# taco: meanings



## padredeocho

My dictionary gives me all these meanings for taco:
1 :  wad, stopper, plug
2 :  pad (of paper)
3 :  cleat
4 :  heel (of a shoe)
5 :  cue (in billiards)
6 :  light snack, bite
7 :  taco

How many of these are really used?


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## mariente

All of them depending on the context. Although   I ve never heard meanings 1, 2 and 6  before. And i dont know what a cleat is.


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## Elibennet

Mariente, a lo mejor no te das cuenta, pero los significados 1, 2 y 6 son muy comunes, incluso en Argentina. Cuando tenes que compensar una diferencia de altura o profundidad en algo, ponés un TACO de madera. Las pilitas de papel cuadrado que se usan sobre los escritorios son TACOS. Y también son TACOS unos snacks mejicanos, que acá en Buenos Aires los sirven en el Hard Rock


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## nelliot53

padredeocho said:


> My dictionary gives me all these meanings for taco:
> 1 :  wad, stopper, plug
> 2 :  pad (of paper)
> 3 :  cleat
> 4 :  heel (of a shoe)
> 5 :  cue (in billiards)
> 6 :  light snack, bite
> 7 :  taco
> 
> How many of these are really used?



I have heard taco for numbers 1, 4, 5, and 6.

Hope it helps you.


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## Elibennet

Yes, definitely, all of them.


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## mariente

Elibennet said:


> Mariente, a lo mejor no te das cuenta, pero los significados 1, 2 y 6 son muy comunes, incluso en Argentina. Cuando tenes que compensar una diferencia de altura o profundidad en algo, ponés un TACO de madera. Las pilitas de papel cuadrado que se usan sobre los escritorios son TACOS. Y también son TACOS unos snacks mejicanos, que acá en Buenos Aires los sirven en el Hard Rock


Ok, yo siempre usé otras palabras y nunca las había escuchado. Pero bueno.


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## padredeocho

A *cleat* is on the bottom of a soccer shoe to grab the grass.


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## Moritzchen

Cleats en la Argentineta son los tapones de los zapatos de rugby, viste? En el Hard Rock Café de allá sirven tacos?!!!!


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## oriental

Moritzchen said:


> Cleats en la Argentineta son los tapones de los zapatos de rugby, viste? En el Hard Rock Café de allá sirven tacos?!!!!


Hola:
Estimado  Moritzchen:
¿ Puso Vd. Argentineta voluntariamente ó fue un error ? Cuando anduvo por estos barrios ¿ nunca se "echó uno" ?
Atenta-mente;


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## mariposita

> 1 : wad, stopper, plug
> 2 : pad (of paper)
> 3 : cleat
> 4 : heel (of a shoe)
> 5 : cue (in billiards)
> 6 : light snack, bite
> 7 : taco


 
In Spain, a *taco* refers to certain objects in a cube shape. Little cubes of ham are called "tacos." Those calendars where you rip off every day of the year are called "tacos." By extension, *taco(s)* is also slang for *a year* (as in someone's age). It is also means *palabrota *(bad word).


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## oriental

padredeocho said:


> I had no idea it was going to be this FUN! Wow, my head is spinning.


 
Not only yours !
It's Moritzchen fault !
The 8th meaning -Rio de la Plata - is to have sexual intercourse.
8, thought you knew about it... 
Best regards.


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## danielfranco

Never heard of meaning #2. But I don't see the definition of the wood or plastic jacket to hold screws in place for soft materials like sheet-rock or plaster...
Can't remember what they're called in English, but, sure enough, they are "tacos" in Spanish!


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## mariposita

danielfranco said:


> wood or plastic jacket to hold screws in place for soft materials like sheet-rock or plaster...
> Can't remember what they're called in English, but, sure enough, they are "tacos" in Spanish!


 
I believe those are called_* anchors*_.

Here are some "tacos de papel":

http://images.google.com/images?sou...A:2005-44,SUNA:en&q=taco de papel&sa=N&tab=wi


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## Donpayin

padredeocho said:


> My dictionary gives me all these meanings for taco:
> 1 : wad, stopper, plug
> 2 : pad (of paper)
> 3 : cleat
> 4 : heel (of a shoe)
> 5 : cue (in billiards)
> 6 : light snack, bite
> 7 : taco
> 
> How many of these are really used?


 
*El 4 es tacón, no taco. *


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## oriental

mariposita said:


> I believe those are called_* anchors*_.
> 
> Here are some "tacos de papel":
> 
> http://images.google.com/images?sou...A:2005-44,SUNA:en&q=taco de papel&sa=N&tab=wi


 
This is the plastic taco (used to anchor ) that daniel said, came also from google, taco de plástico and there are a lot of strange things... 





Donpayin, here taco and  tacón are used, they differ in their shape and length.
High heels is taco.
Best regards.


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## Donpayin

oriental said:


> This is the plastic taco (used to anchor ) that daniel said, came also from google, taco de plástico and there are a lot of strange things...
> 
> [URL]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:dRv93d_vjfvZ0M:http://www.bsasfijaciones.com.ar/images/productos/tacos/5-80.gif[/URL]
> 
> Donpayin, here taco and tacón are used, they differ in their shape and length.
> High heels is taco.
> Best regards.


 
High heel is called "tacón", in México.


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## danielfranco

Así es, parece ser un regionalismo del cono sur, lo de taco bajo, mediano y alto para zapatillas de dama.
Algo que no veo comentado aún, es la mexicanada "se da su taco", que significa que alguien tiene una opinión muy elevada de si mismo.
Casi a la par con "se cree la última pepsi en el desierto".
Saludos Tex-Mex (con "taco shells")


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## Donpayin

"Le echa mucha cremas a sus tacos"
"echarse un taco de ojo"
"de lengua me como un taco" 

JEjejejej


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## 3.1416

The anchors that DanielFranco talks about are known as 'taquetes' in every 'ferreteria' (hardware store) around my city.

The shoes that soccer players use are also called tacos (there's lot o' jokes about it).

A billiard cue is a taco, too.

As there are many varieties of tacos, some of the could be considered as snacks, but they are/were not intended to be so.

When we are in a hurry and eating somewhere we say something like:
_*"Voy a la escuela y por ahi me hecho un taco"*_

*"Im going to school and i'll have a taco somewhere(on the way there)" *

This means that the persons will have a meal (not a snack) somewhere. 

When you are invited to eat at a place where you were not expected and feel shy, your guest will say in a friendly tone:

"Come on! Have a taquito with us!"
"Andale, echate un taquito con nosotros!"

Does it helps?!


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## mariente

Donpayin said:


> *El 4 es tacón, no taco. *


En argentina se dice taco, no tacón. Y de hecho también figura así en el diccionario.


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## 3.1416

"Le echa mucha cremas a sus tacos"
_He exagerates while speaking good of himself_
"echarse un taco de ojo"
This is used when you're looking at a nice looking person
(not always with a _polite _look, like when seeing girls in a swimming pool or when i was walking at Vancouver's Stanley Park's beach, where many girls are topless, or when my sister is looking at my friends <or they looking at Her>)
"de lengua me como un taco"


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## mirx

Donpayin said:


> *El 4 es tacón, no taco. *


 

Es taco, tacòn es simplemente el aumentativo.


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## 3.1416

"_de lengua me como un taco"_
This is used when yo don't believe a story or someone who usually speaks too much.
I can't explain it better, any help over here?!


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## JB

mariente said:


> All of them depending on the context. Although I ve never heard meanings 1, 2 and 6 before. And i dont know what a cleat is.


 
CLeat: Los cosas de metal que se encuentran atados a las suelas de zapatos para jugar al fútbol americano, (tal vez fútbol-soccer, no lo sé), para andar en bicicleta con pedales adaptados así) etc.  

También en barcos se encuentran otro tipo de "cleat" de metal, usados para atar sogas.  

Hasta este momento, no sabía que tengo tacos en mis zapatos de bicicleta--sólo ha comido tacos, pero de pescado o pollo, no de metal.


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## padredeocho

Isn't it funny how one person's confusion (mine) in Salt Lake City, can create so much discussion?  I love Word Reference!


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## Gavilan

In Colombia (at least in Medellin) "taco" is frequently used to refer to a traffic jam.


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## padredeocho

And isn't it funny, how in English was say a huge traffic jam is a HUGE BOTTLENECK.  The bigger the bottleneck, the easier things should pass through it, right!!!!


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## Gavilan

Exactly Padrede8! And "taco" for traffic jam makes perfect sense, as in a "wad" of cars. As you might guess, this is a frequent expression of commuters in Medellin.


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## padredeocho

That is really interesting.  Is a taco also a wad of paper that I crumple up and toss into a waste basket?


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## mariente

en argentina cleat se dice "tapones" lo de los botines de futbol


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## JB

padredeocho said:


> Isn't it funny how one person's confusion (mine) in Salt Lake City, can create so much discussion? I love Word Reference!


 
And in Washington, D.C., one person's confusion has caused a whole lot more discussion, y mucho más.
(OK Moderator, maybe that's not perfectly appropriate for this forum, but I couldn't resist.  Dame una nalgada, por favor.)


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## michimz

Are these definitions also common in Mexico? I've NEVER heard any of them except for the thing you eat that is made of a corn tortilla with something inside of it! (not that I'm any kind of expert!)


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## Translator99

In Colombia, the expresion "a todo taco" means very fast. 

Example: Anoche me comi dos tacos a todo taco, porque queria salir antes salir que se formara un taco.


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