Social
Dale
DAH-lay
Literally 'give it' — used as let's go, alright, do it, agreed. Pitbull made it famous but Miami said it first, and it functions as punctuation here.
Chonga / chongo
CHONG-guh
A distinctly Miami style and attitude, historically applied to young Latina women. Used affectionately and pejoratively depending entirely on who is speaking.
Ay, por favor
eye por fah-VOR
Literally 'oh please', used exactly as an exasperated English 'oh, come on'. The bilingual code-switching here is constant and unremarked.
Food
Cafecito
kah-feh-SEE-toh
A tiny, intensely sweet Cuban espresso, ordered at a ventanita window and drunk standing up. The 3pm colada shared with colleagues is a real workplace ritual.
Ventanita
ven-tah-NEE-tah
The walk-up window on the side of a Cuban café where coffee and pastelitos are served. No seating, no waiting, and the best barometer of a neighbourhood.
Pastelito
pas-teh-LEE-toh
A flaky pastry filled with guava and cheese, or meat. The default office breakfast contribution.
Croqueta
kroh-KEH-tah
A small fried ham croquette, sold everywhere, eaten constantly. The croqueta preparada — croquetas inside a Cuban sandwich — is the local maximalist version.
Greetings
Qué bolá
keh boh-LAH
Cuban for 'what's up'. Miami Spanish is specifically Cuban-inflected, with Venezuelan, Colombian and Haitian layers over it.
Daily life
The 305
thuh three-oh-five
Miami, by its original area code. '305 till I die' is a genuine local identity marker rather than a slogan.
Snowbird
SNOH-burd
Someone from the north who spends the winter here. Traffic, restaurant waits and rents all change between the season and the summer.
Emergency
Hurricane season
HUR-ih-kayn SEE-zun
1 June to 30 November. It structures insurance, leases, travel plans and the contents of your cupboard. Everyone has a plan and you will need one.
911 / 311
nine-one-one / three-one-one
911 for emergencies; 311 for Miami-Dade County services, including storm information and debris collection after a hurricane.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.