 2. Military official; pl. the military - disparaging. [Amnist�a no abarca tigres acusados de desapariciones. Amnesty does not cover military officials accused of disappearances. - La Tribuna] 3. hunger, hunger pangs; stomach (in relation to hunger). [Es que ya no aguant�bamos el tigre. It's just that we could no longer bear the hunger pangs.] // amarrar el tigre: to eat (in order to satisfy one's hunger), appease one's hunger. // andar con el tigre: to be hungry. Also andar con el tigre suelto. // matar el tigre: to eat (in order to quench one's hunger), kill one's hunger. // pegar el tigre: to get hungry, feel hungry. [Ya me peg� el tigre. I feel hungry.] // picar el tigre: to have hunger pangs. // rugir el tigre: for one's stomach to be growling. [Me ruge el tigre. My stomach is growling.] 4. andar tigre: to be alert, be sharp. See ANDAR �GUILA.
NB: (1) Sometimes used as a generic term for any large wild cat, including the jaguarundi, puma and ocelot. (2) This sense was coined by Col. Jos� Oscar Flores in May 1990 when he referred to the military as "tigers" at a press conference: "Al tigre no hay que acorralarlo." (One shouldn't push the tiger into a corner.)

tijuil: m. ani (specif. the groove-billed ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) and smooth billed ani (C. ani) in the Bay Islands). [Contra el �caros, peste del redil, / apenas lo notemos / porque canta: "tijuil, tijuil, tijuil." Against ticks, a pest of the sheepfold, / we hardly notice it / because it sings: "tijuil, tijuil, tijuil." - Alejandro Alfaro Arriaga]. Variants tujul, tijul, tijuy, pijuy. Also garrapatero. [fr. imitation of the voice of this bird]
NB: Called tijo in Costa Rica.

tile: m. 1. soot. [Se puso la nariz como puro tile. His nose turned black as soot.] // adj. 2. black, such as in the phrase verlo tile: to be pessimistic, look on the dark side. [...estamos acostumbrados a verla tile. ...we're accustomed to looking on the dark side. - La Tribuna] Syn. verlo negro. [fr. Nahuatl tlilli]

timoshenko: m. an alcholoic liquor produced in Santa Rosa de Cop�n that is made by steeping fruits in aguardiente (a strong liquor made from sugar cane). Variants timoshenco, timochenco. [after Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko, Soviet marshal, 1895-1970]
NB: First produced in the early 1940s, Timoshenko is actually a brand name. However, it is now considered by many a traditional alcoholic liquor of Cop�n. The fruits used in making this liquor are the apple, prune, peach and mango.

tita: f. girl, missy, honey, toots - used only in direct address. [�Movete, tita! Move it, girl!]

tortuguilla: f. leaf beetle (any of several species, such as Diabrotica balteata and Cerotoma ruficornis, family Chrysomelidae, that are important bean and corn pests). Also malla, vaquita, pulg�n.

tost�n: m. 1. 50-centavo coin. [Muchas veces la familia comi� con el tost�n de don Lico. Many times the family ate on just don Lico's 50 centavos. - La Familia de Jacinta, Marcos Car�as Reyes] 2. fifty (esp. with respect to age). [...usted ya lleg� al tost�n. ...at last you reached fifty. - La Tribuna] 3. pl. refried plantains - thick round slices of green plantain that are fried in vegetable oil or lard for a few minutes, removed from the frying pan and pressed with a stone and then refried until crisp, and usually served with a cabbage salad topping. Also tostones de pl�tano. [fr. teston or testoon, a medieval European coin and later a nickname of a Mexican silver 50- centavo coin]

trameya: f. big shot, honcho, top dog, head cheese, usu. preceded by alta or mera. [Es la mera trameya de los Yunai. He's the head honcho of the United States.] Also tramella. Cf. POPOROILA, TATASC�N, VERGA (4).

treceavo mes: m. Christmas bonus (specif. an extra month of wages or salary - or proportion if employed for less than a year - that is payable to all workers in December). Also decimotercer mes, decimotercer mes en concepto de aguinaldo. Cf. CATORCEAVO. Syn. aguinaldo, aguinaldo navide�o. [lit. the 13th month]

troleada: f. slang 1. beating. [Me dieron una troleada. They gave me a thrashing.] 2. harsh exercises or training. 3. an act of copulation, esp. one that is prolonged and/or vigorous; fuck, fucking. [Le dio una buena troleada. He gave her a good fuck. or He fucked her brains out.]

trolear: v. slang 1. to beat up, pound; punish. 2. to subject to harsh training or exercises. 3. sports to defeat, trounce. [Real Maya trolea a Independiente. Real Maya drubs Independiente.] 4. vulgar to bang, hump; give (a woman) the works (copulate).

tronadora: f. yellow mombin, hog plum (Spondias mombin). Also ciruela tronadora, tronador. Cf. JOCOTE. [der. fr. tronar, to thunder -- so called from the crunching sound made when it is bitten]

tule: m. a member of the sedge family (Cyperus canus) whose dried culms are used to make mats, partitions and other items. Variant tul. [fr. Nahuatl tullin or tollin]
NB: According to an study by Kees Jansen, the village of N�spero in Santa B�rbara department is the most important center of tule production in Honduras. Jansen states this perennial was "possibly introduced to Central America from Mexico for cultivation."

tunco: m. 1. pig. // adj. 2. lame (specif. missing a limb), one-legged, one-armed, one-handed, etc. Syn. cojo, manco.

verdolaga: m. 1. pl. a nickname for Marath�n, a first division soccer club (Los Verdolagas). // adj. 2. of or pertaining to Marath�n [el equipo verdolaga]. Also verdulaga. [fr. the bright green color of their uniforms]
NB: In standard Spanish, verdolaga is purslane (Portulaca oleracea).

verguear(se): v. vulgar 1. to hit, thrash, clobber. 2. to bust one's buns, work like a horse. Also verguiar.

vos: pers. pron. you (familiar singular form, used in addressing one's equals, inferiors, loved ones and children).
NB: In the present indicative, vos is formed by dropping the "r" of the infinitive of a verb and adding an "s." The last syllable is accented, unlike the t� form. There are two exceptions: vas (for the verb ir) and sos (the verb ser). In the preterit indicative, vos is formed by adding an "s" to the 2nd person singular endings -aste and -iste. The imperative is derived from the imperative of the 2nd person plural by dropping the "d" and accenting the last syllable. [For example, tened = ten�: �Ten� paciencia, chica! Be patient, girl!]. The imperative negative is formed by using the 2nd person singular of the subjunctive. [No habl�s tan r�pido. Don't talk so fast.] In the subjunctive, the last syllable is accented. [Cuando te vay�s... ] In other tenses, the verbal form of vos is the same as t�. Frequently pronounced vo.

vuelto: m. change (received from a monetary transaction), money returned. Cf. CAMBIO, SUELTO.

walasa: f. evil spirit, devil, demon. .] Variant wlaska. [fr. Sumo]
NB: In a Spanish-Sumo dictionary by Gotz Von Houwald, one translation for walasa is cisemeque (sic). Called lasa in Miskito. See CICIMITE.

whiskey: interj. 1. cheese (said when asking a person to look at a photographic camera). 2. God bless you, gesundheit (said after a person has sneezed). See SALUD. Also spelled g�isqui, wisky, wiski.

yerba: f. grass (marijuana). Variant hierba. See also CHARBASCA, GRIFA, MANTECA, MONTE, MO�A, MOTA, ZACATE.

yilet: f. razor blade, disposable razor (regardless of the trademark). // adj./f. sharp, intelligent; well-prepared. [Es una yilet. He's a sharp person.] [Vengo yilet. I'm well-prepared.] Variant y�let. [after Gillette, trademark name of a brand of razor]

yonker: m. garage where vehicles are dismantled, chop shop; a place where used automobile parts are sold. [Descubren y�nker clandestino para desmantelar carros robados. Chop shop for stripping down stolen cars discovered. -- La Prensa] Also y�nker, yunker, y�nquer. Cf. HUESERA.
NB: This term is undoubtedly derived from English, possibly from "junkyard" or "junker," although it is most likely derived from the words "junk car" used in the names of some companies in the scrap car and used parts business, such as the A. Okey Junk Car company.

yuca: f. 1. cassava plant, manioc (Manihot esculenta). 2. cassava, manioc (the edible, tuberous root of the cassava plant). Cf. IZOTE. 3. slang lempira. [Lo tuve que vender en 300 yucas. I had to sell it for 300 lempiras.] 4. stress, pressure. [No aguanto la yuca ya. I can't take the pressure anymore.] 5. vulgar dick, cock (penis). // adj. 6. strict, tough, difficult. [Ese profe es yuca. That professor is tough.] 7. tocarle yuca: to have to work hard, have a lot of hard work ahead (of oneself); have one's work cut out for one. [Me toca yuca. I've got my fair share of work ahead of me.] Cf. TROLE. 8. yuca verde: greenback (U.S. dollar). [fr. Taino]
NB: (2) Tapioca is made from cassava. All varieties are to some degree venomous raw and require thorough cooking before eating. Manioc is used in soups and stews, or boiled and served with a topping of finely sliced cabbage, tomato sauce and a piece of pork rind, called yuca con chicharr�n. It is also grated to make fritters and cassava bread, cazabe; or boiled, sliced into pieces and fried in cooking oil.

yunai: m. pl. slang 1. States (United States of America). Variant yunais. 2. f. United Fruit Company -- usu. preceded by la and capitalized. [fr. English United]
NB: This word may or may not be capitalized.

zafuquiarse: v. slang to go, leave in haste, split, beat it. Variants safuquearse, safuquiarse.

zampalimones: m. slang 1. overly inquisitive person; busybody, Nosy Parker. 2. andar de zampalimones: to stick one's nose in; put in one's two-cents worth. Variants zampa limones, sampalimones.

zanate: m. female great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus). [fr. Nahuatl tzanatl]
NB: The male great-tailed grackle is called clarinero. Called "ching-ching" in the Bay Islands.

zancudo: m. 1. mosquito (Aedes spp., Anopheles spp., Culex spp., family Cul�cidae). [El zancudo transmisor del dengue puede estar en su casa. The mosquito that transmits dengue could be in your home. -- Advertisement, La Tribuna] 2. stool (specif. a low wooden stool with four legs). [...tom� un zancudo y se lo estrell� en la cabeza ...he grabbed a stool and smashed it on his head -- La Prensa]
NB: (1) Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus transmit dengue. A. aegypti also transmits yellow fever. Malaria is transmitted by species of the genus Anopheles.

zapallo: m. Italian marrow, vegetable marrow (Cucurbita pepo pepo) - a variety of summer squash having a cylindrical shape and light green skin with longitudinal dark green stripes. Variants sapayo, zapayo. [fr. Quechua sapallu]

zapote calenturiento: m. green sapote (Pouteria viridis). Variant zapotillo calenturiento. Also injerto.
NB: Called zapote de calentura in Nicaragua.

zope: m. 1. see ZOPILOTE. 2. ba�o de zope: quick, superficial bath or shower (esp. one with just water, that is, using no soap or shampoo); dip. [Le hizo ba�ado de zope. He took a quick shower.] Variant ba�ado de zope. 3. amarrar el zope: to throw up, vomit. [Autob�s arrolla hombre cuando amarraba zope en una acera. Bus runs over man as he was puking on sidewalk. -- La Tribuna] Syn. vomitar. 4. amarradas de zope: the heaves (bout of retching or vomiting), vomiting episode. [shortened fr. zopilote]