![]() ![]() Some linguists think the term, used in different spots in Latin America, came from the gypsy word “chaval,” which meant boy. You would describe that “chavo” who was creepy to you on the subway, or a couple of “chavas” you’re going to hang out with after work. “Chavo” is similar to güey, used as a catch-all, casual term for a person, usually young. “When you’re Mexican, and you’ve gone five minutes without saying güey/wey.” Chavo: This is the state that surrounds Mexico City, and makes up the Metro Area of the huge capital, over doubling its size. ![]() “Edomex” simply shortens “Estado de México,” Mexico State. This is the last term I’ll discuss that deals with location and residency. Not one of my favorite local phrases, but an important one to understand attitudes that some in the city do have. “De provincia,” literally “provincial” is almost always used in a derogatory way to imply that people from outside the capital are less sophisticated simpletons or rubes. This is one of the snootiest Mexico City slang phrases out there. This designation, similar to Washington D.C., came with issues of representation, and so a few years they officially transformed Mexico City into its own state. The term comes from D.F., Distrito Federal (Federal District), which is what Mexico City used to be called. Defeños, on the other hand, are a more rarified group - they were born in Mexico City, and some view chilangos as outsiders or interlopers. Many Mexico City residents, whether they were born here or not, consider themselves chilangos. These days, the city’s magazine is called Chilango, and is a great resource for local information. Chilangos took the insult in stride, and reclaimed it as a word of pride. Folks say “Haz patria y mata a un chilango”: literally “be patriotic and kill a chilango,” but more an insult than a real threat. The phrase became popular in other states around Mexico, where, ahem, Mexico City residents aren’t always beloved. Locals often dispute its origin, possibly linking it back to the Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs and many other Central Mexican peoples) word “chilan-co,” which once referred to people from Central Mexico. If you’re going to learn one bit of Mexico City slang, let it be the word “Chilango.” This refers to Mexico City residents themselves, whether they were born here or not. Here, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite “chilangüismos”: slang words used mostly in Mexico City, though some phrases are used in other parts of Mexico.* I hope they help you communicate, relate to locals, and give you insight into the city’s unique culture! There are simply too many phrases for one post, so I’ll explore this topic more in the future! Chilango: All of these words reveal the creativity, cultural blending, and constant changes that drive this city. Some of them date back to Aztec times, while others are hilarious Mexican-izations of American phrases. Locals have invented countless slang words over the course of the city’s long history. To me, nothing reflects the vivacity and color of daily life in Mexico City more than language. ![]()
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