Glossary
This glossary is not intended to be comprehensive or to serve in place of a dictionary but rather as a list of keywords, key terms, and lesser-known words and phrases, some of which are specific to the Borderlands, that will aid readers of the plays in this anthology.
| acto | short scene historically used by El Teatro Campesino to critique the injustices faced by farmworkers; continues to be used to convey messages of social justice |
| al rato | later |
| asesino | murderer |
| auto da fé | public ceremony in which the sentences of those brought before the Spanish, Portuguese, or Mexican Inquisition were announced and executed; literally, “act of faith” in Portugese |
| baboso, babosito | idiot, fool |
| ballet folklórico | traditional dances that highlight the regional histories and cultures of Mexico |
| barrio | often used in the United States to refer to a predominantly Spanish-speaking, working-class neighborhood |
| bayunco | Central American word for silly or stupid |
| Bear Flaggers | American settlers who revolted against the Mexican government in California in the mid-19th century to establish the short-lived Republic of California; their symbol of the bear is depicted on the current state flag |
| brogue | Southern Irish or Scottish accent |
| cabrón, cabrona | bastard, asshole, stubborn, opinionated, badass (depending on context) |
| El Camino Real | The King’s Highway; a trail created by the Spanish linking the 21 California missions |
| carajo | damn |
| carnal | friend, brother |
| carne adovada | New Mexican dish made of pork marinated in a sauce made of chiles and spices |
| castizo | category of the colonial caste system indicating mixed Indigenous and Spanish heritage; also used to emphasize Spanish lineage |
| chale | used to show disagreement; “hell no” |
| chava | girl |
| chicle | literally, “gum”; slang for someone unwanted who sticks around |
| chingado, chingao | fuck, fucker, fucking, fucked (depending on context) |
| chisme(s) | gossip |
| cholo/a | originally a derogatory term referring to someone of mixed-race or low-class background; recuperated to refer to Mexican Americans, particularly of urban or pachuco subcultures |
| chulo/a | cute, pretty |
| cipote | Central American word for child, youth, or immature adult |
| compa | slang for “friend”; short for compadre |
| corajoso | brave, bold |
| cornudo | cuckolded; literally, “horned” |
| corrido | hybrid Mexican narrative ballad form with Indigenous, European, and African influences |
| crudo | hungover, hangover |
| cuate | close friend, buddy; derived from the Nahuatl word “cōātl,” meaning “snake” or “twin” |
| cumbia | Latin American musical style with roots in African and Indigenous traditions |
| curandero/a | traditional Indigenous healer in the Americas |
| dale | go for it, do it |
| dar chingadazos | slap around |
| desvelado | sleepless, wakeful |
| domino mask | slim mask that covers only the top third of the face, i.e., over the eyes; reference to the Venetian carnival |
| duende | goblin, elf, or fairy |
| escuincle | brat, kid; a slang term derived from “xoloitzcuintle,” the Nahuatl name for a breed of hairless dog with mythological significance |
| ese | literally, “that”; also slang for “dude” or “bro” |
| eso | literally, “that”; also slang for “right on!” |
| fandango | a community party or celebration where people get together to play music, sing, and dance |
| feria | literally, “fair”; slang for “money” |
| gachupín | derogatory term for a Spaniard who settled in the Americas |
| genízaro/a | Indigenous person who was captured and forced to labor by Spanish colonizers |
| gringo/a | usually refers to a white, Anglo person |
| ¡guácala! | ew, gross, yuck |
| guao | wow |
| güero | fair; person with fair skin and hair |
| güey | dude |
| hada | fairy |
| herida | wound |
| hocico | snout, mouth |
| horca | gallows; also sometimes used informally within Sephardic Jewish communities to refer to Christians |
| ¡hostia! | mild oath; literally, “the host” |
| huerfanito | little orphan |
| ilegal/illegal | used pejoratively to describe undocumented people |
| indio/a | Spanish word used to refer to an Indigenous person |
| Inquisition | a group of institutions established by the Catholic church to identify, try, and punish people who were suspected of heresy |
| judaizante | Jewish person who outwardly claims to have converted to Christianity but continues to practice Judaism |
| judío/a | Spanish word for a Jewish person |
| kavod | Hebrew word for honor and respect |
| lana | literally “wool”; slang for “money” |
| llano | plain, flatland |
| Macarena | catchy Spanish pop song by Los del Río, a hit in the United States and internationally with non–Spanish-speakers |
| mandilón | powerless husband; literally, “apron” |
| mano | shortened version of hermano (brother) |
| mariposa | butterfly, often used as a symbol of migration in Borderlands texts |
| mayordomo | head butler |
| menso | idiot |
| mestizo/a | of mixed heritage, Indigenous, European, and African |
| mijo/a | contraction of mi + hijo/a, used as a term of endearment or address |
| mocoso | snot-nosed brat |
| molino | windmill |
| El Movimiento | used to refer to the Mexican American, or Chicano, Civil Rights Movement, beginning in the 1960s |
| mujeriego | womanizer |
| nalgas | buttocks |
| negro | literally, “black”; although sometimes used as a term of endearment, it is nevertheless rooted in histories of anti-Blackness and enslavement |
| no mames | crude slang for “no way”; used to express disbelief |
| ojalá | I hope, I wish, if only |
| órale | an affirmation in Mexican Spanish slang; also used to show surprise |
| ¡ostras! | polite form of ¡hostia!; literally, “oysters” |
| panzona | paunchy, big-bellied; slang for “pregnant” |
| papeles | papers, often used to refer to immigration documentation |
| payaso | clown |
| pendejo | an idiot; stupid |
| pinche | fucking |
| pisteando | drinking |
| plaza | open public space in a city or town, often a square with a cathedral and administrative buildings |
| pompis | buttocks, bum, butt |
| púchica | Central American slang for “oh, shoot” |
| pura neta | the plain truth |
| puta | prostitute, whore |
| ¿qué onda? | what’s happening? |
| ¿qué pedo? | what’s up?, what the hell? |
| querido/a | dear, beloved |
| reggaetón | style of electronic music that originated in Panama and was popularized in Puerto Rico |
| sabiduría | wisdom |
| samba | Afro-Brazilian style of dance |
| “sana, sana, colita de rana” | Mexican dicho associated with curanderismo or folk healing practices |
| Sephardim | Jews who lived in Spain and Portugal before expulsion in 1492 or their descendants |
| Shabbat/Shabbath | holy day of rest observed by Jewish people |
| simón | yes, hell yeah; used to respond affirmatively |
| sinvergüenza | shameless; someone without shame |
| son jarocho | regional folk style of music from the Mexican state of Veracruz |
| ’tá bién | it’s ok; short for “está bien” |
| tallit | Jewish prayer shawl |
| “te casaste, te fregaste” | phrase suggesting that single life is better than married life |
| teniente | rank in the Kingdom of Spain’s military equivalent to a lieutenant |
| travieso | mischievous, naughty |
| vaporú | Vicks VapoRub; a common remedy in Latinx households |
| vato | Mexican/Chicano slang for “dude” or “man,” sometimes used to mean “cholo” |
| vecino/a | neighbor |
| viejo | old man |
| La Virgen de Guadalupe | the patron saint of Mexico who represents the nation’s hybrid Catholic and Indigenous spiritual heritage |
| yanqui | citizen of the United States; sometimes derogatory |
| La Yuma | Cuban slang for the United States |
