Pasar de panzazo, “to pass with a belly flop,” means to pass an exam or a test with the minimum grade. The Diccionario del español de México records it as popular speech.
In 2012, the phrase gave its title to De panzazo, a documentary on the state of education in Mexico by the filmmaker Juan Carlos Rulfo and the journalist Carlos Loret de Mola. Spanish Wikipedia says that it broke a box office record that year. (Video in Spanish.)
In a feature on Mexico’s cocineras tradicionales, traditional cooks, Grupo Animal wrote: “Su aprendizaje se compone de experiencias y saberes que obtienen en los fogones de cada una de sus casas” (Their learning is made up of experience and knowledge they gain at the stoves of their own homes).
In 2025, CIATEJ, a research center based in Guadalajara, published a booklet of Amuzgo recipes from Guerrero. It leaves some amounts to the cook, such as “panela al gusto” (raw cane sugar to taste) and “un chorrito de aceite” (a little splash of oil).
In “Máscaras mexicanas,” a chapter of El laberinto de la soledad, Octavio Paz writes that the pre-eminence of the closed over the open shows itself not only as impassivity and distrust, irony and wariness, but “como el amor a la forma” (as the love of form).
He continues: “La doble influencia indígena y española se conjugan en nuestra predilección por la ceremonia, las fórmulas y el orden” (The double Indigenous and Spanish influence come together in our preference for ceremony, formulas and order).
A detalle, a detail, is a small part that adorns or completes the look of something, as in arreglar una casa con muchos detalles, to fix up a house with many details. It is also a gesture of delicacy, courtesy or attention: “Tuvo el detalle de hablarme para desearme feliz viaje” (He had the detalle of calling me to wish me a good trip). A detallista cares about details.
Arreglarse, to fix oneself up, means to take care of one’s appearance “para lucir bien o tener buena presentación” (to look good or to have a good presentation). Lucirse, to shine, means to win the attention and esteem of others with a successful performance: “Los alumnos se lucieron ante el inspector” (The pupils shone before the inspector).
Estar de manteles largos, “to be in long tablecloths,” means to prepare a meal with luxury and abundance to celebrate an event. Estrenar is to use something new for the first time. México Desconocido writes of New Year’s Eve: “Es común que todos estrenemos ropa para vernos guapos” (It is common for all of us to wear new clothes to look good).
Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona queda. “Even if the monkey dresses in silk, she is still a monkey.”
A lesson on Mexican sayings in the Nueva Escuela Mexicana materials of the Ministry of Public Education explains it: “Significa que cada uno es como es, y no podemos ocultar o cambiar con mejoras meramente externas” (It means that each one is as one is, and we cannot hide or change it with merely external improvements).
According to the best-known story, the nuns of the convent of Santa Mónica in Puebla created chiles en nogada, stuffed chiles in a walnut sauce, in 1821 for Agustín de Iturbide. They decorated the dish in the three colors of the Trigarante Army, green, white and red. (Video in Spanish.)
The story is uncertain. Excélsior writes that it is not known which version is true. México Desconocido cites the historian Merlo Juárez, who says that the dish existed before 1821 and was not created specifically for Iturbide.
On June 3, 1980, Luis Barragán accepted the Pritzker Prize at Dumbarton Oaks in the United States. He was its second winner. In his speech he named the words that had disappeared from architecture publications. The first was belleza, beauty.
People have always honored beauty, he said, “ya en la humilde herramienta, ya en los egregios templos y palacios” (in the humble tool as in the great temples and palaces). “La vida privada de belleza no merece llamarse humana” (Life deprived of beauty does not deserve to be called human).
In 2024, the former champion Julio César Chávez said that Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez still lacked one thing. “La verdad, yo siento que al ‘Canelo’ le falta una guerra” (The truth is, I feel Canelo is missing a war).
A war in the ring, he said, “es lo único que le falta para ganarse todo el cariño y el respeto de los mexicanos” (is the only thing he lacks to win all the affection and respect of Mexicans). (Video in Spanish.)
Canelo has described the Mexican style differently. In 2021 he told ESPN: “Para mí, no es el estilo mexicano ir y recibir golpes, y dar y que te tumben y levantarte” (For me, the Mexican style is not to go in and take punches, to give and get knocked down and get up).
Horas nalga, “butt hours,” is Mexican slang for hours spent sitting at the desk. In 2016, the news site Eje Central wrote of office work measured by “cumplir con las famosas ‘horas nalga'” (putting in the famous butt hours).
In 2023, a survey by the job site Indeed found that 67 percent of the Mexican workers it asked saw overtime as a sign of commitment. According to Emprendedor, they said that “las horas extras reflejaban su compromiso con su trabajo o compañía” (overtime reflected their commitment to their job or company).
Chambeador, from chamba, work, describes someone very hardworking and devoted to the trade. The Diccionario del español de México of El Colegio de México gives the example “el maestro albañil es tan chambeador que no se cansa” (the master bricklayer is so chambeador that he never tires).
Fajarse con el trabajo is to take on hard work with energy. Partirse el alma, “to split one’s soul,” means to make a great effort.