The press rejects Cano's murder

One of several Colombian slang terms for cocaine. 'Perico' is also a type of parrot and, in other contexts, a common Colombian breakfast dish of scrambled eggs. The drug meaning is specific to criminal or street contexts.

Used as an adjective or imperative. 'Ponerse mosca' or 'estar mosca' means to be alert, careful, or suspicious. The image is of a fly that is hard to catch because it is always watching.

Borrowed from English and fully integrated into Colombian casual speech. Used to refer to any male person, sometimes any person, in informal registers. Neutral in tone; neither affectionate nor insulting on its own.

Used figuratively in expressions like 'volverla a cagar' (to screw up again) or 'cagarla' (to mess things up). Very common in frustrated or angry speech. Strength of offense depends on audience; among close friends or in heated arguments, it is widely heard.

In everyday Colombian speech, 'cucho' affectionately refers to an older person, often a parent. In criminal or street contexts it can shift to mean authority figures or the police closing in, as signaled by 'nos llegaron cucho.'

Colombian-specific expletive. 'Chimba' on its own is highly context-dependent, it can mean something excellent or something terrible depending on region and tone. 'Chimbada' tends toward the negative: a foolish act or a broken/useless thing.

Derived from 'papaya', in Colombian slang, 'dar papaya' means to make yourself vulnerable or give someone an easy opportunity. 'Papayaso' amplifies that: a huge, glaring opportunity being given away carelessly.

In Colombian Spanish, 'qué pena' or 'me da pena' is the standard way to say 'I'm sorry to bother you' or 'how embarrassing.' It does not mean sadness or grief as in some other registers. The phrase 'qué pena con usted' is a very common Colombian politeness formula when apologizing for an inconvenience.