Escarabajo
A hatchback car that resembles a beetle due to its rounded rear shape.
I don't like those Escarabajo style cars because nothing fits in there, dude. Just a handful of people and that's it.
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Tag: vehiculo
Definitions tagged vehiculo in the street dictionary.
PanamáFlatear
To get a flat tire. (This term is a local adaptation of the English word flat).
A: "The car tire flateó on us right as we were getting to town and we had to call a mechanic" B: "Oh, and Pablo doesn't know how to change a tire? Man, that is embarrassing"
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Car wash
A car wash. In Panama, this English loanword is used much more frequently than the standard Spanish term, lava autos.
A: Hey, where did you get your car polished? It looks sharp. B: At Beto's car wash.
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Mula
A large tractor-trailer or big rig, especially the kind used for hauling shipping containers from ports (Panama's economy is heavily centered around maritime logistics and canal traffic, making these trucks a constant presence on the roads).
A: My dog was hit by a mula. B: Oh no! Seriously? When was that?
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Chata
A common slang term for a pickup truck or utility van.
Here comes the chata! Now we can move the furniture.
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Argentinafierrero
Someone who is obsessed with cars, engines, and motor sports. (In Argentina, the word fierros, literally irons, is slang for cars).
My brother is a total fierrero. Every Sunday he follows the Turismo Carretera (a popular Argentine stock car racing series).
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pegar nave
To score or buy a car, especially a cool or high-performing one (in Argentina, nave literally means ship).
- Hey, buddy, how's it going? Did you pegar nave? - Yeah, I bought a brand new one (referring to a zero-kilometer car).
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Guichi guaiper
A slang term for a windshield wiper, phonetically adapted from the English windshield wiper (Panama has many such loanwords due to the historical American influence in the Canal Zone).
That guichi guaiper needs to be replaced. | Tell him to buy a new guichi guaiper.
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Guagua
A clunker or beater, used to describe a very old car in terrible condition.
'When are you going to replace that guagua?' | 'My dad's guagua is in worse shape every day.'
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Borrador
A very large vehicle, typically a semi-truck or a bus (literally: an eraser, implying that its size could wipe someone out in a collision).
Honk at that borrador so he knows you are going to pass him. | I am afraid of you driving near that borrador.
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Doña Bella
A police transport vehicle or paddy wagon used to carry prisoners. (The name comes from a popular Brazilian soap opera that aired in the Dominican Republic).
They put your friend in a Doña Bella.
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República DominicanaGuagua
A typical Dominican bus, though the name has become generic and is now used to refer to all types of buses.
She is waiting for the guagua to go to work.
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Cacharra
A vehicle in very poor condition, often old, beat-up, or falling apart.
What is the price of that Cacharra?
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Bonete
The hood or engine cover of a car.
Open the bonete to check the battery.
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Vaca
An old-fashioned, clunky, or low-quality bicycle.
With that vaca you will not even make it to the Mirador to exercise. (The Mirador refers to a major park in Santo Domingo popular for outdoor fitness.)
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CAJA E´FOSFORO
Refers to a Daihatsu Hijet, a brand of very small and boxy microvans or trucks. (This nickname, literally meaning matchbox, comes from the vehicle's tiny rectangular shape.)
I'm going to get a CAJA E´FOSFORO to sell large water jugs.
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Austin
The Austin Cambridge was a British vehicle widely used in the Dominican Republic from the 1960s to the 1980s, very popular as a concho (a shared route taxi) and recognized for its interior space and reliability.
Count the Austin, distributed by Reid & Pellerano.
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Calibrar
To perform a wheelie or pop a wheelie on a motorcycle, bicycle, or occasionally a car.
Check out that video of a crazy guy calibrando a Vespa.
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Guagüita Platanera
A small pickup truck or utility vehicle commonly used in markets to transport goods, especially plantains and starchy root vegetables. (In the Dominican Republic, these are iconic street-vending vehicles often seen carrying heavy loads of produce).
A guagüita platanera cut him off and they took him to the Dario (a major trauma hospital in Santo Domingo).
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Ninja
A high performance sportbike or racing motorcycle designed for speed, unlike a dirt bike (known locally as a saltamonte) which is for motocross. The term is derived from the Kawasaki Ninja line of motorcycles.
They lent him a Ninja and he started burning rubber.
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volanta
A total pro or a beast at handling a vehicle. (In the Dominican Republic, the word motor usually refers to a motorcycle).
this guy is a volanta on that motorcycle
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Recta de Azua
The most famous stretch of straight highway in the country, located at the entrance to the town of Azua. It is not the longest (about 9 or 10 km) but it is the most iconic (it is a notorious section of the Sanchez Highway known for speeding).
I tested a Chevrolet Spark on the recta de Azua and hit 60.
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Roka
A brand of pickup trucks assembled in the Dominican Republic in the early 1990s. They featured Datsun 1200 and 1500 engines and were available in standard and van versions. Some are still in circulation today. These were preceded by the RM or Cacique models, cargo vehicles designed by Army General Ramiro Matos.
Roka, the Dominican vehicle.
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Honda 70
The quintessential motorcycle of the Dominican people. (This specific model is a cultural icon in the Dominican Republic due to its durability and its common use for personal transport and delivery services).
Forget any Harley, the real legend is the Honda 70.
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Discolight
A truck or vehicle rigged with massive speakers designed to blast music at the highest volume possible, often to the point where it just sounds like noise. They are sometimes nicknamed peynadoras (referring to their heavy use during the political campaign of Jacinto Peynado, a prominent Dominican politician).
The Discolight first started being used in Brazil in the 40s, where they call them Trio Elétrico.
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BM
While a BM usually refers to a BMW car, it is also used as a joke meaning Bicicleta de Mandao, which is a basic delivery bicycle (a mandao is a local term for an errand or delivery).
Let me give you a ride on my BM, hop in the basket.
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Tapabocina
A hubcap, the decorative cover for a vehicle's wheel rim.
The car hit a pothole and a tapabocina popped off.
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Cepillo
A game played by children and adults where participants spot and count Volkswagen Beetles. It is the local equivalent of the game Punch Buggy or Slug Bug (in the Dominican Republic, the classic Beetle is called a Cepillo because its shape resembles a handheld scrub brush).
- Cepillo! - A blue cepillo! - That is not a cepillo.
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cuquita
The original cuquitas were Bajaj passenger motor-scooters used for public transport in the past, specifically on routes like Tiradentes Avenue to the UASD (the state university) and in rural areas. They fit about six passengers and were considered comfortable. Today, the term refers to Japanese mini-trucks or micro-vans.
I am going to catch a cuquita to the university.
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jeepeta
A SUV or crossover vehicle (originally derived from the Jeep brand, this term is used for any large utility vehicle or luxury 4x4).
Prado, Land Cruiser, Land Rover, Hummer, Pathfinder, and CX9 are all jeepetas.
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yipeta
An SUV or high-end off-road vehicle (originally derived from the brand Jeep, the term is used for any SUV and is a major status symbol in the Dominican Republic).
Riding around in a yipeta isn't a sign that you have money, it's a sign that you want everyone to know it.
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Land Rover
The luxury SUV for those who want to avoid looking tacky or like they lack taste by driving a Hummer. (Jeepeta is the Dominican term for a high-end SUV; chopo refers to someone perceived as low-class or having money but no class).
Before, the Land Rover was the SUV for the rich and the Hummer was for the poor with money. Now both are SUVs for the poor with money.
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BMW
A very expensive car that women are dying for their man to have. (It is considered a major status symbol in the Dominican Republic).
A: Maria's guy is really ugly. B: Shut up, Luisa! He's driving a BMW.
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Motoconcho
A motorcycle taxi used as a common form of public transportation in suburban areas (in the Dominican Republic, these are affordable, informal taxis used to navigate traffic and reach areas with limited bus service).
Let me catch a motoconcho to get to Luisa's place.
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