# Amazing similarity between slang words



## ernest_

Hi!

I came across several Scottish slang words that appear to be suspiciously similar to their Spanish counterparts. For instance,

_to chorie_ (to steal) looks an awful lot like the Spanish verb _chorrar_.

_to nash_ (to go away, to flee) is very similar to _najar_.

Strange, isn't? One explanation is that these words come from the Romani language (the one spoken by those "traveller" people) thus spreading all over different places. Do you know any other example of such words?


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## TraductoraPobleSec

ernest_ said:


> Hi!
> 
> I came across several Scottish slang words that appear to be suspiciously similar to their Spanish counterparts. For instance,
> 
> _to chorie_ (to steal) looks an awful lot like the Spanish verb _chorrar_.
> 
> _to nash_ (to go away, to flee) is very similar to _najar_.
> 
> Strange, isn't? One explanation is that these words come from the Romani language (the one spoken by those "traveller" people) thus spreading all over different places. Do you know any other example of such words?


 
And for "chorrar" there is also the synonym "chorizar".

Clever thread, Ernest!


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## Outsider

Kind of related to your question: All languages: non-gypsy.


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## RedRag

I have never heard of to chorrie or to nash (not that I've been to Scottland), not that I doubt you.

The one I always was surprised about was flipar.

When it's said "vas a flipao, tió" o "Estoy flipa'o" it sounds remarkably like flip-out, which has the same meaning, In fact when I first came to Spain and my colleagues were smoking and said that, I assumed it was a mispronounced English loan-word.


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## jmx

RedRag said:


> The one I always was surprised about was flipar.
> 
> When it's said "vas a flipao, tió" o "Estoy flipa'o" it sounds remarkably like flip-out, which has the same meaning, In fact when I first came to Spain and my colleagues were smoking and said that, I assumed it was a mispronounced English loan-word.


It probably *is *an English loanword !


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## Outsider

In Portuguese, there is the slang word _tripar_, to trip.


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## winklepicker

How about the Spanish Armada survivors shipwrecked on the Scottish coast? Certainly in Cornwall you can find gravestones with Spanish names on them from this time.


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## ernest_

RedRag said:


> When it's said "vas a flipao, tió" o "Estoy flipa'o" it sounds remarkably like flip-out, which has the same meaning,



Nice one 

Now, there's also _pagger_  (a street fight) which seems very close to _pegar_ (to hit).

And then _gadge_ or _gadgie_ (a man) which has a lot of equivalents in many European languages (thanks Outsider): _gadžo_ (Czech), _gajo_ (Portuguese), _gagiu_ (Romanian), _Gadscho_ (German), _gadjé_ (French), etc.


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## trail

The now very well-known word "chav" (unheard of by most people here just a few years ago) is said to come from the Romani word "chavi" meaning "male child". In Spanish, "chaval" has the same meaning (i.e. "boy", "lad", etc) and also comes from gypsy language.


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## TraductoraPobleSec

How funny!

And here in Barcelona there are the _xavas_ and _xava_ talk http://ec.grec.net/lexicx.jsp?GECART=0144228 which would be the Catalan version of the Cockneys (more or less - for you to have an idea). 

Both Catalan and Spanish are very influenced by caló (the language of the gypsies) and many words we use daily have that origin (_calers_, _paio_, _gilipollas_...)


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## Outsider

_Chaval_ and _chavala_ also exist in Portuguese slang.


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## Berenguer

TraductoraPobleSec said:


> And for "chorrar" there is also the synonym "chorizar".


Y otro sinónimo en la línea "*choricear*", que junto con "*chorizar*" están incluso contemplados por la RAE. "Chorrar" no, además es la primera vez que lo oigo.



Outsider said:


> In Portuguese, there is the slang word _tripar_, to trip.



Y una droga muy famosa en los 70 y 80, los *tripis*, si no me equivoco se les llamaba así por el "viaje" que provocaban a quien los consumía.



TraductoraPobleSec said:


> How funny!
> 
> And here in Barcelona there are the _xavas_ and _xava_ talk http://ec.grec.net/lexicx.jsp?GECART=0144228 which would be the Catalan version of the Cockneys (more or less - for you to have an idea).



En castellano sería "*chaval*" o "*chavalín*" (no confundir con el gallego "xabarín" que se refiere a un cerdo). En México (y que los mexicanos me lo confirmen) se dice "*chavo*" y "*chava*", muy parecido al "*xava*" que propones.


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## TraductoraPobleSec

Berenguer, como siempre, genial tenerte por aquí. Tus opiniones siempre despiertan el cerebrillo de una...

Por lo que se refiere a *chorrar*, igual es una "catalanadita" de las nuestras  Ya nos conoces... Aquí se utiliza muchísimo, igual que *mangar*.

El *tripi* es el LSD (o Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!). Yo diría que su época de auge fue en los sesenta...

*Xava* aquí se utiliza sobre todo para describir el habla de algunos (muchos) barceloneses...

Saludillos y... ¡a ver qué más nos cuentas la próxima vez!


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## Berenguer

TraductoraPobleSec said:


> Berenguer, como siempre, genial tenerte por aquí. Tus opiniones siempre despiertan el cerebrillo de una...
> 
> Por lo que se refiere a *chorrar*, igual es una "catalanadita" de las nuestras  Ya nos conoces... Aquí se utiliza muchísimo, igual que *mangar*.
> 
> El *tripi* es el LSD (o Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!). Yo diría que su época de auge fue en los sesenta...
> 
> *Xava* aquí se utiliza sobre todo para describir el habla de algunos (muchos) barceloneses...
> 
> Saludillos y... ¡a ver qué más nos cuentas la próxima vez!



¡Hola Tradu!

Lo de mangar también se estila mucho por aquí (tanto lingüística como pragmáticamente hablando...sino, un paseito por la Gran Vía ) De hecho, a los ladrones se les llama "manguis" (los cacos de toda la vida) y si ya son un poco más en plan fino (estafas y tal) se les llama "mangantes".

Lo del tripi. La época de auge como dices fue los finales sesenteros (plena etapa hippie), de ahí que la canción de los Beatles tuviera tanto éxito).

Y respecto a xava, entendí mal tu anterior mensaje, creí que era una forma "slang" de decir "chico". Curioso esa forma de denominar a cierto habla de los catalanes. Nunca había oído hablar de eso. Supongo que será algo el habla castiza o chulapa  de los madrileños (cada día más en desuso).

Un saludo (y no te preocupes que vendré con más desparrames por aquí)


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## Outsider

Another curious slang anglicism in Portuguese is _chutar_, meaning to inject drugs, from "shoot".


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## TraductoraPobleSec

Outsider said:


> Another curious slang anglicism in Portuguese is _chutar_, meaning to inject drugs, from "shoot".


 
Anda, ¡qué bueno, Outsider! Nosotros también lo tenemos, tanto en castellano (chutar) como en catalán (xutar) y con uso pronominal. ¡Qué tonta! No había caído yo que viniese de _shoot_!


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## Berenguer

Outsider said:


> Another curious slang anglicism in Portuguese is _chutar_, meaning to inject drugs, from "shoot".



It's also a spanish word. The verb is "chutar" (it is usually used in reflexive form "chutarse" ) and the action is a "chute". 
This is also a soccer term. To kick the ball it is also said "chutar el balón" (frequently it can also be said "disparar el balón", and here we have again the english word "shoot")


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## Outsider

TraductoraPobleSec said:


> Anda, ¡qué bueno, Outsider! Nosotros también lo tenemos, tanto en castellano (chutar) como en catalán (xutar) y con uso pronominal. ¡Qué tonta! No había caído yo que viniese de _shoot_!


Well, I'm not absolutely positive that it comes from English, but it seems like the natural explanation...


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## TraductoraPobleSec

I am sure you're right: it makes a lot of sense!


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## Maeskizzle

No way!! (USA) and 
¡no weí! (Chile)

When I first heard someone say "no weí" in Chile, I thought they were saying "No way!" because they are both used as expressions of disbelief.  
No way is short for "there´s no way that could happen" more or less
and "no weí" comes from the expression "no hueveas" which means "no me tomas el pelo" or "you´re joking" or "you´re teasing me."


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## Outsider

Berenguer said:


> This is also a soccer term. To kick the ball it is also said "chutar el balón" (frequently it can also be said "disparar el balón", and here we have again the english word "shoot")


Así es, ¡y yo no lo sabía! He aprendido algo de nuevo hoy.


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## Totopi

Hola a todos:
Yo "choRRar" (con dos erres) no lo había oído nunca, pero sí "choRar" (con una sola erre) como sinónimo de chorizar.
Saludos


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## Jigoku no Tenshi

ernest_ said:


> Hi!
> 
> I came across several Scottish slang words that appear to be suspiciously similar to their Spanish counterparts. For instance,
> 
> _to chorie_ (to steal) looks an awful lot like the Spanish verb _chorrar_.
> 
> _to nash_ (to go away, to flee) is very similar to _najar_.
> 
> Strange, isn't? One explanation is that these words come from the Romani language (the one spoken by those "traveller" people) thus spreading all over different places. Do you know any other example of such words?



In Venezuela, there is the word "Choro" that means Thief, and "Chorear" that means "To Steal" and some people changes the "ea" to "ia" so "Chorear" becomes "Choriar" in this least proper sound "Choriar" is very similar to  "to chorie"(that I've never seen, by the way), 



trail said:


> The now very well-known word "chav" (unheard of by most people here just a few years ago) is said to come from the Romani word "chavi" meaning "male child". In Spanish, "chaval" has the same meaning (i.e. "boy", "lad", etc) and also comes from gypsy language.



In Venezuela there's also "Chamo" that also means "Chavo"



TraductoraPobleSec said:


> How funny!
> 
> And here in Barcelona there are the _xavas_ and _xava_ talk http://ec.grec.net/lexicx.jsp?GECART=0144228 which would be the Catalan version of the Cockneys (more or less - for you to have an idea).
> 
> Both Catalan and Spanish are very influenced by caló (the language of the gypsies) and many words we use daily have that origin (_calers_, _paio_, _gilipollas_...)



I don't know any Catalan, but if I'm right, I think that "X" in Catalan is pronounced as "CH" in Spanish, so, Xava=Chava



Berenguer said:


> It's also a spanish word. The verb is "chutar" (it is usually used in reflexive form "chutarse" ) and the action is a "chute".
> This is also a soccer term. To kick the ball it is also said "chutar el balón" (frequently it can also be said "disparar el balón", and here we have again the english word "shoot")



There's also a "Echarse un Chute" o "Un Chute de Tequila/whiskey/Ron" that means "Take a drink" or more close "take a shot", "drink a shot", What a coincidence!, isn't it?


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## alexacohen

Berenguer said:


> Y una droga muy famosa en los 70 y 80, los *tripis*, si no me equivoco se les llamaba así por el "viaje" que provocaban a quien los consumía.


Pues sí, Berenguer, se llaman así por el viaje (trip) que te daban... no te equivocas.
LSD, diacetilamida de ácido lisérgico, o algo así, que venga un químico!
(Aunque yo te diría que eran más anfeta que ácido, pero en fin... de ilusión también se vive...)


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## Outsider

Jigoku no Tenshi said:


> I don't know any Catalan, but if I'm right, I think that "X" in Catalan is pronounced as "CH" in Spanish, so, Xava=Chava


It depends on the speaker.


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## Sepia

Could the Scottish/Spanish similarities be derived from ancient Celtic words?

Would at least make sense - one finds other cultural similarities between Galicia (Northwestern Spain), Ireland and Scotland.

In German we use the word "gaffen" for "staring with exaggerated interest".

It is very similar to the Spanish word for eyeglasses: Gafas.


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## elpoderoso

ernest_ said:


> Hi!
> 
> I came across several Scottish slang words that appear to be suspiciously similar to their Spanish counterparts. For instance,
> 
> _to chorie_ (to steal) looks an awful lot like the Spanish verb _chorrar_.
> 
> _to nash_ (to go away, to flee) is very similar to _najar_.
> 
> Strange, isn't? One explanation is that these words come from the Romani language (the one spoken by those "traveller" people) thus spreading all over different places. Do you know any other example of such words?


Hola Ernest, me parece que tienes un interés en los libros de Irvine Welsh, aqui es un diccionario de slang. http://www.le.ac.uk/cgi-bin/tab_int...s4=&s5=&s6=&s7=&s8=&s9=&s10=&s11=&s12=&max=50
Espero que te gustará.
E.P


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## Lugubert

"_to chorie_ (to steal)" is sufficiently close to Hindi _chor_ 'thief' (the verb is _chorna_), so it might well be via the Roma. _Nash_ gives me no associations, though.


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## spakh

ernest_ said:


> Hi!
> 
> I came across several Scottish slang words that appear to be suspiciously similar to their Spanish counterparts. For instance,
> 
> _to chorie_ (to steal) looks an awful lot like the Spanish verb _chorrar_.
> 
> _to nash_ (to go away, to flee) is very similar to _najar_.
> 
> Strange, isn't? One explanation is that these words come from the Romani language (the one spoken by those "traveller" people) thus spreading all over different places. Do you know any other example of such words?


 
Wow, it is really interesting that there are very similar words in Turkish.

çor- (çorlamak) means 'to steal' and it is pronounced in a similar way.

When you say someone 'Naş!' that means 'go away!' and also pronounced similarly. It is an interjection. 

Moreover both of these words are slang.


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## spakh

ernest_ said:


> Nice one
> 
> Now, there's also _pagger_ (a street fight) which seems very close to _pegar_ (to hit).
> 
> And then _gadge_ or _gadgie_ (a man) which has a lot of equivalents in many European languages (thanks Outsider): _gadžo_ (Czech), _gajo_ (Portuguese), _gagiu_ (Romanian), _Gadscho_ (German), _gadjé_ (French), etc.


 
There is 'gacı' (pronounced similarly as gadji) in Turkish, however it means woman (in slang). 

Another interesting thing is that it is commonly used by gypsies.


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## Vanda

Outsider said:


> Well, I'm not absolutely positive that it comes from English, but it seems like the natural explanation...


 

Yes, it surely does.  Chutar from chute [from Enlgish: shoot.] Aurélio's Dictionary.


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## Berenguer

Sepia said:


> In German we use the word "gaffen" for "staring with exaggerated interest".
> 
> It is very similar to the Spanish word for eyeglasses: Gafas.



La similitud la verdad que lleva a pensar que pudieran tener alguna relación. La RAE para este caso atribuye a la gafa un origen incierto.



alexacohen said:


> Pues sí, Berenguer, se llaman así por el viaje (trip) que te daban... no te equivocas.
> LSD, diacetilamida de ácido lisérgico, o algo así, que venga un químico!
> (Aunque yo te diría que eran más anfeta que ácido, pero en fin... de ilusión también se vive...)



El término casi casi. El LSD en español sería "Dietilamida de ácido lisérgico", que buscando resulta que LSD no es un acrónimo de la traducción en inglés, sino de su nombre en alemán, que es al parecer de donde proviene. Se llama originalmente _Lyserg Säure-Diäthylamid 25. _En fin, más no puedo profundizar porque mi química ya está demasiado olvidada.


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## alexacohen

Eh.....
¿Alguien se ha dado cuenta de "quickie" es igual que "kiki"?
O a lo mejor estoy barrenando yo mucho a las cuatro de la mañana, pero no sé...
Alexa


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## faranji

alexacohen said:


> Eh.....
> ¿Alguien se ha dado cuenta de "quickie" es igual que "kiki"?


 
Eres la absoluta namberguán, Alexa!  

Más jerga química en 'esperanto'. A las _pastis_ en mi época las llamábamos 'pirulas'. ¿Sería por el portugués _pílulas_?

En el norte de Marruecos es frecuente llamar 'gueiris' a los extranjeros. No viene de _guiris_ sino del modificador _gueir_, que significa _contrario, opuesto._

Y me gustaría que algún hindiparlante me confirmará si _kurrupi_ significa verdaderamente algo muy feo. Como la 'fierra _corrupia'_ del castellano.

Pero lo que de verdad daría para un hilo entero de polémica vecinal sería la cuestión de las jergas brasilero-argentinas. _Masa, bacana, bancar, no estar ni ahí, mina, otario, cana... _Significan lo mismo en ambos países (y en algunos otros). ¿De quién es el copyright? ¿Quién copió a quién?


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## alexacohen

faranji said:


> Pero lo que de verdad daría para un hilo entero de polémica vecinal sería la cuestión de las jergas brasilero-argentinas. _Masa, bacana, bancar, no estar ni ahí, mina, otario, cana... _Significan lo mismo en ambos países (y en algunos otros). ¿De quién es el copyright? ¿Quién copió a quién?


Hola Faranji:
No te puedo contestar a las jergas argentino-brasileiras porque no las conozco, pero si son jergas psicológico-analistas, seguro que el copyright es argentino  .
Ah, y muchísimas gracias, pero soy yo la que te admira un montonazo.
Alexa


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## Argónida

spakh said:


> There is *'gacı'* (pronounced similarly as gadji) in Turkish, however it means woman (in slang).
> 
> Another interesting thing is that it is commonly used by gypsies.


 
In Spanish slang, "gachó" is "man" but *"gachí"* is "woman", and both words came from the Spanish gypsies' language (el caló).


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## Totopi

Leyendo este hilo me viene a la cabeza el tema del *indoeuropeo*.
¿Tendrá algo que ver?
Saludos


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## vikramkr

Somewhat unrelated, but I believe a _chorr_ in Hindi means thief.


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## alexacohen

Totopi said:


> Leyendo este hilo me viene a la cabeza el tema del *indoeuropeo*.
> ¿Tendrá algo que ver?
> Saludos


Hola:
Depende de con qué... con los choris, posible.
Con los tripis y los chutes, pues va a ser que no...  
Alexa


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## faranji

Otra carambola a tres bandas:

El adjetivo y sustantivo _ful_ (español, de origen caló) y los adjetivos _foul _(inglés) y _fulero _(portugués).


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## Outsider

O que é um fulero?


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## Vanda

Gíria nossa, Out. Fuleiro, mas na linguagem do povo é fulero mesmo.
= Sem valor; insignificante, reles, cafona.  Indivíduo fuleiro.


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## TraductoraPobleSec

Vanda said:


> Gíria nossa, Out. Fuleiro, mas na linguagem do povo é fulero mesmo.
> = Sem valor; insignificante, reles, cafona. Indivíduo fuleiro.


 
Desconozco la lengua portuguesa (¡desgraciadamente!), pero me ha sorprendido ver en el post de Vanda la palabra _cafona_, en italiano está _cafone_.


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## Argónida

En español también tenemos *fullero* y *fullería*.


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## alexacohen

faranji said:


> Otra carambola a tres bandas:
> 
> El adjetivo y sustantivo _ful_ (español, de origen caló) y los adjetivos _foul _(inglés) y _fulero _(portugués).


 
Hey, Faranji, ésa es muy buena... solo que yo creí siempre que era un préstamo del póker (he visto demasiadas pelis de John Ford).

Alexa


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## faranji

Argónida said:


> En español también tenemos *fullero* y *fullería*.


 
Esto de las coincidencias con étimos distintos tiene su miga. También existe _follón_ con significado de mentiroso, cobarde, canalla, muy frecuente en _El Quijote_, y con etimología diferente de _fullero_ y de _ful._

Luego está _follonero_, en el sentido de escandaloso, que recuerda al _folião_ portugués, emparentado, imagino, con la _folie_.


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## faranji

alexacohen said:


> Hey, Faranji, ésa es muy buena... solo que yo creí siempre que era un préstamo del póker (he visto demasiadas pelis de John Ford).


 
Pero seguro que se te hacía un poco raro, ¿no, tahura del Miñossissipi? Un full de poker no es ninguna _ful_!


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## faranji

De todas formas, me temo que estoy haciendo trampas. Las raíces son distintas, pero hay un nosequé de onomatopéyico en esos ejemplos que estoy trayendo.


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## Vanda

> Luego está _follonero_, en el sentido de escandaloso, que recuerda al _folião_ portugués, emparentado, imagino, con la _folie_.


 
Right, Faranji. Folião comes from folia (PT) = folie (FR).


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## Outsider

Vanda said:


> Gíria nossa, Out. Fuleiro, mas na linguagem do povo é fulero mesmo.
> = Sem valor; insignificante, reles, cafona.  Indivíduo fuleiro.


Ah, nós escrevemos _foleiro_. Nunca imaginei que tivesse origem inglesa!


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## Vanda

But the one we use here (fuleiro) comes via Spanish: fulero.


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## alexacohen

faranji said:


> Pero seguro que se te hacía un poco raro, ¿no, tahura del Miñossissipi? Un full de poker no es ninguna _ful_!


Es que siempre estaba el jugador vestido de negro con camisa blanca y lazada... el jugador "fullero".  
Alexa


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## faranji

What do you make of this one, Vanda?:

_Bamboleo_, _to bumble_... e as pernas _bambas_


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## faranji

alexacohen said:


> Es que siempre estaba el jugador vestido de negro con camisa blanca y lazada... el jugador "fullero".
> Alexa


 
Esa respuesta, como dicen los dominicanos, está _full de tó_!

(_Full de tó_: estupendo, fenomenal, chévere)


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## faranji

And I would like to ask our friend Ireney whether the slang term Λούφα comes from the English _loafing_. If not, that'd be truly amazing as the meaning is exactly the same.


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## Vanda

faranji said:


> What do you make of this one, Vanda?:
> 
> _Bamboleo_, _to bumble_... e as pernas _bambas_


 
They do have a similarity, _né_?  But bambolear comes from the radical of the onomatopoeia also present in the Greek *bambaínein, bambalízein*, 'gaguejar', 'tremer; according to Aurélio. And bamboleio comes from the verb bambolear. 

bambo/ bamba - From the radical Onomatopoeic bamb-, as in bambolear.


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## faranji

Vanda said:


> They do have a similarity, _né_?  But bambolear comes from the radical of the onomatopoeia also present in the Greek *bambaínein, bambalízein*, 'gaguejar', 'tremer; according to Aurélio. And bamboleio comes from the verb bambolear.
> 
> bambo/ bamba - From the radical Onomatopoeic bamb-, as in bambolear.


 
Thanks a lot 

E o _bumba_ de _bumba meu boi_, vem da onde? Porque eles também _bamboleiam_ pra valer!


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## ireney

faranji said:


> And I would like to ask our friend Ireney whether the slang term Λούφα comes from the English _loafing_. If not, that'd be truly amazing as the meaning is exactly the same.




According to my etymological dictionary it comes from the ancient Greek 
"λωφῶ" (lofo) that means "to stop, rest" which is of uncertain origin and is perhaps related with the ancient German lobon "to cool, soothe" although some say that this (lobon) is a loan from Latin (lavare - to wash)


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## Totopi

alexacohen said:


> Hola:
> Depende de con qué... con los choris, posible.
> Con los tripis y los chutes, pues va a ser que no...
> Alexa


Sí, claro me refería a los choris


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## Lugubert

vikramkr said:


> Somewhat unrelated, but I believe a _chorr_ in Hindi means thief.


No, not unrelated, because like I wrote just 10 posts above yours, Hindi _chor_ 'thief' is a distinct possibility and could well have been mediated by the Roma, whose origin according to some is in the Panjab or thereabouts.


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## Vanda

Faranji:


> E o _bumba_ de _bumba meu boi_, vem de onde? Porque eles também _bamboleiam_ pra valer!


 
Mas o bumba-meu-boi é outra história. Bumba é interjeição onomatopéica imitativa de pancada no bombo (do italiano bombo) e que tem a variante _bumba_ no nordeste. O engraçado é que engloba também 
bumbar o boi que no nordeste é usado como _surrar, espancar, esbordoar_.


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## faranji

Obrigado, Vanda 

Em espanhol tem quase a mesma interjeição: _¡Pumba!_


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