Now that you are living in Bs As you MUST learn this so-called “slang” called lunfardo. However, lunfardo is much more than just a type of jargon – since EVERYONE now uses it in every day language (once upon a time it was only used by tango singers and the lower classes – those who developed it). Enough said, get started with these:
che: an interjection often used to get someone’s attention (“hey, you!”); also very commonly used between sentences as a segue
colectivo: bus — here “autobus” is not used; not technically lunfardo (the lunfardo name is bondi)
pibe: muchacho in the rest of LA
plata: money (literally “silver”)
mina: mujer (woman)
laburar: trabajar (to work)
morfar: comer (to eat)
quilombo: a hectic situation, or a mess (“Llegué tarde porque el tránsito es un quilombo hoy” – I arrived late because traffic is terrible today.)
boludo/a: dumb or stupid (when used literally); however, often used among friends affectionately
pelotudo/a: idiot, dumbass — somewhat similar to boludo, but much stronger!
