Guanabee Glossary: Tio

If you’ve ever asked a Mexican whether it’s cold enough for a chaqueta or asked a Cuban to pass a bollo at dinner, you’ll know that Latino slang terms can vary from country to country, region to region, generation to generation, a reality that often results in embarrassing situations. Guanabee Glossary is our attempt to teach you Latino slang and save you from looking like a weird-ass fool in mixed company. Enjoy it, cabrones.

tio

[tee-oh], noun

Spanish slang for “man” or “dude,” though it literally means uncle. Often used with a string of curse words.

Hostia, tio, me cago en la Virgen. Tu me debes cinco euros.

Taking the name of the holy host in vain, dude, I shit in the Virgin Mary. You owe me five bucks.