Salitang Kalye
Salitang kalye (from Spanish, calle or "street"), salitang kanto (street corner) and salitang balbal are the Tagalog terms for "slang". Kalye means "street", thus salitang kalye implies that "slang" is pedestrian language. Kanto means "street corner" where most bums while their time away. Balbal is the Tagalog word that means a term or phrase borrowed from a foreign language used by commoners or less educated people, the form of which is altered to suit certain usage. In general, Filipinos are fond of inventing words and borrowing foreign terms and use them to add spice to their spoken language. Even college students develop their own slang words in school, whether they are rich or poor. Tagalog slang words come and go, and usually the life of a slang word depends on where it was created (e.g., television, radio shows) and how often they are used. Where and how Tagalog slang words are derived have been the object of curiosity for some etymologists.
Tagalog slang words are often derived from Tagalog words, using their first and last syllables and their order reversed. For example, the Tagalog slang word YOSI is a derivative of the Tagalog word SIGARILYO (from Spanish, cigarrillo for cigarette), with its first and last syllables put together in reversed order. Other slang words are simply derived from the last two syllables of a Tagalog word. For example, UTOL is the slang for sibling (brother or sister), which is derived from the word KAPUTOL (cut from the same branch or source). KANO is the slang for American, which is from the word AMERIKANO (American).
Some Tagalog slang words are reversed ordering of syllables of words. For example, ASTIG is from TIGAS, which means a stubborn person or bully. A related word, GASMATI is from MATIGAS, which means hard, hard-headed or stubborn. TSEKOT is car, from Tagalog KOTSE, while GOLI is from LIGO, which means bath or taking a bath. Interestingly, this same form is followed in certain Tagalog slang words that were derived from English phrases. For example, GOLETS is from English phrase "let's go", which means the same thing in the Tagalog slang.
Some Tagalog slang words are in English but mean something else. For example, ZOMBIE means one who has appetite to eat; ZEROX means look-alike; and CONFERENCE ROOM means toilet or bathroom (most likely because the "C.R.", which is a common acronym used by Filipinos to refer to the comfort room, is used by some also as a place to gossip or chitchat in public places). CHEAP HEAD is the Tagalog slang for someone who is stupid or ignorant, while CAULIFLOWER is the slang word for hemmoroids (now that is really funny!). CHAPTER means passé, old, has-been. TOXIC means too many work or busy.
Did you know that there are so many Tagalog slang words for someone who is high on illegal drugs? This include the following: HIGH, JUNKIE, MANDURUBO, BAROK, DEKADERA, GABOS, BASAG, BANGE, BANGAG, NGEKNGEK. What are the Tagalog slang words for marijuana? MARYJANE, CHONGKI, MARYJONES, TIRIRIT, DAMO EPS, GRASS, GRETA.
Below is a list of Tagalog slang words.
A
abnoy
adidas
alat
apir
apog
astig
atat
atik (also datung, bala, bread, carmona, dais, tong)
B
back to back
bading (also jokla, sioki, dadang, chaplok, charot, cheng, gel tsopi, v-jay)
badong
bagets
bagyo
bahag ang buntot
bakal (also gabo, gamit, boga)
bakal (verb)
bakya
bala
bali
balimbing
banat (verb)
banat (interjection)
bangag (also bange, bangenge, ngekngek)
barikabols
baryabols
basag (also chiko)
basag ang pula
batuta
bayawak
bebot (also ebot, ebobot, baset, bebong, chicas)
betchot
bimay (also chimida)
binarurot
bobits (noun)
bobits (adjective)
boga
bokya
bolivia (also gubat)
boljak (also bokal, buwan, oklab)
bombo
bonsay (also wengweng)
bongga
bopol
boses ipis
botak
boyax
bracelet
bredbasket (from bread basket)
brenggol
broke (from English broke)
brownies
Brunayuki
bruwski
bubelya (also boobs)
budol
bugaloo
bukbok
buking
buldet
bulig
bulikil
burikit (also burikat)
burloloy
butas
butata
butaw
butingting
button (also cactus, cubes, usok)
buyon
buyoy
bwaya
C
calban
cats
cauliflower
chaca tukmol (also ukray)
chamba (also kalimot)
chang
chapchap
chapter
charrarot
charing
cheap
cheap head
cheke
cherry
chibabo
chichay
chiching
chick
chick boy
chicken
chigualgual
chikadora
chikahan
chikinini
chimit
chipipay
chitae
chocho
chokaran
chongki
choque (also choki, cunt, ek-ek, ekups, flower)
chupa (also chupangko, opas)
classified
cloud
coke
coker
comics
conference room
cool wood
cross-eyed
D
daga
dagol
dako (also dakota)
damagans (also damags)
damo eps (also grass, greta)
dapa
darling-darling
dayukdok
dedo
dedma
dekwat (also dengwat)
denggoy
ders
dida
diglo
dilaw
dive
do
dodo
dodoy
dok
donut
dork
dormi
dorobo
double blade (also dadang, fag, faggi, silahis)
drama
drowing
durog
dwakang
dyagan
dyahi
dyorangga
dyug (also etits, etnak)
dyukaka (also karakas, fefes)
E
egbak (also echas)
egat
egg balls
egot
egoy
eighty-eight
el
el thor
el chipo
ema (also ermat)
engot
epda
epektos
eque-eque
erbaks
erlat
erlot
erpat (also fadir)
esmi
estir
etab
etnep
F
fall guy
felipe
five balls
flip
full tank
G
gagamba
galema
gantay
gapak
gara
garahe
garlo
gas
gasmati
gaso
gatas
gatogs
geek
george
ginobasan
gising
goat
globil
golay
golets
goli
goof
goyo
gurdoy
H
hala-hala
handcuffs
hanip
harang
harbat
harot
harry
hatsipatitsi
haybol
high
hihirit
hulidap
I
inindyan
iri
iskor
iskurukutoy
ismak
isoy
J
jabong
jackals
jagan
jake
jamming
Japayuki
jaya-jaya
jepoy
jigjig
jimbula
jingle
joey albert
jogo
johnny
jokard
joksay
jontay
jongget
josko
jowa
jowawitz
juju
juksan
junk
junkie
junti
juwawa
K
kelot
kofa
kokak (also jije)
kosing
kotong
M
mais
maita luchi
malmal
mamam
manay
map
maroyat
maryjane (also chongki, maryjones, tiririt)
N
nancy
nasakote
natmaku
nenok
nesi
O
okray
olat
onon
osep
otnak
oyab
P
palpak
parak
pards
patok
pogi
praning
promdi
R
rumatsada
S
saro
scoba
seda
sengot
sikyo
silahis
sinapak
sondo
syota
T
tandyent
tapwe
tassel (also umi, watiwat, wiswas, yukusa, waswit, jowa)
taw omega
tegelone
tepok (also tigbak, tigok, timbog)
tibo
tiklo
tikoy
tililing
timang
time man
tingting
tiwup (also wetpaks)
toma
tomahawk
tonguts
topak
toxic
toyo
triga
trip
trono
tsalak
tsekwa
tsibak
tsika
tsikiting
tsimay
tsinugi
tsitsa
tsong
tsutsu
tsungki
tuchang
tulis
turero
tusok
tutok
tutyal
U
umboy
unggoy
upak
uring
uruburu
V
vacuum cleaner
virna lisa
W
wadta
wais
walanju
walastik
watot
wheels (also tsekot)
white leghorn
wisna
X
xerex
Y
yakapsul
yansumi (also bagyo)
yapang
yatit
yokaba
yongga
yotit
yoyo
Z
zerox
zombie
Source: INTERACTIVE LANGUAGE AND FILIPINO CULTURE RESOURCES