Spanish Raver SlangFliter:

March 16, 2006 1:11 PM

Does anyone know a colloquial Spanish (/dialect irrelevant) term equivalent to 'Tripping," as in "being under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug?"
posted by gnomicPerfect to writing & language (17 comments total)

Can you read Spanish? If so, try here & here.
posted by Gyan at 1:23 PM on March 16, 2006

I'm being told by a near-native Spanish speaker that the verb is "flipar," which also means "to freak out." This would be a Barcelona/Spain phrase, as that's what dialect he speaks.
posted by elquien at 1:31 PM on March 16, 2006

Viaje (literally trip or journey) seems to be what you find in various web sites. Here you find a description of the differences between an LSD and mushroom trip:

El "viaje" que experimenté con ellas es bastante diferente. Remarco la idea de que los efectos de la LSD duran más tiempo (hasta 10 horas) y los hongos psicoativos no suelen extenderse más allá de las 6 horas../em>

What I've found does seem to be more clinical however.
posted by Pollomacho at 1:39 PM on March 16, 2006

Flipar (estoy flipando=I'm tripping) is what they would use here in Barcelona and all over Spain I would say. You also say it when you're amazed by something/someone/a situation. Es halucinante (literally it's hallucinating) would also be a substitute for this latter sense.
posted by Zootoon at 1:51 PM on March 16, 2006

Do they use "colocarse" in Spain? I read Neuromancer in a Spanish edition and they used that word all over the book.

In Mexico: "viaje" is used as a noun. I don't think it's widely used as a verb, as in "vamos a viajar" (let's trip).

We also use the expression "estar hasta la madre" or "estar hasta mi/su madre" when somebody is very drunk or very drugged. It is a superlative. Example: Juan está hasta la madre (or hasta su madre), estoy hasta mi madre.
It is a rude expression, and it is also used to express anger.
posted by clearlydemon at 2:43 PM on March 16, 2006

Also, "estar hasta atrás", with a similar meaning to "hasta la madre", but not rude. Used for drugs or alcohol.

"Erizo" or "macizo" mean to be high, but I associate them more with marihuana use.

"Pacheco" is used for marihuana high: Estoy pacheco; Eres un pacheco. "Estar chemo" is for those who inhale glue.

All of these are from Mexico, too, and might be only used in Mexico City.
posted by clearlydemon at 2:53 PM on March 16, 2006

Yes, we use colocarse in Spain in the "to get stoned" sense. The use of "viaje" seems to be the same here.
I'll have to admit here that I'm not much of a raver and maybe there are newer terms and all of these expressions are just the ones the general public use, but you do hear them used on TV and in films.
posted by Zootoon at 2:54 PM on March 16, 2006

The Oxford dictionary (quite good on slang) gives flipar(se).
posted by languagehat at 3:36 PM on March 16, 2006

The colloquialism I've heard the most is 'tripeando', which is a mistranslation of 'tripping'.
posted by Penks at 3:47 PM on March 16, 2006

Do you mean Spanish from Spain, only? Chile: "estar volado" (lit: to be flighted). Speficifically: Coke: "jalado", amphetamines: "empepado", grass:"chato".
posted by signal at 4:46 PM on March 16, 2006

Seconding (thirding? fourthing?) "estar flipando," heard that quite commonly in Madrid. Regarding pot (actually, was almost always hash), I heard "estar fumado" (to be smoked) and "estar ciego" (to be blind).

By the way, you might find more on this page, which is a pretty comprehensive list of Spanish language slang grouped by country. Had a quick look but couldn't really find what you're looking for (or even evidence to back up my own claims).

And clearlydemon, can't one also say "estar pedo" here (Mexico/Mexico City) to refer to being under any sort of influence? (Again, this is considered pretty impolite.)
posted by donpedro at 8:20 PM on March 16, 2006

halucinar?

or flipar.

my personal favorite was always "estoy tostado" for 'i'm high.'

that was Costa Rican though.
posted by anjamu at 9:39 PM on March 16, 2006

donpedro, "estar pedo" is specifically for alcohol. Never for drugs.

I asked somebody who was active in the raver scene. She says they use "ponerse" (just like "colocarse" in Spain). For example: "Vamos a ponernos" (let's get high).
A variant is "ponerse chido" (chido means cool, roughly.)

This is in Mexico City, again.
posted by clearlydemon at 2:02 AM on March 17, 2006

Regarding pot (actually, was almost always hash), I heard "estar fumado" (to be smoked)

That's what I heard in Madrid as well.
posted by ludwig_van at 5:42 AM on March 17, 2006

Flipando en colores is one I've heard here in Spain
posted by sic at 11:31 AM on March 17, 2006

Tabs of acid are called tripis (treepees)
posted by sic at 12:11 PM on March 17, 2006

clearlydemon, I defer to you. Should perhaps add that the "estar ciego" I referred to, from Spain, was not necessarily drug-related. Heard it about both THC- and alcohol-induced states, and I don't know whether that would extend to other drugs.
posted by donpedro at 10:47 PM on March 17, 2006