Appendix:Tagalog slang

Main category: Category:Tagalog slang

This appendix is in progress.

Tagalog has a rich amount of slang terms, commonly referred to as salitang-kalye, salitang-kanto, or pabalbal. Tagalog slang commonly features in informal Tagalog conversations, and new slang continues to be formed. Most Tagalog slang are from Tagalog words, but there are some instances of slang derived from English and other Philippine languages (most commonly, Cebuano).

Formation

While a majority of Tagalog slang are from borrowing, new definitions, or coinages, Tagalog slang can be derived using various methods, including but not limited to:

1. Puns - Slang are craftily created to be a play on something. One common of punning slang are alterations of a word to allude to a person or other entity, often to obfuscate words from out-group members.
2. Back slang - Syllables or letters are switched into other positions. Most Tagalog back slang are of reversing of syllables (binaligtad, e.g. lespu from pulis), similar to French verlan or Argentine Spanish vesre.
3. Clipping - Words are formed by shortening the word.
4. Initialisms - Common or slang terms are abbreviated to hide their meaning from out-group persons.
5. Code-switching - Words from another language, usually English, are added into a Tagalog sentence, often with alteration or change in meaning.
6. Addition of -s – Several Tagalog slang terms are formed by adding the suffix -s to an existing word (including existing slang).

Common slang

The following is a list of various common Tagalog slang. It is not intended to be comprehensive. Most of the listed terms are well-established.

General

• atik (“distract”)
• badúy (“shabby; outdated”)
• barako (“tough guy”)
• bukíng (“caught in the act; red-handed”)
• bulilyaso (“foiled; thwarted”)
• datúng (“money”)
• dedma (“feigning ignorance”)
• dedò (“dead”)
• deds (“dead”)
• dyahe (“embarrased; embarrassing”)
• echosera (“female who plays jokes on other people; liar”)
• entremetida (“female busybody”)
• gets (“get it?”)
• gimik (“night out”)
• hapi-hapi (“having fun”)
• hipon (“derogatory: butterface”)
• hugot (“emotional catharsis”)
• intriga (“slanderous gossip”)
• intrigera (“woman who spreads slanderous gossip”)
• jeproks (“hippie”)
• Kano (“American”)
• kenkoy (“joker”)
• kiyeme
• KKB (“going Dutch”)
• kodigo (“cheat sheet”)
• komander (“wife”)
• korni (“silly (usu. of a joke)”)
• KSP (“attention whore”)
• kumantá (“to squeal; to rat out”)
• lamyerda (“stroll”)
• lapláp (“heavy kissing and petting”)
• laspág (“(adjective) worn out; (noun) woman who has been raped or gave birth out of wedlock”)
• lespu (“police officer”)
• logtu (“sleep”)
• misis (“wife”)
• mokong (“shabby person”)
• pakipot (“coy”)
• pakulô (“ingenious scheme; gimmick”)
• plastik (“insincere”)
• pogì (“handsome”)
• praníng (“paranoid; insane”)
• promdi (“provincial”)
• pulpól (“useless”)
• putók (“unpleasant odor from armpits”)
• resbak (“retaliation”)
• shungá (“foolish”)
• sikyû (“security guard”)
• sisiw (“something easy; piece of cake”)
• solb (“satisfied”)
• sosyál (“posh”)
• supót (“derogatory: uncircumcised”)
• suwapang (“greedy”)
• tambay (“idler; (derogatory) jobless person”)
• tipo (“someone or something liked”)
• TNT (“undocumented or illegal immigrant”)
• trip
• Tsekwa (“derogatory: Chinese”)
• tsika (“gossip”)
• tsikót (“car”)
• tutà (“lackey”)
• umbág (“punch; hit; assault”)
• wa epek

Alcohol, drugs and smoking

• bangág (“drugged; high”)
• batak (“jacked-up; inhalation of drugs (usu. methamphetamine)”)
• damó (“marijuana; cannabis”)
• durugista (“drug user”)
• iskór (“act of obtaining drugs”)
• sabóg (“drugged; high”)
• senglot (“drunk”)
• shabú (“methamphetamine”)
• tomà (“alcohol consumption”)
• tsongki (“marijuana; cannabis”)
• tulak (“drug dealer”)
• yosi (“cigarette”)

Corruption

• buwaya (“corrupt”)
• padulás (“grease payment; bribe”)
• tong (“bribe”)
• tongpats (“overpricing as form of corruption”)

Courting, relationships and romance

• basted (“broken-hearted”)
• kabít (“derogatory: mistress”)
• kerida (“mistress”)
• LQ
• marupók (“frail; easily seduced”)
• pablíng (“playboy”)
• pendeho
• tsik-boy (“playboy”)

Crime

• akyat-bahay (“burglar”)
• budol (“cheat; scam”)
• dekwat (“stealing in secret”)
• goyò (“cheat; scam; swindle”)
• onse (“cheat; swindle”)
• pitik (“theft”)
• rambol (“gang fight”)

Excrement and toilets

• ebak (“feces”)
• trono (“toilet seat”)

Food

• asosena (“cooked dog meat”)
• betamax (“pig blood cubes”)
• tapsi (“dish of smoked beef and fried rice”)
• tsibóg (“eat”)
• turo-turo (“street food”)

Gambling

• bangka (“banker”)

LGBT

• badáp (“gay”)
• T-bird (“lesbian”)
• tibô (“lesbian”)

Politics

• balimbíng (“political turncoat or defector”)
• loyalista (“supporter of the previous government”)
• yorme (“mayor”)

Prison

• kakosa (“jailmate”)
• mayor (“leader of a prison block”)
• oblo

Sexuality

• bati (“masturbation”)
• berde (“lewd; obscene”)
• betlog (“testicles”)
• boso (“peep”)
• brotsa (“cunnilingus; blowjob”)
• jakól (“masturbation”)
• manyak (“pervert”)
• motel (“love hotel”)
• pekpek (“vagina”)
• pokpok (“whore”)
• tarugo (“large penis”)
• tira (“sexual intercourse”)
• tsupá (“fellatio”)

Sports

• bangko (“bench warmer”)
• gradweyt (“basketball: fouled out”)
• lutô (“game fixing”)
• supalpál (“blocking move”)

Drug slang

Tagalog has a rich amount of slang related to drugs, such as:

• Cannabis: damo (“grass”), tsongki. See Thesaurus:marihuwana.
• Methamphetamine: agimat (“amulet”), bato (“stone”), shabu (from Japanese, cf. Indonesian sabu)

LGBT slang

Slang usually used by the LGBT community, known as "Swardspeak", are covered in a separate appendix: Appendix:Tagalog LGBT slang

External links

• Derivation of Slang Words at the Tagalog SEAsite by Northern Illinois University
• Zorc, R. David, San Miguel, Rachel (1993) Tagalog Slang Dictionary‎^[1], Manila: De La Salle University Press, →ISBN