Mexican Slang

Tiptoeing Through Cojones and Cojines

Another example of a Gringoism, right up there with asking someone if they have “balls,” or huevos, is the time a woman went into a store to buy pillows, or cojines, and asked the store owner if he had cojones, which is the same as asking him if he has huevos, and absolutely a no-no. But don’t be afraid to ask in a furniture store to see un cajón, or chest of drawers, or tell someone to look in los cajones, or the drawers, for something. Just don’t ask to look in their calzones, or as children say, chones, which means underwear.

Cajones: Chests, chest of drawers or drawers
Cojones: slang referring to male anatomy.
Chones: underpants or shorts
Cojines: pillows for the sofa or chair in living room
Almuadas: pillows for the bed
Una Funda: a pillowcase

In the next Gringoism find out whether the noun “computer” is masculine or feminine. And maybe even why it is what it is.

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