chingadera

English

Etymology

Mexican Spanish

Noun cognate of the Spanish verb "chingar", which originally meant "to split lengthwise". In current usage, chingadera refers to anything for which the speaker has momentarily forgotten the word, especially things of little value or broken. Chingar may still refer poetically to splitting things lengthwise, though most Spanish speakers are now unaware of this archaic sense. Thus: "una chingadera de leñas" means either a small pile of firewood, or some quanitity of split firewood, such as a cord.

Noun

chingadera (plural chingaderas)

1. (US, vulgar, Spanglish) something bad or a misdoing
2. (US, vulgar, Spanglish) despised or whorish woman. Common street example: 'Donde está la chingadera?' ("Where is your whorish girlfriend?")

1. (US, vulgar, Spanglish) used as a replacement for an item or object if its name is not known or forgotten

   Hey, get me that pinche chingadera from the counter.

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Spanish

Noun

chingadera f (plural chingaderas)

1. (Mexico, vulgar) missing translation (an immoral or illegal act, often with the idea of treason or deceit).
2. (Mexico, vulgar) shit, crap (a thing of little value or quality, or an unspecified object).
3. (Mexico, vulgar) bullshit (nonsense, stupidity, false statements).

   ¡Son chingaderas! — “Bullshit!”

   decir chingaderas — “to bullshit”