Vato Loco
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- ********
One of my swedish mates favourite films is 'Blood in, Blood out'. He's been wanting to know what the hell does 'Vato loco' mean?
Cheers
- paraselene0
vato is a word from the southwestern u.s. and neighbouring parts of mexico which means something perhaps akin to 'g'. it's a term that applies to members of gangs, either as a term of endearment amongst one another or as a derisory term used by people external to that brotherhood.
loco, of course, means crazy.
- paraselene0
there's a couple.
but they're rather skinny.
- edvc_van0
Not really "G" but close.
Vato is a mexican word. Used also of course by the poor mexicans that jumped the Us border, not because they are in the south of the us, but because they were from mexico and they brought the language with them.
The word vato is closely related to the poor in mexico. For example if you were walking at night alone and 3 poor guys were thinking about stealing your hat and shoes they would say "Hey vato! I like you hat"
It has no exact translation into english, but it's close to dude, g, buddy......with a more negative meaning.
The whole thing about the term applying to gang memebers is just a stereotype. Movies always show latin gang members saying this word, but it's not because they are in gangs, it's because they have no education and come from mexico.loco does mean "crazy". Although in this case it has no meaning at all.
How do I know this? I'm mexican and have been mugged after being called "vato"
- KuzII0
OMG! I remember that film from when i was 14 years old!
I loved that film back then.
don't know if i'll be into it now tho. Can't remember most of it - one of thems an artist, and they go to prison, and he shoots his brother. I remember one bit when he says "hey look, it's mr John Wayne".
- edvc_van0
If I rememebr the spelling correctly..it is Bato, not Vato.
I could be wrong. Both B and V have the same sound and we really don't see this word written.
- paraselene0
in pachuco it's always 'v'.
- sureshot0
it's still a great movie.
vato loco carnal.
- edvc_van0
mexicans in the us always fuck up spanish and change the spelling because they were not educated with real spanish.
They have no idea where to put the stress on words, mistake V's for Bs, S' for C's or "Z', Y's for Ll's and the list goes on...
- ********0
Thanks guys, one of the best responses to a post I have ever had.
- edvc_van0
Should I check it out?
Haven't seen the movie yet. what do you guys think?
- KuzII0
I remember it being an epic, went on for hours....
"I may be white from the outside, but I'm brown on the inside, TO THE BONE."
- paraselene0
haha. that's so true edvc. i knew a mexican-american kid in spain who couldn't spell a damn thing. there was a really good example of the most common confusions, but i can't remember it right now because it's tuesday.
- edvc_van0
Maybe I shouldn't make fun of our not-so-loved deserters.
I have to admit to have forgotten where to put the stupid stress thing in many words.LoL @ mexican-american kid in spain.
That has spelling mistake written all over. HAHA
That's like mixing 3 different kinds of spanish into one abominable kind of spanish.
- paraselene0
you have no idea. the punchline is that his mum was from argentina.
and i remember the mother of all spelling errors now:
habezes
=
a veces
!
- edvc_van0
HAHA.
Would've loved to meet them! :o)Argentinians tend to have bad spelling and weird slang. That might be another reason why the son is a dumbass.
- paraselene0
anyway, i've never seen that movie. i'll have to keep an eye out for it.
chances are that if kuz likes a film, i'll like it, too.
;)
- KuzII0
chances are that if kuz likes a film, i'll like it, too.
;)
paraselene
(Oct 25 05, 02:48ya but kuz sawed it and liked it when he was a wee teen and was into all dat gangsta shit and went around carrying a butterfly knife cos it was cool. I also liked Menace II Society. But dat's a different film ;)
- ********0
It is a fooking effort..and like those films you see when you're a kid...they are NEVER as good as you remember them.
- kelpie0
most racist thread ever. poor mexicans. and after they gave the world those funny hats and charlie bronson too. shame on you all :(
- paraselene0
you callin' me a racialist, ese?
*licks bowie knife
**scowls menacingly
***adjusts do-rag