View source for Task:Tango Glossary

=Introduction=
Tango Glossary. Words that appear in tango and are tricky for translation, because if using words that are even close in meaning, some of it is lost. Mostly lunfardo. Regionalisms. Things of a previous time. Here are some. Hope to enlarge?

=Individual terms=
==A-K==
===Albur===
Eventuality or chance, that depends on the result of a given endeavour. 

===Arrabal===
A low-income, working class neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city.

===Atorrante===
Lazy, often sloppy and sly individual.

===Bacán===
Person of wealth or who appears to be such.

===Bandearse===
1. To get away. 2.To fail. 3. To overstep the bounds of propriety. 4. To corrupt oneself,to be come perverted, to adopt bad habits.

===Berretín===
Whim, caprice, strong desire, craving, fixed idea, often excessive and bordering with mania.

===Bulin===
Apartment, room where one sleeps or lives. The term often refers to small place set up for romantic encounters.

===Campanear===
To look attentively, unnoticed; to keep watch.

===Canyengue===
Style of tango originally danced in the suburbs, considered immoral and severely frowned upon by the upper clases.

===Chamuyar===
To talk with persuasive intentions, often falsely, aimlessly or without solid arguments.

===Codillo===
Card game. A variant of another game called "tute".

===Criollo===
As an adjective, the term is used to describe what is original of America or the nation, of national origin.

===China===
1. Low-class woman. 2. Woman with aboriginal features. 3. Beloved woman. 4. Maid, servant woman. 5. Woman.

===Chiripá===
Poncho held in place by a belt, worn on top of the gaucho's trousers, in order to protect him from the cold and possible injuries.

===Cocó===
Cocaine.

===Compadrear===
A man's act of displaying his own masculinity, courage and value through a conceited, brave, almost aggressive attitude and behaviour.

===Compadrito===
Man from the lower-class urban areas, vain and conceited, known for imitating the bravery of the [compadrón].

===Compadrón===
The term can mean brave, but also boastful and arrogant. By extension, it comes to designate the individual owner of those qualities.

===Conventillo===
Poor tenement house with a large number of dwellers.

===Cortada===
Short, generally narrow street with only one access point.

===Cotorro===
Home, place where someone lives.

===Cuarteador===
Man who would aid vehicules (carriages) out of difficult parts of a road, either too steep or muddy, with the help of one or two horses. 

===Facón===
Long gaucho knife.

===Flor===
Literally meaning "flower", the term is used to express that something is excellent, the best of its kind. E.g. "La flor de…". However, it can be simultaneously used to say that something or somebody possesses an undesirable quality to the highest degree. E.g. "Sos un flor de…"

===Fondín===


===Fulero===
Ugly, unpleasant, poorly made. Also cowardly, faint-hearted and incompetent.

===Gaucho===
A particular kind of countryman-horseman, characteristic of the plains and adjacent areas of Argentina and other Southamerican countries.

===Griseta===
From the French term, ''grisette'', it designates a young, working-class woman, typically flirtatious and coquettish. It's derived from ''gris'' ("gray" in French), the usual colour of the cheap fabrics used for work clothes and rustic dresses.

===Guapo===
Brave individual, bold and resolute. Tough man, often a braggart and a bully.

==L-Z==
===Lancero===
As a noun, it designates a professional thief, specialist in pick-pocketting passersby. It can also refer to a Don Juan, a ladie's man. As an adjective, it describes the qualities of a bold, daring and brave individual.

===Malevo===
Despicable, quarrelsome individual, often a thief and with a criminal record.  

===Mate===
A typical South American drink of infused leaves of ilex paraguensis or yerba mate.

===Milonguero===
Relative to the milonga and the tango ambiance.

===Mina===
Informal word for "woman". The meaning of the word, however, is quite broad and ranges from naming a dear woman or a concubine, to a mistress and a prostitute.

===Mistongo===
Wretched, extremely poor.

===Payador===
Popular singer who improvises on several topics, generally with the accompaniment of a guitar and in counterpoint with another singer.

===Percal===
Percale, a kind of fabric out of cotton. Because of its low cost and resistance, it was often used in the uniforms of working-class women. The term is present in many tango songs, as a metaphor of the simple life of the poor, quite often in contrast with the luxury of the upper classes, or even with the sparkling colours of a prostitute's attire.

===Porteño===
Inhabitant or original of Buenos Aires. The word derives from puerto (cursiva) (eng. 'port'), while -eño (cursiva) is a common suffix that indicates origin.

===Primus===
Once a well-known trademark for water heaters.

===Rana===
Sharp, clever, even roguish individual.

===Rante===
Apheresis of [atorrante].

===Tallar===
1. To predominate, to prevail. 2. To converse. 3. To act as a dealer in a game of chance.

===Tapera===
Abandoned, rustic house, extremely run down and typical of the rural areas.

===Velay===
Interjection that expresses resignation or indifference.

===Viejo===
Father.

===Yerba===
Yerba mate, or ''Ilex paraguariensis'', is the name of a plant native to South America. In countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay, its leaves are used for preparing an infusion, commonly referred to as ''mate''. It has been for a very long time a distinctive element of the cultures of said countries, where its preparation and consumption can be an important part of social gatherings, and even of times spent in solitude. Its strong presence in tango lyrics is a sign of its predominance. 

=Phrases and expressions=
===A suerte y verdad===

===Copar la parada===
To accept a challenge and to even raise the stakes.

===De rompe y raja===
Adjectival expression that describes a determined spirit and great confidence, outstanding, straight, with a strong temperament. Literally means ’breaking and cracking’.

=Other sources=
==In English==
[http://cheviste.com Lunfardo: The Slang of Buenos Aires]

==In Spanish==
[http://www.todotango.com/spanish/biblioteca/Lunfardo/Diccionario.aspx Todo Tango]

[http://www.elportaldeltango.com.ar/dicciona.htm El Portal del Tango]



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