The People of Gibraltar

2014 - Llanito - People and Language of Gibraltar

The North Face of the Rock from the ruins of the fortress of Santa Barbara - and not a Llanito in sight  (1880s - J.H. Mann)

Dictionary of Llanito

A

Abucha - a command to lie down usually given to a dog. 
Ahuela - type of cake made from thin layers of pastry
Acavalin/a cavalin - piggyback 

Acavalin/a cavalin - piggyback 

Members of the Gibraltar Calpe Rowing Club celebrating something, two of them acavalin - my brother Eric sits extreme left (1952)

Aceitero - oil tanker - ship carrying oil

This is the result of a total confusion. Presumably the name derives from the fact that tankers carry oil. However, although ‘aceite’ is the word for ‘oil’ in Spanish – as in olive oil, it is not the name of petroleum oil which is ‘petroleo’ 

Aceiteros anchored in the Bay

Aceite gasto - castor oil

Many years ago this revolting concoction seems to have been administered randomly and for no particular reason other than that it was supposed to be good for one to be purged every so often. In a futile attempt to disguise the taste it was often taken in orange juice, with the result that for many years to come the victims couldn’t bring themselves to drink straight orange juice without feeling sick

Achaque - a hunch or premonition
A como están? - how much are they? - as in - ‘¿A cómo están los moniatos en la plaza?’ 
Afolinarse - to fall in or to line up

Un afoto muy bonita
The South Mole ( 1870s - J.H. Mann  )

Afordar - to be able to afford
Agarrao - stingy
Argalla/agallas/tener argalla - cheek/to have cheek 
Agua de beber - drinking water
Agua de canilla -brackish or tap water

Agua de cisterna - rain water collected from the roof

Photo taken from the top of Cumberland Steps  which are know locally as either La Escalerita de Pili or de Mr Piri

Agua de la pompa - water from a communal water pump 

Aguaflow - flower water

Aguantar - to hold, to hold out, to hold on to, or to put up with
Akselerar - accelerate 

This word is an example of a Llanito tendency to apply an English pronunciation to words that are legitimately Spanish but also happen to have a common root with the English version. They are the other side of the far more common mistake; our corruption of English words. 

As we can hardly have been able to anglicise Spanish without knowing English it is quite possible that these words originated when education began to improve in Gibraltar and English was taught at school. 

Another possibility might be the Genoese influence, since all these ‘acc’ words are pronounced with a hard ‘c’ in Italian. The theory, however, falls when applied to other anglicised words such as ‘districto’ and ‘numbero’ since the Italian is the same as the Spanish - that is ‘distrito’ and ‘número’

Akseleración - acceleration 
Akseptar - to accept 
Aksento - accent 
Aksentuar - to accentuate, emphasize, 
Alcatufa - tiger nuts 
Alante/delante - in front 
Alfiler de palo - clothes peg
Aliquindoi - on the lookout
Aliska - give it to me, let’s have it, gimme!
Alme - make for me, take 
Almóndiga - meatball
Amoto - motorcycle
Alobao - dim-witted
Alpiste - booze

Altamuses - pulses which have been soaked and softened in brine. Known also as ‘salaitos’ and utterly indigestible

(Newspaper article by Gil Podesta)

Angelito! - poor dear!
Angonía/Angonioso - a person who tries to do too many things at the same time

Also one who does things in excess for the sake of very little in return. It has a similar meaning to another Llanito word, ‘fatiga’

Angurria - excessive pissing
Ansuelo - a stye in one’s eye
Antorsha - battery operated torch.
Aojalá/ojalá - God willing, let us hope 

‘Ojala’ is a legitimate Spanish word derived from the Arabic. I have included it because it is probably used more extensively in Gib than in Spain where the phrase ‘si Dios quiere’ is much more common.

Apañao estamos - - we’ve had it! 
Apañarse - cope - 

The above two derive from the legitimate Spanish verb ‘apañar’ which means ‘to manage’ when used colloquially. It is also used in this sense in Gib but it also has other uses.For example: ‘Vamos estar apañao con el carbon del manager nuevo.’ – ‘we’ve had it!’ and ‘Si cree que voy a pagar esta cuenta esta apañao.’  - ‘he’s got another thing coming.’ See also ‘Aviao’.

Aparato - aeroplane
Apendi - appendix, appendicitis 

The word can also be distorted to 'la apendi' which in turn becomes 'la pendi'. As in - 'Me van a sacar la pendi’

Aplicación - an application
Aplicar - to apply for a job
Apilon - said when something is thrown into a crowd so that anybody can catch it
Apología - apology
Aposta /una posta -a bet
Apparró - upper rock of Gibraltar 

Many of the words and phrases used daily in Gibraltar are imports from the Campo area and especially from La Línea (see LINK) where the population is a different breed from the rest of Andalucía because their lives and livelihoods have always been historically tied to the Rock.

But we have also exported a few. For a start all the Spanish Dockyard and MOD workers who acquired any skills at work were trained locally and all the technical terms they learned were English ones. 'El Apparró' is just one of the various non-technical words referring to places in Gibraltar that we have exported over the years.

Aposta - a bet
Aquí me la traigan todas – generally said of a person expecting everything to be done for him 
Armarla - to go on a binge, take the piss
Armarse - to get an erection
Armarse la gorda - all hell let loose, a fracas. Other versions below are used in the same way
Armarse un follin 
Armarse de lo lindo  
Armarse un sapatiesto 
Armarse el gori 
Armarse un lio 
Armarse un cacao
Armarse una pelotera
Armarse un pastiso - to make a mess in the sense of a cock-up

Aristón - Irish Town – the name of one of the streets of Gibraltar

 (Late 19th Century)

Arpeta - gaff hook - used mostly in the Catalan bay area of Gibraltar
Arrascandose los cojones - doing bugger all
Arrebatun - to bounce off, a glancing or lucky shot
Arrima - get near.
Arroz con patata – standard school childrens’ reply to ‘what’s the matter’
Arsensá/larsensá/elarsená – the Gibraltar dockyard
A tonta y a ciega – at random
Aserga - celery
Asergation de espanish torti - torta de aserga - celery omelette / celery pie
Asuca /Asuca morena – sugar/brown sugar

The majority of Gibraltarians found it difficult to pronounce this word correctly. This is because of our pronunciation of the word ‘azucar’ as ‘asuca’ without the ‘r’ which makes the attraction of the feminine ‘la’ almost irresistible – ‘la asuca’, rather than ‘el azucar’

Avellana - peanuts
Avellana de Palo - hazelnuts
Aviao, Aviarse - best translated with examples -‘Vamos estar aviao con el cabron del manager nuevo.’ – ‘we’ve had it!’ -‘Tendremos que aviarnos sin coche.’ ‘we will have to make do without.’ - ‘Si cree que voy a pagar esta aviao.’ ‘he’s got another thing coming.’
Awakalala - Get lost!
 
B
Babi - apron or garment of inferior quality designed to keep a child's dress clean
Bacalá - contraband

This is an abbreviation of the Spanish ' tabacalada'. It originally referred to bales of contraband tobacco, and was gradually shortened to ‘tabacalá’ and finally to ‘bacalá’. Eventually the word even lost some of its association with contraband as such and was used to refer to money or goods that had been obtained illegally. 

Bachicha - not a word but part of a peculiar expression of unknown origin. 
If you happened to gorge yourself with food, a passer-by might make the following comment : ‘te va’ a poner como Bachicha’
Baile de mascaras - fancy dress ball

Fancy dress balls were also once refered to as ‘baile capuyos’. Some who were so inclined often went to them ‘para refregar la cebolleta’ an expression which I will refrain from translating.

Banderola - chandelier or small glass window 
Barraca - tent, beach tent

Barracónes - huts

These "barracones" - there were hundreds if not thousands of them - were Nissen huts set up after WWII. The British authorities had badly misjudged the housing needs required to cope with  the large number of Gibraltarians returning home from their enforced evacuation and used these huts as a temporary solution. They were there for years. The "settlement" shown in this photo was known as "la Batteria" because it was set up on the site of an old 18th c military battery. 

Bartoleo/Bartolear/bartoleándose - to skive, to take it easy

Batea - tray
Batear - to bat as in cricket.
Batería - electric battery
Beber como un venao - drinks like a fish
Beber como un condenao - drinks like a fish
Beki/esta hecho un tio beki - bacon - a nuisance
Berberisca  - homosexual 
Bicéf - enough, abundant
Bicoca - hardly anything at all
Bisha - snake
Biscocho - biscuit
Bizims - testicles, to be brave. 
Used in various ways as shown below.
'Arrascarse los bizims'. - 'To loaf, to do bugger all'
'No me rompa los bizeems. - 'Don't mess me about'
'Se enfrento al jefe con un par de bizims.' - 'He bravely confronted the boss'

Blackstrap - a purgative, a type of wine and the name of a cove 

The Blackstrap purgative was eventually replaced by castor oil whose ingredients none of us knew or wanted to know. As regards Blackstrap wine, this was a Spanish red detested by Royal Navy sailors of the 19th and perhaps other centuries.  They preferred grog.

Blackstrap was also the name of a cove between Catalan and Sandy Bay as well as the open bay along Eastern Beach.

Bóbili bóbili - without paying  - as in - 'Siempre va de bóbili bóbili.'
Bocha - a stone or pebble found on the beach that has been smoothed and rounded 
Bofes - refers to one’s inner organs. Used when referring to a drunk who is being sick
Bolilla - sweetie.
Bollo - bread roll
Bollo - a dent
Bombo grande - big drum
Bomba - pompous

The Spanish for 'pomp' is 'pompa', and that for ‘pump’ is 'bomba'. Perversly Yanito for 'pump' is 'pompa', presumably because of the Engish 'p' in 'pump. 'Perhaps some extra confusion arises because the expression 'darse bombo' may at a pinch be acceptable Spanish. Perhaps we can be thankful that in Gib we still call firemen 'los bomberos' and not 'los pomperos'.

Bombo de la basura - rubbish bin
Biombo - rubbish bin
Boquete - hole, homosexual 
Botijo - hot water bottle

Botijo acquired its local meaning because Dutch gin earthenware containers were widely used locally as hot water bottles because of their heat retaining properties. I doubt whether the proper Spanish term ‘ bolsa de aqua caliente’ has ever been used in Gibraltar.

Borqueta/bolqueta/estar borqueta - to be broke, skint
Britannia - the name of a football club, invariably referred to as ‘el Britannia’
Their soccer battle-cry was:
A la ví, a la vá,
A la vin bon vá  
El Britannia, el Britannia,
Y nadie má.

Supporters of the other clubs that existed at the time, the Europa, Prince of Wales and Gibraltar United, used the same battle-cry changing the name of their team for that of ‘El Britannia. An often used variant was to sing the ditty with the name of the enemy team while changing the words ‘Y nadie má’ with ‘No vale ná’

El Britannia y nadie ma ( 1930 - Michael Vela )
This was the club I supported when I lived in Gibraltar

Brown new - brand new
Breaking into - taken from standard police jargon but used rather eccentrically.
Bucherío - hullaballoo.
Bufa - bubble. Also inner tube of a football, hence popular expression ‘ con mas parche que la bufa de la Balona’
‘Balona’ here refers to the third division Spanish football team called ‘ Balonpedico Linense’
Bufarda - car fender
Bulla/bullita - in a hurry / person who rushes about
Bullicio - busy and crowded, bustle
Bullita - somebody who is always in a hurry about something
Bullshit - bullshit

The advent of military service for locals, during and for decades after the war, introduced this British slang into Llanito vocabulary with the same, if not wider, applications as in the UK. The only difference is that there it is usually shortened to 'bull' whereas in Gibraltar we prefer the full Monty. We also use the noun ‘bullshitter’ which is probably not all that common in Britain.

Bully - as in : 'Ese chiquitín es un verdadero bully.' - 'The little boy is very well built.'
Burra - bike, bicycle. 
Butreque - arsehole

C
Cabeza del nono - dick head
Cábila - unruly group of people

The phrase 'la cábila' was once used to describe the riotous supporters behind the goals at the old Civilian football ground. 

Cabra mocha - a wild and indiscreet individual
Cabron de la biblia - an arch-cuckold
Cabronazo de Napoles - an arch-cuckold
Cabush - hiding place or place where old junk is kept
Cacarruca - humbug, a load of crap
Cacharo/cacharao – broken down vehicle / broken
Cachetes - buttocks
Cachi / darsela por cachi - to give up
Cafre - hooligan, wild unruly or ill-mannered person.

The Spanish definition is 'cruel' or 'savage' and refers to the African Kaffir. The Gibraltar version, however, has far more to do with unacceptable behaviour. Apparently 'cafre' is commonly used in Greece with almost identical meaning to that given to it in Gibraltar. 

Cagana - drunk
Cagona - a pound note
Cagueta - a cowardly person 
Caismi - The Casemates - once the main military square in town
Caite - kite
Cajamuerto, Caja de muerto - coffin

Cajón - the detached mole in Gibraltar Harbour

From the Spanish 'cajón' meaning 'box'. When the mole was constructed during the Dockyard and harbour works of the 1900's, a large wooden frame which looked like a box was sunk into the seabed prior to being filled with stone and concrete.

Photo - A Goliath crane qdding huge stone blocks to the southern end of the Cajón or Detached Molea

Calamita - magnet

Spanish is ‘imán’ - The origin of this word lies back in the days when meters were used to measure household usage of both electricity and gas. It seems that some bright spark figured out that if you placed a magnet close to these meters you were able to stop them from working properly,  hence lowering your gas and electricity bills. The magnet could therefore be considered as either a ‘calador de contador’ or a 'penetrator of meters'. The typically Gibraltarian compromise was ‘cala meter’ or ‘calamita’   

Calcamoni/Carcamoni - a picture which has to be wetted before transferring onto a smooth surface

Calcamoni/Carcamoní - little coloured printed stamps which children would play for, or exchange to add to their collection

Caleta - Catalan Bay

‘Caleta’ is the Spanish for a cove or a small bay which is exactly what Catalan Bay is. I have included the word in this dictionary because for Gibraltarians it will always conjure up images of this small beach village on the Eastern side of the Rock. The following ditty probably dates from before WW2: 

'La caleta chiquita y bonita, 
con su playa y cuatro casas, 
mas vale mi caleta, 
que Buenos Aires con to sus plazas'

Calsera - toilet cistern

 

Calentita - a thick pancake make of chickpea flour, oil and water.

Street food, it was carried in a thin, flat steel container and sold by the slice and at least during the 1950s, by the one and only Paloma - although the stuff has been sold in Gibraltar at least since the early 19th century.

Calentita - person who slyly adds fuel to the flames when people are having an argument 
Calentita boys - name given to men of the Gibraltar Defence Force during WW II
Calentón - randy person
Caliente - feeling randy
The word was often jokingly used to demonstrate the difference between 'que calor tengo', which translates as 'I’m feeling very hot', and 'que caliente estoy' which means 'I’m feeling very randy'.
Calma chichi - dead calm
Camama - a good-for-nothing
Camastrote - an ugly, heavy looking item, an eyesore

Camelo - piss poor or very bad thing or performance

For many years during my youth, most of the films shown at the 'Rialto Cinema' could easily have been classified as 'camelos'

Camolla - head, back of the head
This word was usually used to describe the back of the head of somebody who had just had a haircut. Traditionally the head was stroked gently by somebody else and then the hand – not the head was duly kissed
Camufla - a waster, a good for-nothing
Canadién - Canadian - Canadiense
Canco - male homosexual
Cañoneras - game played with flattened army brass buttons the object of the game being to see who could hole the largest number of buttons from the greatest distance in one throw.

Most of the buttons used at the time were those used by the R.A.O.C (Royal Army Ordinance Corps) as well as and those of the R.A. (Royal Artillery) who were always present on the Rock, unlike the resident battalions which kept changing. R.A.O.C. buttons depict three cannons and those of the R.A. one, hence the word ´cañoneras’ from the Spanish ‘cañon’ meaning cannon.  A similar game is called ‘las chiapa’ or ‘el hoyo’ in the Campo Area.

Caol - metal polish
It derives from a once popular brand called ‘Kaol’ which now no longer exists.
Capong - a knock on the head with clenched knuckles.
Capong - a type of scorpion fish fished and sold locally
Capong - car bonnet
Capote  - coat

Capullo - a person with bad taste 

Capullaso - a person with very bad taste 

The word was usually said of a half-educated individual who over-dresses and puts on airs and graces or has social pretensions. The nouveaux-riche among the 'estraperlistas' often qualified for this epithet. The word 'capullaso' is used for extreme cases. One famous use of the word, however, referred to a fountain. This was an ugly concrete affair that was once found just beside the old market place. Its shape could best be described as either that of an enormous flower bud or that of the top of a penis. As it was built by the City Council during one of Mr. Hassan’s many terms as mayor, it inevitably came to be known - rather ambiguously - as 'el capullo de Hassan'.

Cara de tres cuartas - glum look on one's face

Caramales - squid
Caravela - skull
Carne conbí - corned beef
Carpeta - desk.
Carpetoso - hunchbacked
Carrito de mano - wheel barrow
Cartapacio - a long and boring article or letter
Cartapaso - a long and boring article or letter
Carsadora -  bomber jacket
Cáscara amarga - referring to someone that is a gay
Casarse por la policía - a civil marriage

Caseta - The Mediterranean Rowing Club Boathouse
Usually referred to in Gib as ‘el Med’ or ‘el club’, but it was once also referred to as ‘la caseta’. This is probably a reference to the fact that it had originally been a floating boathouse

Cash - the children’s game of catch
The game of ‘catch’ is played all over the world. In Gibraltar however the following terms were specific to the place.
Cash en alto - meant that if the player got on to a place above floor level he was safe.
Cash en hierro - he or she had to touch metal
Cash en madera - safety lay in touching wood.
Casha/fuera de casha - out of place, out of order
Castillo - prison

In days gone by convicted prisoners were 'sent to the tower'. In Gib they are sent to the Moorish Castle where the civil prison happens to be situated. Hence 'el Castillo' - as in - 'Lo han mandao al Castillo'.

El Castillo

The actual castle was always referred to in English - and politically incorrectly - as "The Moorish Castle"

Castañia pilonga - easy to peel Spanish chestnut
Catapaso - a fall
Cataplasma - a person who can best be described as a dead weight, lazily unmoveable
Catapum! - an exclamation used when somebody fall down
Caterva - a heavy defeat
Catiti - beat somebody up or beat somebody at some game or other.
Cavalín/en cavalín/a cavalín/a cavali - to carry or be carried on somebody's shoulders as if on horseback (See also acavalin)
Cegueta - hacksaw.
Ceniso - harbinger of bad luck. - 
Cebollon - a state of inebriation
Celebro/el celebro /un celebro  - brain / clever person

Cementery - Cemetery - From the Spanish, Cementerio

One of the very few examples in Llanito where a Spanish word has inflenced a change in an

Cerete - arsehole
Chachi - fantastic
Chafarique - women’s sex organs
Chalao - a fool
Chancas - loose flip-flop type of footware.
Chanchos - unimportant odds and ends
Chanfla - coins of little value
Chapeo - hat
Chapú - job
Chapusa / Chapusada - a lousy job - the work of a cowboy
Charan - wiseguy

The word probably derives from the name of the bird ‘charran’ a kind of plover that often stimulates a broken wing to draw predators away from its nest.The word ‘playa' is sometimes added such as in ‘estas hecho un charran de playa’

Charavaca - an idiot
Charranarse/encharranarse - obsessed with something or someone
Chasi - to be very thin, skeletal
Chavea -  a young lad.
Checkear - to tick or check, or balance the accounts

Not surprisingly, considering that English is not just the language of our education but also that of our work place, we use almost exclusively English word at the office and usually don’t even know what the Spanish equivalents are: for example : el File, el ruler, el rubber, el stapler, el invoice, el cheque, los clips,el  balance sheet, el profit and loss, etc.  

Chico - small
Chikitiko - very small
Chichi-huevin - bi-sexual

Chichilahava - local boys game played between two teams 

One team would bow down in a row leading off a wall the other team jumping individually on top of the weakest, till the whole team was piled on top. A count of them would then be made by the team underneath, whilst those on top would try their best to topple those below. If they were successful in breaking the link, they could start anew, otherwise it became the other team's turn. If anyone on top were to touch the ground at any time, it would have been immediate disqualification. The cry of "Chichilahava mi caballito manso!" would be given whilst taking the run.

Chingao, chingarse - to be fooled
Chico - a half pint of beer.
Chingongos - Spanish nickname given to Gibraltarians
Chiquitito - very small, tiny
Chirri - favourite person
Chisme - old piece of junk
Chismito - slang for money
Chitería - a trick, or fraud.
Chitero - a cheat
Chocho - female sex organ
Chocho loco - wild and indiscrete female.
Chochi - little girl 
Choclera - bed
Chofe - driver
Chok - chalk
Chomino - female sex organ
Chonio - an unfair act, or something of poor quality
Chuai Chuai - you will regret what you did or said or will not forget what was said or done
Chuar - choose
Chuchi - term of endearment applicable to both males and females 
Chuchurrío - shrivelled
Chufla - a worthless person with pretensions
Chufo - tuft of hair
Chulacrem - cream cake
Chuni - nice, elegant
Chungo - crumpled, ill-fitting, inelegant or inappropriate.
Chunio - crumpled, ill-fitting, inelegant or inappropriate.
Chupa - baby’s dummy
Chupabote - a scrounger
In Spanish proper 'chupar del bote' means to curry favour. But in many South American countries 'chupar' is associated with booze and especially boozing to excess. 'Bote' which means a canister or jar can by extension come to mean a bottle. In fact in Gib, more often than not, the term 'chupabote' was usually used in relation to someone who scrounges drinks at the bar.
Chupa fanguish - pen pusher
Chupeton - love-bite
Chupetones - small fish fry that nibble bait meant for larger fish
Churra - prick, penis
Churreteo - to have a sycophantic relationship with somebody else
Churri - of inferior quality
Chusga - chewing gum
Chusma - a gossip or scandal-monger

Chut - a place for depositing rubbish

It is virtually impossible to imagine a thoroughbred Llanito ever using the phrase 'tira la basura al vertedero'. There was a chute on the New Mole where all HM Ships used to dump their rubbish. At the time of writting disposal problems have been passed to a chute at Europa Point where old cars are regularly dumped into the sea. The expression ‘esta pa’l chut’ meant that something was worthless.

Photo shows an ecologically reprehensible early 20th c Chut at Europa Point apparently used for the disposal of just about anything unwanted

Cieso - a hard and unsympathetic individual

Cigarro - cigarette  
Cili - cieling

Once upon a time it was often used of as a very good example - by Gibraltarians themselves - of the way in which we tend to mispronounce English  words or use them as part of a sentence in Spanish. 

Cipote - prick, both literally and metaphorically
Cimem - cement. Also slang for policeman
When referring to 'cement' it was often pronounced 'shimen'.
Clenque - skeletal
Coche-que-chocan - dodgems

Coco - head or policeman's helmet
Coger un tablon como un piano - get drunk
Coger una sanana - get drunk
Coger un cebollon - get drunk
Coger un slice - get drunk
Cojones en la garganta - scared stiff
Colonia/la Colonia - Local Government

Often used to distinguish those employed by the then local government - la secretaría colonial - from those employed elsewhere 

Comando - an ironic term used after World War II to refer to anybody of military age in 1940 who opted for evacuation before conscription was introduced. 
Comestibles - groceries
Comicá - comics such as the Beano or the Dandy
Como una catedral/como un camion - referring to something that is very big or very long 
Como el que no quiere la cosa - as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened
Compa - friend, comrade
Complong - plot
Con el perdon de la palabra eh?
This polite preamble would immediately be followed by a generalised diatribe on the lines of:
'Porque ese tio é un hijo la gran puta, y yo me voy a cagá en tó su muerto . . . '                     

The most striking thing about this sequence was the sudden change in tone, from deeply respectful to downright vitriolic. 

If, on the other hand, a Gibraltarian wanted to express admiration for somebody he would usually precede his eulogy with an obsequious:

'Mejorando los presente eh?

A fisherman who wished to boast about his fishing exploits to his friends would invariably stretch out his arm and indicate on it the length of his catch with his forefingers. To ensure that this rather dubious gesture was not misunderstood he would also add :

Y perdonando el modo de señalá, eh?

Conboi - hamper of goodies won in a raffle 
Conductor - conductor of a bus or an orchestra
Con tantas letras detrás de su nombre - ironic reference to somebody with multiple qualifications
Coña - joke, doing something in a joking fashion

From a similar word in Spanish which means 'humour' In Gib the meaning is more specific and covers an elaborate joke played on somebody such as 'una broma pesada' . It often refers to ‘taking the piss - as in 'Dejate de coña.'

Conqui - name of a well known pastry cake made with ground coconut 

The Jewish name of ‘Conquy’ featured in the census taken before the Great Siege. Our Jewish Community has always been highly esteemed for their fine confectionery, which makes me think that this might just be the origin of this word.

Conqui - conkers

There are no horse chestnut trees in Gibraltar so Oak Apples - which could be found at the bottom entrance to the Rock Hotel - were used instead. When these became scarce, local boys resorted to ordinary Spanish Chestnuts. Thus was the game of conkers introduced to Gibraltar.

Constipado - constipated
Cookin - falsify
Copi - children’s homework
Corbata de palomita - bow tie
Cortapisha - earwig
Cortao/corta – shy
Corte/corte chica/corte grande - court, court of justice, Supreme Court
Corte, poner por - take to court
Cortemanga - a rude gesture in which one hand hits the other arm
Cosqui (pronounced ‘co’gui’) – a sharp knock on the head with a clenched fist
Costo - food which is generally taken to the workplace in a container
Cre/crenes - crane, cranes

Crónica - chronicle - but almost invariably referring to the local rag, The Gibraltar Chronicle 

Photo - La Crónica ( 1926 )

Croqui - boat or gaff hook 
Cuajalote - blood clot on a wound
Cuchibachi - nondescript storage place or tiny and grossly inadequate living quarters. 
Cucos - panties

The word 'cucos' can be translated as 'pretty', 'cute' or 'dainty' which panties are usually designed to be. On the other hand the word 'calzones' has various meanings, all related to pants of one kind or the other. One possibility is that as woman's pants became less cumbersome and daintier the term 'calzoncitos cucos' may have become common and may have eventually evolved to the shortened version of 'cucos'. Spanish is ' bragas '

Cuernos revuleltos - said of a person who turns up for work in a foul temper
Cuécaro - porridge 
Cuesqui, cuesco – fart
Cuka - cooker
'La cuca', unfortunately, also means 'the penis'
Cuki - typical Llanito term of endearment
Cunitas - swings.
Curiana - cockroach

D

Un daif - dive

The innevitable belly-flop, would be known as 'un planchaso' (See Rosia Bay)

Dar bandazo - to journey here and there willy-nilly.
Dar capote - to defeat heavily in a game
Dar el opio - to bother, to be a nuisance
Dar la murga - to be a pain in the neck
Dar por cachi - to give up
Dar un fit - to have a fit
Darse el bote - to get out fast
Darse una empachada - to give oneself a surfeit of anything, usually used in reference to eating
Darsela por cachi - to give up
De miedo - fantastic or wonderful 

Referring either to a person or a thing this phrase was in vogue from the late 1940’s to the early 1960’s - as in – ‘Esa niña esta de miedo.’

Demonstración - demonstration
Depresión - depression 
In Gibraltar we 'catch' a depression much as we might catch a cold - as in 'Fulano cojió una depression.'
Desequida - at once, immediately
Descantillarse - to step out of line
Desempampaná - to have sexual intercourse with somebody
Destemplanza – mild temperature
Dinero vuelto - Money back (as in the lottery)
Dingi - any small boat
Dirle  tell him
Distrikto - district 
Diseselo - tell him or her
Dirseselo - tell him or her

Distroya - destroyer, the ship. Common as muck in Gibraltar harbour

Dita - hire-purchase

Hire purchase hit Gib in the early 1950’s and proved an immediate success. There is the classic story of the lady who had just paid her last instalment on some article or other, standing in the middle of the shop and murmuring –‘Bueno, y ahora que me voy a llevar?’ as in ‘Tengo que pagar el coche a dita.’

Other related expressions are ‘Me lo voy a comprar al hire-purchase’ and ‘Lo voy a comprar on the never-never.’  these mostly among the middle-classes.

Documentario - documentary
Dókia/Dóquia - dockyard

An important word as the dockyard was for many years one of Gibraltar's principal employers. This is just one example of many that refer to specific places and locations in Gib

El Dókia

Drag - a brake or braking device

Strictly speaking, this word does not belong in this dictionary but it is of historical interest. It belongs to the technical vocabulary of a very small minority. Today there is hardly anybody in Gib who is even aware that it ever existed. 

In the 1880’s, military transport in Gib was in the hands of Gibraltarian auxiliaries of the War Department who were known as ‘Los Carreteros del Rey’. They were attached to the Army Service Corps. They used long carts, known locally as ‘trucos’, which were pulled by a varying number of mules. Some of these men took part in the British- Egyptian Campaign of 1882-1889. 

In the 1920’s the old mule drivers were retrained to drive lorries. Not surprisingly, it was not an easy transition and since the hand-brake of the old lorries was on the outside of the vehicle, as it was in the mule carts, they always referred to it as ‘el drag’, which was the term they were accustomed to.

Un truco de los Carreteros del Rey en los Casemates - no veo el drag pero tiene que haber estado ahí ( 1844 - George Lothian Hall )

Drinki - drink.
Duerme más que siete viejas – he is always asleep
Dulces - sweets of any sort

E
Echale ginda al pavo – It’s going to take a long time 
This phrase derives from an old flamenco gypsy song
Ecco le qua - precisely, absolutely right
Editor (pronounced as if a Spanish word) - editor
Embarcarse - to kick the bucket
Embombá - Pregnant
Embufar las gomas - to inflate pneumatics
Engufar las gomas - to inflate pneumatics
Empachurarrao - squashed or crumpled
Empambaná - to have sexual intercourse with somebody
Derived from from ´pampana’ which is the Spanish for ‘vine leaf’. Many nude works of art depict subjects wearing a vine or fig leaf. ‘Desempananá’ would probably be the equivalent of ‘deflowering’ but the ‘des’ bit is usually omitted as in - ‘Se la empampano'

Empalmao - having an erection
Enchufe - a position or job which is obtained through influence rather than merit.
En cuero - naked
Endulcao - in love
Enenante - before
Engonioso - greedy
Enguachinao - soggy, saturated
Enguipa - to see or spot someone
Enpepinao - to be an idiot
Enterao - a know-all
Enteraillo - a little know
Envarajá /enbarajá - to shuffle playing cards
Escalabrao - to injure oneself,
Escálamo - rowlock
Escamao - scared stiff
Escamuflá - to hide or cover up
Escamondao/escamondar - Shiningly clean and all dolled up /to clean very well, polish
Escarte - skirting.
Escoba negra - the black broom
La escoba negra te barra' is a local Jewish curse. Since these are largely descendents of Sephardic Jews, the phrase probably has a long history. But I am afraid I do not know it Escolario - scholar
Escribano - clerk
Escupidera - chamber pot
Ese resbala - referring to a homosexual
Ese hace aqua - referring to a homosexual
Ese cojea - referring to a homosexual
Ese es boquete - referring to a homosexual
Esparatrapo - sticking plaster
Esplotio - explosión
Esprin - spring – the metal sort as against the season. The plural is 'esprines'.
Esposchave - scraper, rake
Estación de policía - police station
Estampar - to stamp
Estar a dos velas - at a loss but:
‘Me dio una explicación de la teoría de la relatividad y me quede a dos velas’ (none the wiser)
‘Me dijeron que habría mucha comida en el party pero llegue tarde y me quede a dos velas’ ( missed out)
‘Me contaron un chiste pero todavía estoy a dos velas’ (can’t make it out)
Estar en Babilonia - to be inattentive, absent minded
Estar hasta los cojones – to be absolutely fed up to the back teeth - as in ‘Me duelen los cojones de pedírselo’ or ‘Tengo los cojones hinchado de decírselo’
Estar off - to be off work
Estar tieso - to be broke - moneywise
Estrochi - spoiled, crumpled
Excalectric /gente del excalectrisThis is a nickname given to Gibraltarians by our Spanish neighbours during the last closure of the frontier with Spain from 1969 to 1982. It was an ironic reference to the innumerable car owner of Gibraltar with nowhere to go but round and round the Rock of Gibraltar. It is now obsolete

F
Fabrica de la luz – the local electricity generating station
Fail - file
Filashi - to be a fool
Famili uei - to be pregnant
Fanquish  - tennis ball

Fatiga - a person who tries to do too many things at the same time, or a person who does some activity to excess for the sake of very little in return

A classic example was one of my father's friends who was in fact, nicknamed 'fatiga'. He once played a hockey match while at the same time acting as referee and at one point actually managed to penalise himself for 'sticks'

The 1911 photo is of a hockey ground run by the Naval Officers Pavilion. The massive Line Wall is a small part of the original one that protected the town from the sea. Above is the southern boulevard – El Buleva de la Palmera de la sinagoga

Ferpa / dar una ferpa – hairband/ give somebody a thrashing or hiding
Feten - the gospel truth
Fillingson - the surname 'Finlayson'Other surnames are also mispronounced. For example manual workers of the Mackintosh coaling firm pronounced the name of their company  'Macantash'. Common Christian names are also mispronounced. 'Frankie' becomes 'Frenkie' or even 'Flenkie'. 

Fit , dar un - to have a fit
Fius - fuse
Flash - a hand of card, all of the same suit.
Flush - to have a lot of money at a particular moment in time.
Focona - the name given to an area by the frontier with La Línea
Fondiga - folding your knockles

Forme - foreman
Formula - form
Fotut - in a bad way, lost, ruined, finished.
Frangoyos - too many superfluous bits and pieces added to an item of clothing, a piece of furniture or whatever.
Freza - cultivated strawberries -  as against "frezones"
Fruta de America - loquat
Fuera de cacha - out of place, inappropriate
Fuginakle - to cast your marbles in an illigale manner while playing the game'
Futraque - a cloth which is tied around ones neck so as to mop up the sweat.
Frito - Asleep

G
Gacha - ‘El padre le da mucha gacha al baby’ (drools over the baby)
‘La niña tiene mucha gacha’ (wants a lot of attention)
Gaite - kite
Galipostaso - a dose of the pox, gonorrhoea
Invariable blamed on something picked up after a visit to ‘La Calle Gibraltar’, a red-light district of neighbouring La Línea

Calle Gibraltar 

Gallina - chicken

Gambarón - shrimp
Gancho - fish hook
Gándulas / operar de las gándulas - glands, tonsils, operation to remove ones tonsils
Gañote/tio gáñote - gullet, selfish person
Garata - a cheat or a fraud
During the game of ‘Cañoneras’ it was possible to make a grab of all the buttons in one go as long as one shouted out the word ‘garata’ before doing so. This was a practice often used by local bullies and ‘garata’ came to be accepted as a word signifying a cheat. 

Gardao - guard house

The North Front Guard House (1870)

Garde - girder

Garraspera - to be hoarse
Gas - kerosene - a substance once commonly used to light the wicks of stoves 

It was usually pronounced ' el ga'. The guy who went around selling the stuff years ago had a nasal voice and a rather funny, sing-song ' pregón' that went - 'Eeeeeeer....Ga!

Gas eléctrico - the electric cooker When Gibraltar decided to do away with its gas system all gas cookers and stoves had to be replaced with electrical ones. Hence a commonly heard phrase of the day ‘ya me han puesto el gas eléctrico’. 

I actually worked at the time in the Council department that dealt with such matters. On one occasion a housewife informed us that ‘mi abuela tiene una cuca y yo no’ As ‘cuca’ means a ‘penis’ in Llanito, we found it hard not to hold back our giggles. Gaviarra - drowsiness

Geegees /voy a los geegees - going to the betting shop
Gibo/Giboes - Gibraltarian - nickname of more recent origin that has replace ‘calentita boys’
Giri - nickname for an Englishman

Godsavetheking - very few people in Gib in the past ever used the term 'National Anthem' in conversation, let alone the Spanish 'Himno Nacional'.

Photo shows the theatre Royal, a  popular Cinema in the middle of town - When the doors at the top of the steps opened at the end of a film we would all rush out to avoid standing for "el Godsavetheking" (1950s)

Goina - beret

Goma  - rubber tyre

Gorgorito - little bubble
Gori - a punch-up, violent situation
Gramola - gramophone
Grevi - gravy
Grita - sea crab
Most young boys spent a lot of time catching these in my days. A cruel pass time as we never ate them and never returned them back to the sea alive 
Groggy - one of those rare terms we share with the Spanish in so far as boxing parlance is concerned. The difference is that we use it in the more general sense of 'dazed' or stunned' by events as in - 'La noticia lo dejo groggy'.
Gruño -sweet f.a.
Guarron - referring to the 'male' partner in a homosexual relationship.
Guarraso - any kind of heavy fall or knock
Guilti - guilty, not well in the head, tired out
As in ' El preso estaba guilti'. However, the word is also sometimes used in a figurative sense, as in - 'Ese tio esta guilti', meaning that he is not well in the head. Can also mean to be tired out as in ‘ estoy completamente guilti’ 
Guindilla - slang for the municipal cops of La Linea.
Guisa - water heater

H
Ha ham - a wise person, a leader or VIP. See also 'ja jam'.
Hacer una con un canuto – an expresión used to refer to somebody who is, if not actually illiterate at least semi-illiterate.
Hacer el indio - to make a fool of oneself
Hacer robona - play truant
Hacerse el lipendi – become independent

This phrase was mentioned by my brother in an article on curious Gib phrases in which he also lamented his ignorance of its origins. A reader subsequently called him over the phone with a very plausible explanation. Apparently his mother-in-law, now in her nineties, remembered that the phrase was originally ‘ hacerse el independiente.’ This was then shortened to ‘hacerse el independi’ and finally corrupted to ‘el lipendi’. 

Hacer telefono – to telephone somebody Hachear - to gossip maliciously

Hacheo - gossip
Hagana - mean, tight fisted.
Half-time - the Spanish soccer match 'intervalo' was never used in Gib.
Haiga - let there be.

Gibraltarians often use the expression 'haiga salud' instead of the correct Spanish which is 'haya salud' - also as in 'Que haiga buena suerte, eh ?' There was also a time when Gibraltarians referred to any posh car owned by a big-time smuggler as ‘un haiga’. ‘Haiga’ now appears in the Spanish dictionary as a posh car. Have we - for a change - contributed an expression to the Spanish language?

Haleto - out of breath

Harampai - have a good time
Hasta el nuo - an ejaculation
Often used when, for example, a political speaker is left stumped  by an awkward question or accusation from the audience. A similar phrase in Spanish slang has a somewhat cruder meaning 
Hava - big feet
Hecho un berraco - to be frantically randy
Hechar el cenizo - give the evil eye, wish bad luck
Hechar el who - give the evil eye, wish bad luck
Hechar el mingush - give the evil eye, wish bad luck
Hermosa - Lovely
Herveri /laherveri - paniky or flustered Hijo de la gran puso un huevo en la pared - silly saying
Hijo del mebli - a snob

When a person put on airs and graces which were considered to be above their normal social standing people would comment - 'Pero quien se ha' creido que e', el hijo del mebli ?' The reference is to a certain Major Melby, who no doubt looked down his nose at the natives and enjoyed a reputation for haughtiness

Hili - stupid, daft
Hindama - scared stiff
Hindamai /indamai - forever and ever
Hipío - in a flash, in a jiffy
Hof! - off - often used in the expression, 'heri, heri, hof', meaning, 'ready steady off'
Also used in the idiom 'dar el hof', that is to give the start of a race Hornaso, bollo de hornaso, rosco de hornaso – a local cake made during Easter. It contains aniseed and hard boiled eggs with their shells on. These are usually coloured and added as decoration 
Hostia - an exclamation! 
In Spanish, as well as in Gib, ‘hostia’ normally refers to a punch or a blow. But as a more or less meaningless exclamation of surprise it is probably uniquely Gibraltarian
Hoya/oya - a pile up of bodies such as in a football or rugby match
Huesos - bones
In Gib the expression 'esta loco por sus huesos', means, ' he is madly in love with her'.
Huevón - somebody who is slow or slow-moving and unexcitable

Huinchi - cranes
They were also known as "manchina"

Humphrie - popular name for the Alameda Estate is ‘Los Humphries’. It derives from the name of the builders

Los Humphrie  ( late 1940s )

I

In case of the flies, because of the flies - just in case
Iginieros - military engineers
Ignorarante de - not to know about, to be ignorant of
Ini meeny miney mo
There are various lyrics including the original racist British with ‘catch a nigger by his toe’. A more local version included ‘cuantas patas tiene up gato, uno dos tres y quarto, you are out’
Ini mini ucapini 
Similar to to 'Ini meeny miney mo' but simply ending with one additional line -'You are out!' The master of ceremonies could cheat with this version by ending it YOU ARE IT instead of OUT!
Inflator - bicycle pump
Inspector de licores – Customs Officer
Intempestivo - difficult to translate but usually refers to something that happens at the wrong moment
Irbanarse - to get oneself laid – sexually that is!


J
Jaiznea - to observe
Jalapa - a powerful laxative
Jaleta - drowsy or lethargic
Spanish is 'fatigado, 'turbado' or worse still ‘aletargado’ which is far too much of a mouthful for most Gibraltarians However our natural tendency to shorten words means that 'jaleta' may be a shortened version of 'aleta(rgado)' with a 'j' at the beginning. The word is always used in the feminine as in – ‘La carrera me ha dejado jaleta!’ 

Jamancia - food, grub

Jampa - claws of a crustacean. It is often used in the ironic phrase ‘con la jampa abierta’ referring to somebody who eats too much - or is all too ready to be bribed.
Jarabe - juice
Jara - worthless
Járcia - a rowdy group of people
Jarampai - to kick up a row.
Jarcia - a noisy crowd

Jidief - GDF - From the abbreviation of the English ' Gibraltar Defence Force'

Eighteen year old Gibraltarians were once required to do their national military service in Gibraltar Thus the phrase 'estoy haciendo el jidief' meant that you were doing your National Service 

Jipio - a jiffy
Joli - to be slightly drunk
Julepe - do a lot of things in a hurry.
Jumpy mula  (see also Chichilahav) - llanito version of the game of Leap Frog
Various expressions were used throughout the game.
A LA UNA - LA MULA
A LAS DOS - DEL RELOJ
A LAS TRES - CON UN PIE - Landing had to be on one foot.
A LAS CUATRO - BRINCO Y SALTO - Take-off and landing had to be with feet together.
A LAS CINCO - TE LA HINCO - Jump made with knuckles digging into the back
A LAS CINCO TE LA HINCO PERO TE LA PERDONO - Hands would then be placed flat.
A LAS SEIS - MIERDA PA TI Y PAL JUEZ
A LAS SIETE - CARA PUCHETE
A LAS OCHO - TE PONGO EL MOCHO - El mocho was any object, for example a rolled up handkerchief or empty cigarette packet, which was put on the back or whoever was bending over by the first jumper. The rest of the jumpers then had to jump without touching el mocho. This would be removed by the last jumper. Whoever dropped it would be out or would have to replace the bender.
A LAS NUEVE - LLEVA LA BURRA A BEBER
A LAS DIEZ - LLEVALA OTRA VEZ
A LAS ONCE - LA CASA DEL CONDE
A LAS DOCE - LA BOMBA DE LA CATEDRAL, UNA PATAITA EN EL CULO Y ECHA A VOLAR. This being the last jump everyone would jump up and land on the back of the bender. This was followed by a kick in the butt. Everyone then ran away as the person caught by the old bender would then have to replace him.
Josifa - cloth used to clean up

 
K
Kaite (see Gaite) - kite
Keki - cake
Kekito - small cake
Kicks por si pega - From a rule in the game of marbles. Doing something against the rules usually in the hope that it will perhaps be accepted by others taking part.
'Kicks' is the name given to the action of throwing the marble against one's foot to make it go further. The counter phrase 'no kicks ' is used to by an opponent to denote non acceptance of the illegal action
Kiko / ponerse como el kiko – to over eat, to become bloated after eating too much
Kina, la kina - Bingo – housey housy
Kine' - kings as found in a pack of cards. This is the plural of 'un kin' - a king
Kwekaro - porridge, from Quaker OatsIt is often used in a phrase that suggests a person is very fit and strongas in ‘Ese se ha tomado el kwekaro’

L
La gente del pish - the bourgeoisie, the hoi poloi.
La gente de la buena vista - the untermenchen, the lowest of the low.
It referred to an older uptown neighbourhood notorious - to some - for its rowdiness
Lala - aunt
Lamarde - lots of, many, very
Lampando - longing for
Landing - landing between stairs
Lasera - pavement
Latigázo - heart attack
Latones - corrugated metal sheeting
Lavamano  - hand basin
Leaf - leave
Leche - milk or semen
'Ai que leche!' was an oft heard expression in Gib. as a reaction to an incredible coincidence or a totally unexpected turn of events. It looks rather flat in print. It has to be heard - the peculiar way in which it is uttered - and the face of the bewildered person seen - to appreciate its tremendous expressiveness. It is also used in a much rougher expressions such as in - 'Pero que leche quiere ese cabron?' or 'Que leche pasa aqui? as well as a swear word in the phrase " me cago en la leche"
Lechuga - a rather precious expletive which is simply a polite way of using the word - 'leche'
Lenguaje - language
Lenza - fishline
Leveche - southwest wind
Levante calma - a calm day with only a hint of wind from the east
'Calma’ has no adjectival function in Spanish whereas ‘calmo’ in Italian does. No doubt the phrase was originally the Genoese ‘levante calmo’. As in - 'Cuando hace levante calma, el mar está oily. '
Libertá - off work

Libreria - library

The Garrison Library - la libreria de los giri militares

Liarse - Spanish idioms involving the word always require the addition of the word 'con' such as 'liarse con alquien' or 'liarse con algo.' It is used as such in Gibraltar in expressions such as - 'Se lio a cate con su mujer' where the 'con' has a different function
Liberada - La Línea – Spain.
This is purely historical as it is not in use nowadays. the origins are unknown, but in the old days people might say ‘Esta noche me voy para la Liberada’, meaning that they were going to La Linea.
Liberta´ - leave
Libreria - library
Lift - lift
Liquindoi - usually ‘el liquindoi’ – One of those strange, practically meaningless words in Gib jargon that can stand for just about anything. Like the word ‘majugin’.
Liquirba - licorice
Listo - pissed, drunk
Longi - inconspicuous
Loseta - wall tile
Lote - lots
The word is used as in Spainsh to means 'lot' - but in Gib we also us it in a different way as in ' Se dio un lote de melocotones' which translates as 'He gorged himself with peaches'. It is also used by itself as in 'Se dieron el lote' when referring to a courting couple 
Lampando - longing

M

Machacar - to persist in something, to repeat oneself ad nauseum
Machacon - a person who persists in something,
Machapié - marchapié- side walk, pavement. 
Machorra - lesbian.
Machopingo - a tomboy
Maestro de Esculea - school teacher
Magrear - to pet
Magreo - petting
Majugin - something slimy
Majareta - an idiot
Majaron - an idiot
Majara  - an idiot 

‘Majareta’ is legitimate Spanish and ‘majaron’ is probably an Andalucian variant. Another is ‘majadero’ which we never use. The three words I have included were used so universally and repeatedly in Gib that they almost classify as ‘Llanito’. 

Majandush - none or not very much of.
Mala follá - bad luck
Malaje - wet blanket
Mala pata - bad luck
Malusa - a loser, a poor player
Mamarracho - Difficult to translate exactly but refers to somebody or something that is a piece of nonsense
Mamela - udder. Name given to a large rock at one end of the beach at Catalan Bay
Mananita - a job with very little work involved, a sinecure. 
Manascado - vulgar

Origins are attributed to a certain Mr. Manasco who was caught doing something reprehensible

Manchina - crane, derrick or pile-driver.
Mandamas - the boss, person in charge.
Mandanga - something that takes some doing or is difficult to deal with.
Mandao - a hit or punch
Manguear - to steal
Manolo - manhole
Manopla - paint brush over six inches wide
Manteca - butter  
Mantecar - to butter, spread.
Maot - money
Mapa - hinge
Maquearse - to put on make-up
Maquina chengle – steam roller
Mariquita corre calle – the game of leapfrog
Martingala - a swindle
Mascá - a punch
Mascón - a big punch
Mascazo - a really big punch
Mas mejong - very much better
Mas cabron que Bollito - a total idiot
No idea who Bollito was or whether he actually existed at all.
Más años que una banda de loros - very old
Más años que las palmeras del bulevá - very old
Más años que la palmera de la sinagoga - very old

Both these sayings refer to actual palm trees in Gibraltar, all still standing at the time of writing

Más años que la burra del pianillo - very old

Más años/viejo que el Utopia - very old

Más anos que una tapia - corruption of Utopia - very old

Both these two refer to a ship called the Utopia that sank in the 19th C during a storm in Gibraltar harbour with great loss of life. Utopia is pronounced as in Spanish

Más pelos que el tío del aparato - A very hairy person

A gentleman who would set up his large telescope (aparato) in one of the local boulevards every evening and for a few pennies would allow people to have a look through it – With thanks to Tito Vallejo

Mas moscas que el caballo de Besure

Besure – pronounced ‘be sure’ - was a local gharry driver who plied his tarde probably just after WWII.
Mas tarde o más temprano nos vamos todos para Huntley and Palmer - refers to dying
It is known to have been used by a certain members of the Calpe Rowing club but it’s doubtful whether it was ever used by anybody else in Gib
Mascota - soft felt hat

 

Mata-quinto - Cigarettes made of Spanish tobacco of inferior quality 

Mataura - scab

Matutera - female petty smuggler
Despite having the same meaning in Spanish, the word deserves mention as in Gibraltar it is associated with a very specific type of smuggler. The word Matutero also exists but was unheard of in Gibraltar as far as I can make out
Máquina shingle - steamroller
Me cago en la mar - scatological phrase
Me cago en tu madre/padre - scatological phrase
Me cago en la leche - scatological phrase
Me cago en diez - scatological phrase
All the above were widely used throughout Spain and in Gibraltar. The following, however, were probably peculiar to Gib :
Me cago en tus mulas - scatological phrase
Me cago en tus muertos - scatological phrase
Me cago en tu consul - scatological phrase
Me cago en la manta - scatological phrase
Me cago en la hostia - scatological phrase
Me voy a gagar en tu muertos' etc. - scatological phrase
Mebli/mevli - playing marbles.
Mein - the mains
Mejong - better
Mengush - confusion, mess
Menudo cacao se armó - that was some fracas we had
Menudo jarampi se armó - that was some fracas we had
Mesao - military mess
Me se/Te se - it . . . ( instead of 'se me' or 'se te'
Metal - brass
Metefuego - person who both slyly adds fuel to the flames when two other people are having an argument.
Meter preso - to jail
Meterse - to join something
When people got any kind of commercial job the local idiom was 'Cojió un chapú en el Dockya'.  But when it comes to the Police, Army, Navy, Fire Brigade and other similar professions the idiom was 'Se metio a bombero' - 'Qiere meterse a soldado' - Qiere meterse en el Navy'
Meter una pata – to put ones foot in.
The legitimate Spanish phrase ‘meter la pata, is also used.
Mico - sex maniac
Miembro - member of a club or an association
Mierda maja - useless garbage
Mijita -a tiny piece of anything
Miqueta / miketa - a type of bread, or a punch or a slap
Milindri - fussy, finicky  person
Milindroso -  being fussy, finicky
Mirlar - swindle, cheat
Minestra - vegetable soup.
Mingush - give the evil eye, to wish bad luck.
Frequently heard in card games as in - 'ese tio tiene el mingush' or ‘te va a hechar el mingush.'
This last expression is very similar in meaning to ‘te va a hechar el who.’ or 
‘te va  hacer el cenizo'
Minuta - minutes of a meeting.
Miquear/ mikea – to peep as in peeping tom
Misto - matchstick
Spaniards would normally use the word 'cerillas’ as most Spanish matches are made of rolled waxed paper. Gibraltarian matches on the other hand were invariably made of wood. 
Miste - mister
More often than not it is 'mi'te Chipulina'.  The word is often also used in preference to 'usted' as in when talking to some  stranger in the street - ' Oye miste, donde esta la tienda de fulano?' In Spain the word is also used, for example, when referring to a football coach - usually known as 'el mister.' In Gib, however, the term is 'el trainer'.
Mistrá - a clout
The origin could well come from the Spanish 'mitra' which is a Bishop's mitre. When a Bishop confirms someone he does so by gently slapping the person’s face with the index and middle fingers of his right hand.
Mojino - black coffee laced with rum or brandy
A drink that apparently featured prominently in many a Gibraltarian's dissipated youth, when everybody would wind up a good night’s revelry drinking 'mohino’s' at ‘El Gallo’ bar.
Molest - to bother - without the sexual connotations as in - 'Déjame tranquillo – don’t molest me.'
Molino - electric fan
Moneda de barba – legitimate coin
As suggested by having the face of some King or other with a beard on it
Mondongo - slang for male sexual organ
Moniato - sweet potato
Monicaco - impudent young rascal
Moniqueta - grimace
Morcillon - mussel
Moro Candor - fictitious figure
It is not known whether this was a real-life character or a local humorous invention who specialised in buggery but here is an anonymous Limerick on the fellow:
To perform with considerable ease
El Moro Candor needed grease.
If his willy was big
He was also a pig
Only cute little arseholes could please.
Moro Musa - A person to threaten young children with
Musa was a lieutenant of Tarik-ibn-Zayed (see LINK) the Moorish general who led the conquest of Gibraltar in 8th century but here he is represented as a bogyman.  Much heard before WW 2 but probably no longer in common use.
Mortelá - big heap
Motó - motor boat

Movi - car

Un movi de Gibraltar - with Gibraltar and Province of Cadiz number plates ( 1920s - Beanland Malin (see LINK)

Muchachito - The young male hero in a film 
Muerdeyhulle - a tiny biting insect which is a bloody nuisance and whose real name I don't know 
Mula - as in - 'Me cago en tus mulas' but meaning unknown 
Muncho/muncha - a lot 

Me chala - I like it a lot
Me quedé quajao - I was flabbergasted

N
N Nai nai - no way, no chance. Naguetas - kilted Scotish soldiers

Scottish Highland Regiments with their distinctive uniforms were regular visitors and were often station in Gibraltar. The name comes from the Spaniash 'enagua' meaning a petticoat

Nana/la nana - sleep, baby talk for sleepNapia - large nose

Napia - nose
Neseri -nursery

Nipero - loquat

Ni hablar del peluquin - no way, no chance
Once a commonly used expression which of course could also be more directly translated as  'don't you dare bring up the subject of his wig'. God knows where the expression actually comes from but I think it is used in other places in Spain - as in - 'Pagar impuestos? Ni hablar del peluquin'
Nona, anona - custard Apple

No puede ni con la fé de bautismo - he is absolutely shattered

No se anda con chica  - to take no prisoners 

No dar un palo - not to lift a finger, to just sit there and do nothing

No dar ni un palo - not to lift a finger, to just sit there and do nothing 

Notorio - notorious Nuez nosca - nutmeg Number one - piss Number two - crap

It is difficult to say whether these euphemisms for toilet practice are genuinely English or a local invention but they were widely used by kids and people trying to be polite.

Ocean allowance – Obnoxious Conditions Allowance

Oditor -auditor.  Ombrigo - navel 
Ondikuait - confidentially Orden - an order form. 

Ordenar - to order 
Outside the back - offside -as in football

When we played soccer at school we never used the word offside. In fact the word was never used by spectators - other than by those from the British Isles. Any complaints about offside invariably elicited an angry ' outside the back, ref!'

P

Pachocha /Pashocha - lob or lobbing a ball or object

Cavilla's Yanito dictionary defines this word - of unknown origin - as a special method of spinning a top in a game which is no longer played. Later the word was still in frequent use albeit in an indirect way. For example when an adversary in a tennis match is vastly superior to the other and limits himself to simply returning the ball, one says that he is playing 'a la pachocha'. My own memory of the word is that it was used in any game in which a ball was lobbed rather than smashed or driven. For example, according to many Manuel Santana, grand master of the lob and the first Spaniard to win the Men's Championship at Wimbledon did so 'jugando al tenis a la pachocha'

Pachocho - run down, not feeling too well
Paga muerta - a sinecura
Paca/del año la paca – as old as the hills
Pala /entrar en pala – now it’s my turn to enter the argument, now you are going to know all about it
The expression comes from cricket. ‘Pala’ is ‘a bat’, 'entrar en pala’ is ‘to come out to bat’ 
Palante - go forward or in front
Palma, la palma - nickname for the pólice
Palmar/palmó/parmó - kick the bucket, die
Palo - perhaps the name of a person but used in various phrases such as: 'no dar un palo' - 'no dar ni un palo' - not to lift a finger, to just sit there and do nothing
Paló - used when referring to a huge administrative cock-up or any sort of complicated situation be it domestic or otherwise.
Paloma - butterfly
Palomo - once referred to any Gibraltarian who was seen as wishing to come to a political arrangement with Spain
Palomear - to be seen or to act in a manner that promotes a political arrangement with Spain
In the mid 20th century years ago a number of Gibraltarians wrote a letter to the local press arguing in favour of a political understanding with Spain. As they called themselves by the English word 'doves', they were given the nickname of 'Palomos' as the writers were all male. The word probably no longer carries any political significance.

Retribution against a van owned by one of the Palomos

Palpit - a hunch
Pamama - an idiot, a silly fool, gormless
Panaera - pound note
Pan comio - dead easy, a cinch
Pan de lata - tinned loaf
Pan dulce  - a traditional Genoese bread with dried fruits and anis.
Pan dulce  - an easy going and really nice person
Panisa - a dough made of chickpea flour, typically fried in oil in small squares
A local band was once famously known as 'La Banda de las Panisas' because of the colour of their uniforms
Pankeki - pancake
Pan de lata - a type of loaf of bread.
Pan mascao - sunday best, extremely well dressed
Panpudin - bread pudding or good for nothing
Pantorra - thigh
Papelillo de amores  - confetti
Papu, el papu - someone who considers himself important
Origin is unknown but could refer to the sound of the horn of a motor vehicle. Early cars used their horns to make pedestrians get out of the way. The onomatopoeic ‘papu’ would therefore be associated with the inevitably well to-do drivers. 
Parachutista - parachutist
Paravanes - corn or bunnions
Pargo - red sea bream
Particulares - personal information
Parking - probably by now an international traffic sign but in Gib one might hear a motorist asking a policeman or bystander - 'Se puede hacer parking aquí?’
Pascua - Christmas 
'Pascua de navidad' is correct Spanish, but Christmas is usually referred to n Spain as 'Navidad'. When a Llanito says 'pascua' he means 'Christmas' whereas in Spain it usually refers to 'Easter'
Pasar un examen - to pass an exam
Pasota - laid back
Pasta - slow, lethargic quality in an individual
Pasta asciutta - one of various sorts of wafers-with-cream - others were called 'Paris' and 'El Barquillo' - that were sold in the streets a long time ago.
The guy who sold them - who was presumably Italian - used the following 'pregón' - 'La pasta Asciutta! Tutti li mundi le manga!'
Pastiso - a mess
Pastison - person who makes a mess.
Pastoso - slow moving person
Patá - a kick
Patacaso - bump, thump
Patán - used by card players when passing.
Patattí a violent fit.
Patitú - a violent fit.
Patatús - a violent fit.
Patitieso - a violent fit.
Patera - small boat

P’atras - back"

As in:

Te llamo p'atrás: Literal translation into Spanish of English phrase "I'll call you back". from"Te devolveré la llamada.

Dar p'atrás: "To give back".

Venir p'atrás: "To come back".

Hablar p'atrás: "To talk back".

Pagar p'atrás: "To pay back".

Mover(se) p'atrás: "To move back".

Pattison - local corruption of the surname ‘Patterson’

The following song was quite popular many years ago:
Ay Pattison, Pattison,
Pattison del alma mia,
Otra vez que te la lleve
Llevatela en un tranvía.
The origins of the words are unknown but I would guess that somebody called Patterson eloped with a girl and something went wrong. 
Patuco - big stone
Pavana - seagull
Peaso - a piece, a bit
From the Spanish word ‘pedaso’ which means the same thing as in as in ‘un peaso pan’ – ‘a piece of bread’
However in Gib it is used far more indiscriminately. For example;
‘un peaso mierda’ – ‘very ‘much’ a nasty piece of work’.
‘un peaso maquina’ – ‘an ‘enormous’ machine’.
‘un peaso viaje’ – ‘a ‘very long’ journey’.
'un peaso trabajo’ – ‘a difficult piece’ of work’.
Pecho - a tough guy
Pegar un porrazo - stroke of work
It is always used in the negative as in - 'No pegó un porrazo en to’ su vida'
Pegote - a nuisance
Pejiguera - Pegijera - a nuisance
Variable pronounciation  of 'pejigera' presumably because of associations with the Spanish word 'pegar', 'to stick'.
Pekilavi -  Pikilavi - delicious snack
Pela estrena - happy haicut!
This phrase was used when slapping the neck of somebody who has just had a haircut. It comes from the Spanish, ‘el que se pela, estrena’ and translates roughly as ‘he who has a haircut wears something new’. It was both a traditional thing to do as well as an excuse to give somebody a clout without fear of retaliation
Película - film
This is a legitimate Spanish word. However, when referring to specific types of films as shown below.
Película de horror' - 'película de miedo' in Spanish
Película de suspenso' -  'película de susto' in Spanish
Película de comedia' - 'película de risa' in Spanish
Pelos en la lengua - people who are never at a loss for words or who do not allow discretion to influence their replies
Pelota - arse licker, bullshitter
Pelotero - arse licker, bullshitter
Pelota de fanguis – mushy, pulpy or a creep of a person
Pelota de football - a football
Penene - alert, on the look out
Pepe Leche - anybody who cannot see very well. Perhaps the name of a short-sighted milkman of yesteryear
Pepermen - peppermint
Pepinazo - a very strong hit or hard shot
Pepota /Pepote- a dull female or male of limited sex appeal
Perdi - a dissipated philanderer, a lost cause
Perejing - parsley
Periuinki - periwinkle
Persigla - Perspex glass
Peshá - lots, overindulgence
Peskí -to have wisdom
Picar - to knock on the door
There is, however, another local meaning to this word. In the old Dockyard there was a large clock at the entrance where workers inserted a card and pulled a lever that punched in the time. In other words they had to clock in and the process was also known as 'picar' The story goes that the workers played a joke on a rather naive newcomer who wasn't quite sure what he had to do when told that he had to 'picar' in the morning. His colleagues explained that all he had to do was to knock on the face of the clock and shout out his name - which he duly did to the hilarious delight of his workmates.

La Piedra Gorda  - The Rock pf Gibraltar (1860 - Samuel Coleman) 

Pija/Pijo -  prick, cock. Also good luck
Pija occurs in the following verse which was once well-known locally:
'Joder', dijo la marquesa,
Poniendo los condones encima la mesa,
'Que jodáis a mi hija os lo permito
Pero que os limpiáis la pija en los cortijones
No lo permito, cojones!' 
In my opinion, what makes this verse funnier to a Llanito than it ought to be is the use of words such 'os'  'jodáis' and 'limpiáis'.  We would never use these verbs.  For us it would always be 'ustedes', 'jodan' and 'limpien'.
Pijota - doing something without knowing what you are doing
Pijotada - an annoying or silly thing
Pijipi - a dim-witted person
Pillar - to run over

Pimientos - derogatory term for Moroccan workers
No longer in use as relations with Moroccans has improved considerably.  
Pimpi - vain person, or a delicate, fragile but honest individual
Pinche de cocina - sus-chef
Pinch para la ropa - clothes peg
Pintura de huevo – eggshell paint
Piola! -an exclamatory word used when accepting a bet, dare or offer of some sort
Piomba - gay, as in homosexual
Pipando - very hot
Piperia - pipe
Pipi - urine

 Piquete - picket

In Spanish the word is a collective noun and always refers to a body of men be they military or striker's pickets. The same applies to English. In Gibraltar we also referred to the Naval Police Headquarters at the Picket House by Southport Gates - as 'Los Piquetes', but we also use the word to refer to a single member of the picket as in : ‘No vea la mascá que le metio el piquete al marino borracho'

Photo - Naval Patrol Picket House - adonde estaban los piquetes

Piquis-labi - appetiser or delicious morsel.
Pirao - rascal
Piriwinki - periwinkle
Pirulé - a fifty-fifty chance
Piruli - nickname used when calling out to somebody whose name is not known.
The origin of this is local. Just after the war, an elderly evacuee who was definitely not of military age had returned home with a penchant for wandering around the streets of Gibraltar in a naval cap and a chronically pissed condition. His proper name was Sacramento but he was known to everyone as Piruli. He was often cruelly persecuted by young delinquents, who would follow him around shouting out, 'Piruli, Commando!
Pisando huevos - expression used to comment on a snooty, dainty-footed female.
Pish - popular local game
It is played by two teams who each try to guess by process of elimination, the person who is hiding an object in their clenched fists. The game starts with a shuffle under a table by both teams. This is followed by the words ‘pish up’ when everyone brings their fists up on to the table
Pish/la gente del pish - snobs
Pish pine - super duper, really good.
Pish pine water melon - extra super duper, really, really, good.
Pisha /Pishi /Pishin /Pishita - slang name given affectionately to little boys

Un teniente de la escala de reserva

Con la polla abría latas de conserva,

Y un sargento de un tabor de regulares

Con la picha hacia juegos malabares

Pishurey /te quiere is pishurey – a small fish that is good for live bait / belittling someone
Pishiuei - Prince of Wales
Usually referring to either to the football or social clubs of the same name, or the person

A real 'Pishi Uai'  ( 1876 ) 

Pisiaso - a big mistake, really putting one’s foot in it.

Pispado/pispao/pipao -drunk
Pistolete - local baguette style bread
Pita - the important one, decision maker, the boss
In Spanish there is a familiar phrase - ' tu ya no pinta nada aqui', which translates as 'you no longer cut any ice here anymore, In Llanito we use the same idiom but use 'pita' - 'to whistle'- instead of 'pinta' - to paint. There is a well known anecdote which refers to this word. At the time of the first appearance of Gib politicians at the UNO Committee for Decolonisation in the 1960’s, there was a joke that the three ‘Peters’ had travelled to New York for the occasion - Pitaluga -a government official - Peter Isola  - the opposition leader - y el que pita - Joshua Hassan, the first minister
Pitando/salir pitando - quickly - as in ‘a las nueve tengo que salir pitando’
Pitch - a pub game
It is played by two teams of three or more. Underneath the table one member of the team takes a coin in his hand and at the call 'pitch up' all the members of the team put their clenched fists on the table simultaneously. The other team then try to guess which fist holds the coin. It was not a uniquely Llanito game but the name ‘pitch’ probably was
Piti - local for Peter
Pitisu - petit shoux
Pitoque - spout, tube, tap
Pituso/Pitusa - a weakling, a very small, thin person
Plang - a date, hopefully with sexual connotations.
The word can also be used as a sort of noun denoting that a female is amenable to a spot of hanky-panky as in 'esa fulana es plang'
Plang nice - doing something well at a suitable pace.
Originally the phrase really meant that you were going out with a girl but wanted to create a favourable impression with no lecherous intentions. My generation tended to use it in a more general sense. 
Plantaforma - platform
Plasa - market - Plaza

La plasa (pre WW II)

Plong - Word used by children to start a choosing sequence such as ‘eenie, meenie minie mo’.
One hand was usually moved up and then down as the word was said
Pluma - Pen
Po - in which case, then, as in ‘po entonces me voy’
Pompi - bottom
Polla - Pollada - a bore, a tedious affair
The word 'polla' is usually used to refer to the male sex organ. But it can also be used to refer to somebody who is a pain in the arse. 'Una pollada', on the other hand refers to any tedious or absurd official requirement. In the north of Spain and especially in Madrid, the equivalent Spanish slang for these two words would be 'jilpolla' and 'jillipollada' .
The Spanish emphasis, however, is on silliness whereas in Gib the words are associated with tediousness.
Poné /un poné - for example
Poner en el siete - to get somebody’s goat
Pongme/pongle - give me, serve me, serve him
Populación - population
Polilla or Pulilla - policeman, copper
Pompa - a pump
Pompá - to pump
Pomporita -  soap bubble
Poner por corte – take to court, sue
Por chanfla - by a fluke or by a small margin - as in - 'ganaron el partido por chanfla'
Por si las moscas - just in case. Probably legitimate Spanish but unknown in the north of Spain
Por cojones - having to do something whether one likes it or not.
Not official Spanish but no doubt a current expression in the Campo area and beyond. A classic example of the use of this phrase was when Italian POW’s in Gib became part of the Italian Pioneer Corp after the turnaround of Marshal Bodoglio. They were attached to the Royal Signals and walked about town with shoulder flashes with the initials IPC. It took very little time for some Llanito wit to translate this into ‘Ingleses Por Cojones.’ 
Por empatá - let’s call it a draw, as in ‘me doy por empatá’
Por los loles - because you have to do it
Por los loli y un palo – you can wait until the cows come home!
Pormor - because of, due to
Porra - the phrase ' vete a la porra' is often used in Gib and is legitimate Spanish 
It also refers to a pub game in which each participant has the use of three coins which are held in a clenched fist. He has the option of using 1, 2, 3 coins or none at all. The aim of the game is to guess the sum total of the coins held in his and the other participant's fist. It can be played by two or more people.  
The word 'porra' is a corruption of 'morra' an ancient Mediterranean game. The use of coins is a modern refinement. Originally use was made of the clenched fist and appropriately outstretched fingers, somewhat on the lines of 'Scissors, Stone and Paper'. My own memories are of the modern coin game played with two people and with enormous arguments as to who would guess first as the second guesser has a big advantage
Portable - portable
Pote - a can where workers brew their tea on site
Poti - Llanito version of 'potty'
Potinge - a mushy mixed pot, or a general mess
Potra - luck - as in ‘Que potra tiene’
Pretina - trouser-fly
Pringar /Pringarse/Pringoso - refers to stealing things
Prisión - Prison
Promoción - promotion at work
Propintento - on purpose, usually preceeded by 'a' as in 'Lo hizo a propintento'
Propio! - good!, excellent!

Puerta de Tierra - Land Port Gate or North Front

Pre  WW II what is today known as the North Front was always referred to as ‘Puerta de Tierra’. However, the main land gateway out of town and towards Spain was called ‘Puerta de Espana’ pre 1704. ( see LINK ) The British renamed it 'Landport Gate’ to distinguish it from the ‘Puerta de Mar’ or Water Gate, the site of today's Casemates Gates (see LINK) 

Pulpà - dirty trick
Pudinpen - pan
Punta pala -extremely abundant
Pupa - baby talk for a minor injury or a part of the body that hurts
Pureta - an old man
Purish - used by children at play when they want to declare a truce or a lull in their game
Puritita -pure, real - as used idiomatically in - 'Te digo la puritita verdad'

Q

Quarri - Camp Bay
An area in Gib that was once used as a quarry

Quarter - four monthly payments as in 'Yo he pagado mi quarter y tengo derecho a votar'.
Quarteron - quarter pound in weight
Queene' - the queens (plural) in a pack of cards as in ' Tengo tres queene' '
Queeny - children's game played with a ball.
One person turns his back on the rest of the players and throws the ball over his head. This is caught by one of the others who hides it behind his or her back. The thrower then turns round and tries to guess who is hiding it. If caught out the one hiding the ball takes over as thrower
Queso de plato - cheddar cheese
Queso de bola - edam type cheese
Quitar del medio – to get rid of, often implying assassination
Qiutarse del medio – to get out of the way or to dodge
Qwecka - brooding hen

R
Rabis/Rabuo/Rabua - somebody from La Línea so called to distinguish him or her from the apes of Gibraltar which are tailless
Rampla - ramp
Rascabuche  - in a jiffy, as in ‘voy a hechar un rascabuche ‘ when going to the toilet
Rebenchin/Rebenchina – to get upset about something, get your knickers in a twist
Rebolear - to throw with force or dislike
Recocleo - make oneself nice and comfortable, to skive

Reina Victoria que tanto gusto nos dio

This phrase comes from a local Jewish doggerel which goes like this:

Que viva yo 
Que viva yo 
Que vivan todos los judíos 
 Que viva la Reina Victoria 
Que tanto gusto nos dio 

The source of this ditty comes from my grandmother and it seems to date back to the days when Disraeli was Prime Minister. However, I do remember that there was a time when it was impossible for a local to pass a statue of Queen Victoria that stood in Governor’s Parade without making the comment ‘La Reina Victoria que tanto gusto nos dio'.

Photo shows the Queen facing Sr Andrews Church in Governors Parade, 

Referí - referee Refrito - fry lightly
Registrar - to registar
Registrada - registered
Reguindarse, arreguindarse - to hang on or out dangerously from a high place
Reliá/Reliao - to tangle, tangle

Remolquero - tug boat

The two funnel paddle local tug boat "Energetc" in Gibraltar Harbour

Rentar - to rent
Resbala - is gay
Reserva - in soccer, a reference to a player on the bench
Resfriado - a cold as in illness
Resfriarse - catch a cold. This is a legitimate Spanish word for ‘a cold’ 
Most Spanish speakers would use ‘constipado’ which in Gibraltar would mean ‘constipated’
Retajila - rigmarole
Retreta - soldiers carrying out ceremonial manoeuvres usually in respect to the Ceremony of the Keys
Retrete - toilet
Revanchin/ revenchin - to be upset
Rock Lizard - Gibraltarian with a British father - no longer commonly known or used
It usually referred to the offspring of local women who married Gibraltarian or even Spanish women
Rock scorpion - person who lives in Gibraltar, whether they have been born there or not
A well known name easily recognised by anybody from Britain but not all that used by the Gibraltarians themselves. Today probably refers only to true Gibraltarians
Rolican - game played during Easter in which eggs are rolled down a hill.
There is a hill in a Gibraltar area known as Rosia, called ‘El Rolican’ where English boys used to play this game.
Rolillo/rondillo – a cut of beef
Rolipo - lollipop
Rompio, se rompió - broken, it broke

El Rogi- Rosia, harbour and Bay - an area in the southern part of the Rock

(1844 - George Lothian Hall) 

Ropia - a stick of Rock candy
Rondevu - with much pomp and reverence
Roñi - mean with money
Robalo - sea bass
Rom - mean, a miser
Rompe Cojones - bore, literally a ball breaker. The phrase can be used both as a noun and as a verb.
Rosando el palo - a near miss
This expression is derived from a Spanish football radio commentator's constant use of the expression every time a Spanish player, especially one from Real Madrid, missed his shot at goal. Everybody else apparently always missed by a mile. The phrase subsequently became a cliché and was in constant use when I was a schoolboy
Rosto - popular local dish of Italian origin consisting of macaroni, meat, mushrooms, tomatoes and grated cheese.
Rutina - a swanky person - The phrase ‘Se da Rutina’  translates as ‘puts on airs’ was once a choolboy song but is now obsolete
Rebatun - on the rebound
Rifa - raffle    

S
Saborio - tasteless, characterless , or a wet blanket
Sacaperra - scrounger
Sacatapon - corkscrew
Sagento - name given in the old days to all police officers -the tautological Llanito term 'sagento de tres rallas' also refers to a police sergeant.
Sajén - fellow, bloke or chap, usually used with critical overtones.
Salaitos - pulses which have been soaked and softened in brine
Salvatage - marine salvage
Sambo - bandy legged
Sampullá, Sampullon - to give somebody a ducking, a ducking
In times gone by we were always required to wet our heads at least once whenever we went to the beach. In fact, adults seemed to delight in thrusting our heads under water
Sampullido - rash
Sanana - to be drunk or to have a hangover
Sape - homosexual
Sangron - a nasty piece of work
Santito/Santon - goody goody, suggesting hypocrisy
Sangwish - sandwich
Nobody in Gib ever used the correct Spanish word ‘emparedado'
Sangalon - a youth who has developed very quickly
Sani sani washa - the start of a nursery rhyme which goes like this:
'Sani sani washa and the washer we
And the gu saniguera
And they come for me
And the wee, wee, wee, wee, wee wee!'
The 'wee' 'wee' bit was often followed by a tickling action when it was being sung to a very young child. One could easily mistake the above for a nonsense verse but in fact it was simply a horribly mangled version of a Scottish jingle which begins as follows:
'Sandy sandy waters
Waters of the Dee'
As for the 'gu saniguera' one can only assume it had something to do with heather.
Sansacabo - that’s it, it finished
Santificao - certified
Sapatiesto/se armó un sapatiesto - all hell broke loose
Sargen/ sargena - him, her
Sarna - stingy person
Sarnoso - being stingy or mean
The proper Spanish meaning - which is also used in Gib - refers to skin disorders in  both animals and humans. 
Scantin blossom - meaningless expression that can be used to mean almost anything
Scantin majuguin – meaningless expressions that can be used to mean almost anything
Scuta - scooter
Se les fueron los chicharos a la cabeza - lost his or her temper
Se armó un sipi sape - all hell broke loose
Se armó un follin - all hell broke loose
Se armó de lo lindo - all hell broke loose
Se armó un sapatiesto - all hell broke loose
Se armó un gori - all hell broke loose
Se armó el gori - all hell broke loose
Se armó de lo lindo - all hell broke loose
Sello - stamp
Semos - we are
The proper Spanish word is 'somos - an old  Llanito joke refers to a gay who when chatting with a group of friends uses the word 'semos'. Someone corrects him. 'Somos', he says. The gay looks at him in amazement. 'Anda! Pero tu tambiem?'
Sepli - a term from the game of marbles - by calling out this word you were allowed to make an illegal move without penalty.

Sera - pavement
La Sera de Main Street ( Early 20th century postcard )

Serapai - plaster for smoothing walls
Seruloy - celluloid
Sheve - sherbet
Shiki-shiki - to make love
Ship/el ship/lo ship –-sheep - Spanish is ‘oveja’ a word Gibraltarians of a past era would never use
Shiripa/ por shiripa/de shiripa – only just, luckily

Shot - to have a try, a turn

Sieso - an 'arsehole'
Sieso manio - a veritable aresehole, a strict bastard, an authoritarian personality, a nasty piece of work

A polite version also used in Gib is ‘hueso’ which is appropriate as it describes anybody who is hard and unyielding

Siete mil lei - City Mill Lane, a street in Gibraltar

Vendiendo carbón en Siete mil lei

Sili' - ceiling

Sipote - silly idiot
Sipi sape - an altercation

Sista- sisto - Hispital staff

The old Colonial Hospital Hospital where the sista and sisto worked

Siticonsi - City council

Connaught House (late 19th century) used of late as a Municipal Council HQ

Si wanti, wanti y si no lo deja - take it or leave it - but don't touch

Slopis - Spaniards 

This was derived from the rather unmilitary drill of the Spanish guards at the frontier. To make matter worse there was always a marked contrast between the discipline of the British and Spanish guards as both frontier posts were only a few yards from each other. The Spanish drill was eventually spruced up after the visit to Gibraltar of a high ranking Spanish Officer who was presumably embarrassed by what he observed

Photo - Spanish soldiers in North Front

Smoki - evening dress - as in ‘voy a ir de smoki’
Socato - left-handed
Somanusear - to handle – usually in the sense of excessively!
Squash - quash - as in - 'El caso lo hicieron squash'
Stool/el stool - stool
Strochi/estrochi/troshi - all over the place
Sudar los cojones - couldn’t care less - as in – ‘A mí me sudan los cojones que hagan eso’
Sudra/Sutra - sweat rag
Sumbando - hurtling along
Sumbando a todo mecate - hurtling along at a hell of a pace
Sursum corda - somebody who believes him or herself to be the absolute bee's knees 
Usually used in a derisory or ironic manner
Sutraque - a cloth which is tied around ones neck so as to mop up the sweat - also pronounced 'fudraque or 'sudrag' .
Swish - switch

T
Tablita - the game of Ludo
Taco - game of hide and seek - often started with the words ‘one, two three taco’
Taiga/el barquito del taiga - target, boat carrying a target
The Royal Navy, the Army and the Gibraltar Defence Force often carried out target practice with their big guns by trying to hit and destroy a large target carried by a Naval target boat. The crew of these boats often took their life into their own hands as the skill of some of the gunners left much to be desired
Tajá - to get, be drunk - as in ‘ tomarse una tajá’
Tana/tanita - hiding place
Tangai - big fight - as in ‘se armo un tangai’
Tapete - carpet
Tapolín - tarpaulin
Te va a hechar el mingush - cast evil eye
Te va a hechar el who- cast evil eye
Te va  hecar el cenizo- cast evil eye
Temblique - a shaking fit.
Teatro de operaciones - operating theatre
Telmo - thermos flask
Tener cojido por rabo – by the short and curly
Teregingo - churros
Testaraso - a drink of hard liquor - as in ‘Se tomo tre o quarto testarazo antes de ir al party’
Testardo - stubborn
Tiesto - anything or object which is in the way or being referred to in a derogatory way
Tip - tip - as in - 'Dejale un tip al camarero'
Tipa - teapot.
Tinglao - a mess, bruhaha,
Tirachino - catapult
Tirarse el show – to do something very well – sometimes used ironically
Tirarse un detalle - go out of your way to be generous
This is an odd expression probably of Andalucian origin. It translates rather awkwardly as 'to do something special' or 'to go out of your way to do something and is often used in a rather ironic or sarcastic manner as in - 'Por una vez, tirate un detalle y paga las cervezas'
Tiquete - ticket
Tisha - teacher
Ti-tai-to - the game of noughts and crosses
A curious Llanito choice of a corruption of the UIS Tick tack toe instaed of either Noughts and Crosses or Tres en Línea
Titiritar - to shiver

Spanish is 'tiritar'. In Gib we invariably added the extra syllable - personally I never knew until I wrote this that' titiritar' wasn't the correct way to pronounce the word - as in ‘Tenia tanto frio que estaba titiritando’

Toma taco - take that! Usually said with glee as a reposte to an attempt at one-upmanship
Tocar la campana – ring the doorbell
Tocar el timble - ring the doorbell
Todo mecate - going like a bullet
As in ‘Hiba con la moto a todo mecate’
Tragar -open to bribery or accessible from a sexual point of view
As in 'Ese tio traga', which means the fellow is open to bribery and 'Esa tia traga', which means the lady is accessible
Traite, traete - bring
Trapelo/traspelo – contraband
Traquio - explosion, loud bang
Trastá - dirty trick
Treja - a hiding, both literally and in sport
Tresorero - treasurer
Trikitrake/triquitraque - small fireworks
Trifurca - turmoil
Troloso - a liar
Trotes - shoes or boots
Truco - a type of truck or waggon
‘Trucos’ were mule drawn truck wagons which were used in Gibraltar before the Petrol Engine made its appearance. The most renowned of these were those of the R. A.O.C. Transport Section who were based in the King’s Stables. They were known locally as ‘los Carreteros del Rey’. The Mules that pulled these ’trucos’ also had their share of the local folklore and were known as ‘ las mulas del patio rey’. To be called ‘un mulo del patio rey’ was no great compliment since it meant you were a stupid idiot
Truqui/triqui - trick
Tufo - dazed, bewildered or stunned by events
In Spanish, the word is related to vapours, gases or bad smells which perhaps offers very few clues to the way it is used in Gib when, for instance some bore has been babbling at you non-stop for ages and you might comment after he leaves that 'ha dejado tufo!'
Tufo - tuft of hair

Turca - to get drunk - as in ‘coger una turca’

 U
Uipi - whip

On one very special occasion Gibraltar pupils were taken to the gardens of the Convent to see an exhibition by a bloke wielding a Rhino whip. He became widely known as 'el tio del uipi'.

Ule - Linoleum

 V
Va a misa - the gospel truth
Vacáncia - vacancy
Vale vishi - Ok. I accept
Valiente pelotera se armó - that was some fracas we had
Vargula - unscrupulous opportunist
Va que shuta - It's O.K,  it's great.
Ve menos que Pepe Leche - referring to a short-sighted person, perhaps a reference to a myopic milkman of yesteryear
Ventana - shop window, showcase
Viento del Moro – a hot wind from the south

This more or less corresponds to what elsewhere is referred to as the Sirocco. Now and again it affects Gibraltar during the summer months making the town very hot, very dry and very uncomfortable.

Vendaval - a strong wind
Verdosa - Gibraltar pound note
Villalta - A game played by kids a long time ago.

The object was to get a piece of wood from A to B in as few strokes as possible. You started off by balancing a strip of wood on a ledge and hitting the overlapping edge with another stick so that it would fly off towards a target, usually a wall. 

If it fell short you were allowed to hit it while it lay on the ground and swiped at it as it rose in the air. You took turns and whoever reached the target first was the winner. I remember that we once played this game - which I called incorrectly as 'la billarda' - in the patio of a house belonging to a close friend. 

It was a thoroughly unsuitable place to play the game as it was surrounded by first floor windows. One day one of the sticks hit one of the windows. The neighbour, who appeared to us to be a very old man, opened up to find out what was happening. Much to our astonishment, however, he did not seem to be at all put out. 'Ah! ', he said with a smile, ' jugando a la villalta eh?' I remember being very impressed.

Vincente - From the English Vincent - Spanish is Vincente
Visuá - have a quick look - as in ‘ hechar un visuá’
Viva la Pepa - carefree person who couldn’t care less about anything

W
Waismakin - a secret mark
Wahinao - waterlogged
Wahnio - fagged out, exhausted
Waka - gay, homosexual
Walking yúnio – Workers Union

In the 1920’s there were three Gibraltarian unions recognised by the British authorities. But their aim was the protection of Gibraltarian employees rather than employees in Gibraltar. They consequently failed to attract Spanish workers who were in any case prohibited by the Spanish Government from becoming members of a Gibraltarian Union. The three Gibraltar unions later amalgamated with the Transport and General Workers' Union, aka ‘el woking junio’

Washa - washer
In Gib a washer of any sort is always feminine - 'la washer', no doubt due to the way the word is pronounced with an 'a' at the end.
Warraso /quarraso  - a fall, especially a spectacular tumble
Wipi - whip
Witri - vulture
Winchi - winch, capstan

Y
Yanito/Llanito/Gianito/Janito - a person from Gibraltar or the idiom spoken by Gibraltarians. The spelling is both controversial and difficult to pin down ( see LINK )
Y tenkiu eh? - thank you

When trying to be polite, Gibraltarians tended to fall back on their English: but only up to a point. Where a simple 'thank you' would normally be sufficient for an Englishman, a local would be more inclined to express his gratitude with 
'Y tenkeu eh? 

For an apology he would be more than likely to yoke Shakespeare and Cervantes and come up with:

'Sorry eh pisha?

As one may gather from the above examples, the 'eh' followed by a rhetorical question mark which required no answer was practically a sine qua non of Llanito chit-chat.

Yanitada/Llanitada - This word can easily be confused with ‘Llanito’ but it does not mean quite the same thing.
Yanitadas are usally phrases used by certain Gibraltarians who mix or confuse their English and Spanish vocabularies. 
There are two main types of Yanitadas: those that were created consciously, that is ironically, and those that were at one time or another, uttered unconsciously by rather dim-witted individuals
One way or the other the results are often utterly ludicrous.
1. A well known local once called the Governor's aide d'camp, 'El Aga Khan - No irony intended here.
2. A group of locals who came from an area of Gib called Europa were on holiday in Spain when they were asked by a waiter: ‘De donde son Vds? the reply was - ‘Nosotros semos de Europa’. ‘Hombre’, said the Spaniard, ‘de Europa somos todos!’
3. A tourist walking through the Alameda gardens noticed the conical roofs of one of the little arbours or ‘glorietas’ and asked a local passer by what they were for. He was given the following refply: ‘That’s for the womens’ and the ladys’ sheeky-sheeky.
4. The driver of a horse drawn carriage was forced to pull up because of an obstacle lying   across the road. When asked the reason for the stoppage by his tourist passenger he replied: ‘There is a bigin in the floor and the horse can’t pass’ - which translates as: ‘There is a wooden beam lying across the road and the horse can’t continue’.
5. Many years ago there was an article was written in a local newspaper called the Vox, about some hushed-up governmental cock-up. The headline – a banner headline for good measure – was ‘The People are Ignorant’.
6. The boss at Shell Oil asked the airfield staff to let him know when a particular flight from  London had arrived. Bearing in mind that the Llanito for aeroplane is ‘apparato’, the boss was eventually informed that ‘The apparatus has now arrived' - a curious example of a Yanito back-formation.
Yupi ay ay llippi – local name for the song ‘She’ll be coming round the Mountain’

Z
Zobaddira - grase (wound )

The following 'LINKS' might also be of use in trying to understand the phenomenon of Llanito

1. A discussion on the origins of Llanito
2. A comparison between Llanito and equivalent colloquialisms used in the Campo de Gibraltar