Cuban slang
Acere - a friend, pal (Que bola, acere? What’s up pal?)
Baro - (un/el); money (un barísimo; a lot of money)
Bemba - thick lips (Radio Bemba; gossip or the grapevine; rumors, unfounded rumor, false report, leaked information or piece of disinformation)
Bisnero - businessman (hustler)
Chavitos - the term currently applies to the CUC currency because it is worthless outside of Cuba
Chivato - squealer, informer
Chopin (la) - shopping (in CUC store)
Chulo - pimp
Cojones - guts or balls (tu tienes cojones)
En llamas; (literally “in flames” means to be in trouble or danger); (en llama means very ugly when referring to persons)
Filtro - clever person
Gallego - poor musician or bad dancer
Guajiro - peasant, farmer, a country man, (from the times of and after the Spanish American War of 1898); this word combines the two English words “war+hero”; it can also refer to someone who is shy or timid
Guaniquiqui, moni, baro, plata, fula - money
Guapo - troublemaker
Jamonero - someone who gropes girls on a crowded bus
Joder - f***ing (no me jodes; don’t f**k with me)
Luchar - to battle (in Cuba, to steal from your work center or to sell sweets on the streets)
Luchando - a battler and admired
Maricón - a gay person. Offensive slang. Used as a disparaging term for a gay man; also to label disloyal, unfair, unreliable or unworthy people.
Monada or mona - police
Palestino - refers to Orientales from any class
Pinchar - to work
Pipo - if used to address a waiter, it is very disrespectful
Socio - friend, pal
Temba - middle-aged person
Tumba! or Rema! Get lost!
Yuma - foreigner
To get my latest letter from Havana...
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