13 Feb, 2024 @ 07:30
1 min read

10 Spanish insults from Andalucia that will make you sound like a local

IT’S no secret that Andalucia is one of the most expressive and culturally diverse regions in Spain.

The mainland’s southernmost autonomous community is the home of flamenco and boasts thousands of years of history with Christian, Catholic and Moorish roots.

This has gifted the Andalucian people with a melting pot of accents and expressions – including some very enjoyable insults.

Below are just 10 of the many fun expressions any foreigner living in the region should have in their arsenal.

The flag of Andalucia

Tontopollas

An absolute idiot, a person who goes beyond the basic definition of a fool. In English terms, an absolute moron. 

Fartusco

This term is mostly used in Cordoba and describes someone who is arrogant or boastful and who interrupts a conversation to make it about them – in other words a show off. 

Jartible 

Someone who is exhausting, annoying or tiresome. The English equivalent of a pain in the backside. It comes from ‘hartible’, which arises from the verb ‘hartar’, to be fed up. 

The term was born in Cadiz but has spread throughout the region.

Fullero 

Someone who is a cheat or a trickster, or generally a troublemaker.. It is often used against people who cheat at cards or board games. 

Farfollas

Someone who shows no credibility or consistency when speaking on a topic, despite their attempts to appear legit. In other words a phoney. 

Carajote

Someone who is very annoying or stupid. Basically an idiot. 

Esaborio

Someone who lacks a sense of humour or struggles to get excited by anything. Basically a wet lettuce. 

Cagueta

A coward, someone who is always scared and never dares to take a risk. In other words, a big chicken. 

Malaje

A malicious, nasty, obnoxious person. In English terms, a nasty piece of work. 

Papafrita

Used to describe someone who is unproductive, lazy or distracted – although it is said among friends and loved ones.

It is also used as a nickname and is common in Huelva and Cadiz, although its use has spread throughout the region.

The origin is unknown but it could be related to someone who consumes a lot of French fries, and therefore, is attributed to being a little careless or lazy.

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

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