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The 27 Funniest Mexican Expressions (and How to Use Them)

Mexico Languages
by Rulo Luna Ramos Jan 31, 2022

You can eat all the mole and drink all the tequila in Mexico, but you’ll never blend in until you master some Mexican expressions.

Mexico, like most hispanic countries, has its own unique version of Spanish, one that’s filled with funny Mexican sayings that you wouldn’t understand or use without the help of the following guide. The Mexican expressions listed below may not all be suitable for polite conversations, but most of them will take you deeper into the culture and even help you pass for a local.

Mexican sayings that show the Mexicans love their food

1. Te avienta un choro

A Mexican doesn’t “make up stories”, they “throw a mussel at you” (te avienta un choro).

2. Truena como ejote

A Mexican doesn’t “fail”, they “explode like a green bean” (truena como ejote).

3. Te come el mandado

A Mexican doesn’t “take advantage of you”, they “eat your groceries” (te come el mandado).

4. Le mide el agua a los camotes

A Mexican doesn’t “plan ahead”, they “measure the water for the sweet potatoes” (le mide el agua a los camotes).

5. Te botanea

A Mexican doesn’t “make fun of you”, they “snack” on you (te botanea).

Mexican sayings that show the Mexicans are mother-obsessed

6. Va vuelto madre

A Mexican isn’t “in a hurry”, they “go into a motherly transformation” (va vuelto madre)

7. Te suelta un madrazo

A Mexican doesn’t punch you, they “unleash a big mamma on you” (Te suelta un madrazo).

8. Le vale madre

Mexican doesn’t “avoid responsibilities”, they “make it mother worthy” (le vale madre).

Mexican expressions you can’t use in a polite conversation

9. Se avienta el mañanero

A Mexican doesn’t have “morning sex”, they “throw the morning one” (se avienta el mañanero).

10. Se saca de pedo

A Mexican doesn’t “get scared or surprised”, they “gets himself out of the fart” (se saca de pedo).

11. Te pedalean la bicicleta

A Mexican doesn’t “cheat on you”, they “ride another bicycle.”

Mexican expressions that are useful but brutal

12. Chupa faros

A Mexican doesn’t just “die”, they “suck lighthouses” (chupa faros).

13. Está picándose los ojos

A Mexican doesn’t “kill time”, they “poke their eyes” (está picándose los ojos).

14. Es bien sangrón

A Mexican isn’t “unbearable”, they “bleed copiously” (es bien sangrón).

Mexican sayings that involve animals

15. Te tira el perro

A Mexican doesn’t “flirt with you”, they “throw you the dog” (te tira el perro).

16. Se encabrona

A Mexican doesn’t “get mad”, they “turn into the big goat” (se encabrona).

17. Arma la vaca

A Mexican doesn’t “fundraise”, they “build a cow” (arma la vaca).

18. Se pone pipiris nice

A Mexican doesn’t “dress up”, they “put on some nice pipiris.” (se pone pipiris nice).

19. Se echa una pestañita o un coyotito

A Mexican doesn’t “take a cat nap”, they “go into a little eyelash or into a baby coyote” (se echa una pestañita o un coyotito).

20. Piensa en la inmortalidad del cangrejo

A Mexican doesn’t “get lost in his own thoughts”, they “think about the crab’s immortality.”

Other funny Mexican expressions

21. Te da el avión

A Mexican doesn’t “humor you”, they “gives you a plane” (te da el avión).

22. Hace como que la virgen le habla

A Mexican doesn’t “ignore you”, they “do as if the virgin’s speaking to him” (hace como que la virgen le habla).

23. Le encanta hacerle a la mamada

A Mexican doesn’t “beat about the bush”, they “love doing it the sucky sucky way” (le encanta hacerle a la mamada).

24. Se hace bolas

A Mexican doesn’t “get confused”, they “turn themselves into balls” (se hace bolas).

25. Hace las cosas al aventón

A Mexican isn’t “careless”, they do things “the pushing way” (hace las cosas al aventón).

26. Pide paros

A Mexican doesn’t “ask for favors”, they “asks for strikes” (pide paros).

27. Hace un Pancho

A Mexican doesn’t “make a scene”, they “make a Pancho” (hace un Pancho).

A version of this article was previously published on March 1, 2015, and was updated on January 31, 2022.

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