Diccionario de mexicanismos

"Mexicanismos" are slang words unique to Mexico. (Also known generally as modismos.) There are also some idioms and other phrases mixed in. Most of the words below are collected here and there from movies and Oaxacan life, but some also come from online sources, like this fabulous article.

Let it be noted that I do not condone the use of these insults, but hope that this list may be useful for people in need of English translations that are not to be found in a conventional dictionary.

A-B-C

A la verga - to hell (with something), fuck that (lit: to the dick)
¡Aguas! - watch out!
Ahí nos vidrios - see you later (lit: there we glass)
Ahogar al topo - take a shit (lit: drown the mole)
Andar dando vuelo a la hilacha - living like there's no tomorrow (lit: you're letting the rag fly)
Aventarse un chorisimo - talk a lot
Cada muerte de obispo - once in a blue moon (lit: each death of a bishop) - not sure that this is Mexican in origin but it's too great to leave out
Cada uno quiere llevar agua a su molino - people are selfish and only serve their own interests (lit: everyone wants to take water to their own mill
Chacharear - window shop, look for cheap goods
Chamaquearle a alguien - to pull a fast one on someone
Chamba - work, job
Chambear - to work
Chingarse - to fuck oneself over
Chula - pretty (can be an adjective, but also used as a nickname)
Chupar faros - to kick the bucket (lit: to suck lighthouses)
Cremoso - snob
Cuate - friend
Cuche - pork
Culera - asshole

D-E-F-G

Dar el gatazo - to give the impression of something (that it works, for example) (lit: give the big cat)
Darle un aventón al metro - give someone a ride to the subway (lit: push someone onto the subway)
De tocha - everything

Despapaya - a disaster
Dominguear - to do like one does on a Sunday
Escuincle - brat, kid

Estar patas arriba - to be a complete disaster/mess (lit: to be paws up)
Estar que se lleva a la chingada – to be bored
Este muñeca/o cambia de aparador - I'm going somewhere else (lit: this beautiful person/doll is going to move to another display case)
Fifi - a snob or rich person
Fresa - a snob or rich person

H-I-J-K

Hacerle piojito a alguien - scratch/caress/play with someone's hair (piojos are lice)

L-M-N-O

La lana - dough (money)
Mandale a freir churros - don't listen/pay attention to them
Matar al tiempo – to kill time
Me cae bien gordo - I hate that/him/her
Me cayó el veinte - to be hit straight in the face with something, to have something dawn on you, to be discovered in your lie or whatever misdeed you're up to
Me hace lo que el viento a Juárez - I'm totally immune to that (more or less) (lit: that does to me what the wind did to Juárez, i.e. nothing)
Me vale madre - I don't give a shit
Me vale pito - I don't give a fuck (ruder)
Mera mole - something you're really, really into
Mono - pretty
No mames - you've gotta be joking...what the fuck? no fucking way! etc.
No manches - no way! I can't believe it! etc.

P-Q-R

Pa'su mecha! - hot damn; holy shit; holy mother of god; wow; incredible...etc.
Patán - asshole
Pedo - problem
Petatear - to die
Pollo - boyfriend/girlfriend
Ponerle crema a los tacos - act stuck-up
Ponerle un cuatro - to pull a fast one on someone (lit: to put a four on them)
Ponerse al tiro - get with the program...look sharp
Puñal - gay (can be derrogative) (lit: dagger)
Pura chiripa - pure luck
¿Qué pedo? - what's up? what's your problem? what the fuck? etc.
¿Qué pex? - what's up?
¿Qué rayos pasa? - what the blazes is going on?
Quedarse echando el huevo todo el día - be lazy all day long
Rifarse por la banda - take one for the team (lit: raffle yourself for the band)

S-T-U-V

Saber que lado masca la iguana - know who is in charge (lit: to know which side the iguana chews)
¡Sepa la bola! - who knows?! (lit: may the ball know)
Tasajeado - cut across the midriff (lit: filleted) (Oax)
Tener el mal del cuche - to be fatigued after eating too much (lit: to have the bad of the pork) (Oax)
Tener un pedo (grande) - to have a (big) problem (lit: to have a big fart)
Tiliches - stuff, junk, knick-knacks
Trankas - tranquilo (abbreviation)
Valiste madre - (ya valiste madre) you fucked yourself over real good this time

W-X-Y-Z

Ya, ¡afloja! - used to ask for something back - money, something lent, etc. (lit: loosen up)
Ya me cargó la chingada - I'm fucked
Ya nos cayó el chahuiztle - things are going from bad to worse (lit: the chahuistle fungi has fallen upon us)

Yope – stupid (has been used in the past derogatorily towards indigenous people) (Oax)