Spanish · Words You'll Hear But Must Never Say
¡Eeeh, puto!
POO-toh · /ˈpu.to/
You'll HEAR this — the stadium goal-kick chant. Never say it.
nuclear/taboo — comprehension only, never recommended
Literally
"(homophobic slur; here used as 'coward')"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
We're telling you so you understand it, not so you say it. "Puto" is a homophobic slur that Mexican football crowds notoriously scream at the opposing goalkeeper on every goal kick — the chant FIFA has fined Mexico for repeatedly. In daily slang "puto" gets watered down to "coward/wimp," which is exactly how people rationalize the chant, but the slur is right there in the root. Recognize it in the stadium; keep it out of your mouth.
Heard in the wild
—(comprehension only; do not repeat)—
—The notorious stadium chant; documented so you recognize it, never to repeat.—
Where it lands
Mexico (stadium chant, infamous); homophobic slur origin
Quick answers
- What does "¡Eeeh, puto!" mean?
- In Spanish, "¡Eeeh, puto!" means "You'll HEAR this — the stadium goal-kick chant. Never say it.". Literally it's "(homophobic slur; here used as 'coward')". We're telling you so you understand it, not so you say it. "Puto" is a homophobic slur that Mexican football crowds notoriously scream at the opposing goalkeeper on every goal kick — the chant FIFA has fined Mexico for repeatedly. In daily slang "puto" gets watered down to "coward/wimp," which is exactly how people rationalize the chant, but the slur is right there in the root. Recognize it in the stadium; keep it out of your mouth.
- Is "¡Eeeh, puto!" offensive?
- Yes — very. It rates 5/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Do not deploy). nuclear/taboo — comprehension only, never recommended. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
- How do you pronounce "¡Eeeh, puto!"?
- Say it "POO-toh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈpu.to.
Related in Spanish
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.