Chapter 38: Power

Affectionate and mildly rustic word for the hard end-piece of a bread loaf. Heard in older or regional everyday speech. Carries an undertone of scarcity when used in this kind of context.

From cotorra (parrot). Implies noisy, non-stop, often trivial talk. Used as a mild reprimand when telling someone to stop talking and get on with things.

Literally 'without shame'. Used as a noun or adjective. Can range from light-hearted teasing between friends to a genuine insult depending on tone and context.

Colloquial past participle of machacar. The dropped final -d- in -ado/-ada endings is very common in everyday informal speech. Refers to physical exhaustion or soreness.

Means to be dismissed, evicted, or ejected from a place. The diminutive patitas adds a slightly contemptuous or ironic flavour.

A fixed phrase describing someone who acts decisively and without softening their methods. Chiquitas literally means 'little things', the implication is that this person does not bother with small niceties or half-measures.