BuzzFeed Philippines gathered two BuzzFeed employees from Los Angeles and two from New York to try and guess the meaning of some Filipino words and slang. Their answers were pretty reasonable. Wrong, but reasonable.
Word: Astig
"a kind of bug?"
"GARLIC"
"it sounds like something that would crawl on you."
"like, 'get this astig off my face'"
"yeah, I think it's a kind of bug that attaches itself to your butt"
"ass tig"
"i still think it's garlic"
"true, yes. an ass bug."
"an ass bug that lives off of garlic"
"maybe it smells delicious like garlic"
"it tricks you cause it smells good, then it latches on"
"bingo"
"yep, that's it"
Actual meaning: When you say something is "astig," you're saying it's awesome or cool.
Word: Amboy
"A 'scrub' if you will"
"yes, an amboy will try to holler at you when you've dropped your metro card"
"he sits on his broke ass"
"he just like ambles up to you and tries to invite you to his mom's house for dinner"
"or like, a boy in the a.m."
"oh yeah, he could be very punctual"
"an amboy had to borrow his sister's bike because his car broke down so he rides up to you on a tiny bike with a basket and it's embarrassing for everyone"
"with one of those bells on the basket, hopefully"
"and he forgets to bring you a helmet"
"like COOL AMBOY"
"yeah he's like 'ding ding i'm an amboy' and you're like 'no'"
Actual meaning: "Amboy" is a portmanteau of "American" and "boy."
Word: Bongga
"term for a vagina"
"like im gonna hit that bongga"
"he wants the bongga"
"he can't get my bongga"
"you ain't ready for this bongga"
"it can also be slang for having sex"
"OH I LIKE SEX"
"like it's bongga time"
"I'm gonna bongga you all night long"
"Raise your hands if you like to bongggaaa"
"I really think it means vagina"
Actual meaning: To say something is "bongga" would be to say something is fabulous or fierce.
"well, vaginas are fab"
"and fierce"
"+1"
"vaginas are so bongga"
Word: Bagets
"I think my racist grandfather has called me this before?"
"Bagets = balls"
"do your bagets hurt"
"Wash your bagets"
"why is it dirty?"
"PEOPLE ARE DIRTY OK"
"i think a baget is a type of bagel. like a bagel beignet."
"the next cronut."
"a pinoy treat that we're not yet ready for because we're not on that level."
"baget = bagel + wet"
"Moist if you will"
"that's worse than unwashed bongga"
Actual meaning: "Bagets" is a word used to refer to youths or tweens.
"ew"
"so basically wet bagels"
"'wet bagel' is my new term for tweens now"
Word: Barkada
"A SECRET DOG LANGUAGE"
"A SHARK DOG COMBO"
"DOGNADO"
"Watch out for barkadas, legend has it they frequent these parts."
"yes, a barkada is a tornado full of, like, tiny yorkies"
"AND ONLY THE PHILIPPINES HAS THEM"
"you have to stay inside during barkada season"
"it's raining dogs and dogs, dads joke"
"and everyone is like, dad, this is serious"
"A pug barkada is coming this way, kids!"
"Dad seriously we might die"
Actual meaning: A "barkada" is a group of friends.
"same thing tbh"
"dog tornado is the best slang for friends"
"WHERE MY DOG TORNADO AT"
Word: Bebot
"a baby robot"
"who can really dance"
"A bae"
"it's like boop"
"'bebot' that dog's nose"
"when it's a verb"
"it's definitely something cute"
"as a noun i agree it's a baby robot"
"every kid wants a bebot"
"look at that bebot get down!"
"and the bebot dougies"
Actual meaning: "Bebot" is synonymous with "female." It's also the name of a Black Eyed Peas song about a hot girl, a track on which Filipino-American apl.de.ap takes the lead.
Word: Chika
"A basic bitch."
"definitely a babe"
"the basicest of basic bitches"
"chikas like PSLs and uggs"
"she's wearing PINK victoria's secret as we speak"
"with 'bebot' written on the butt"
"DEF with BEBOT on the butt"
"they love to hashtag photos with #wheremychikasat"
"'bebot on the butt' I NOW KNOW WHAT I WANT ON MY TOMBSTONE"
"#LoveMyChikas"
"Chikas love referring to themselves as bebots"
"true bebots would never"
"only chikas"
"the wannabee bebots"
"stupid chikas"
"what if we're chikas :("
"Speak for yourself ALEX"
Actual meaning: "Chika" can mean "to gossip" or the gossip itself.
"oh so we were right again"
"basic bitches gossip"
"so"
Word: Damo
"it's like a vaginal contraceptive"
"like a dental dam?"
"AN ORGASM"
"filipino version of dale"
"IMMA MAKE YOU DAMO"
"A term a bro uses for ejaculating"
"like, there's a filipino version of Pitbull and his songs are GREAT but people love to hate because they're jealous and he yells 'damo' in all his songs"
"and he has a few songs with jennifer lopez"
"I'd probably have a crush on him"
"oh so def orgasm then"
"~PitBull Makes Us All Damo~"
"damoing right now tbh"
"same"
"brb gotta go damo"
Actual meaning: "Damo" literally translates to "grass." But it's also used to refer to marijuana.
Word: Jakol
"a creepy dude"
"a mean person"
"A MAN ON TINDER"
"a guy who complains about being in the friendzone"
"gets defensive of fedoras"
"I always fall for jakols. :'("
"bebots and baes beware of jakols"
"basically jakol = james franco"
"constantly tells women "not all jakols"
"definitely"
"#notalljakols"
"#unfollowjakols"
"#BanJakols"
Actual meaning: From the English "ejaculate," "jakol" means "to masturbate."
"whoooooaaa"
"that like makes sense"
"*bongggggga*"
"the chika is that james franco likes to jakol"
Word: Kuripot
"that thing you use to clean out your sinuses!"
"a gross sex act"
"something your mom uses to make you feel better"
"CHELSEA"
"like cooks for you!"
"and she uses a kuripot because she's curing you"
"A KURING POT"
"it's something you watch on youtube even though you know it's gonna mess you up for life"
"agreed"
"there are kuripot reaction videos"
"just bebots screaming, covering their eyes"
"2 girls 1 cup esque if you will"
"jakoholics jakol to kuripot"
"Ms. Kuripot, if you're nasty"
"it's all very bongga"
Actual meaning: A "kuripot" is someone who is a scrooge and ungenerous about money.
Word: Kikay
"TIPSY"
"I'm feeling so KIKAY tonight"
"LET'S GET KIKAYYYYY"
"EVERYBODY IN THE CLUB GETTING KIKAY"
"I'M SUCH A KIKAY BEBOT -- filipino version of hot mess"
"Beyoncé's 'Partition' is about getting kikay in a car"
"omg"
"WOW"
"YES"
Actual meaning: "Kikay" translates to "girly." As a noun (and said twice), the word "kikay-kikay" can refer to things like make-up and accessories.
"oooooo"
"i like it"
"well, I AM FEELING KIKAY"
"i'm kikay as fuck today"
Word: Palpak
"a fannypack for two"
"A PACK FOR YOUR PAL"
"a toddler that won't stop crying because it's hungry even though it could just go to the goddamn kitchen and get some food"
"like, come on todd, let's strap on the palpak and head to epcot."
"That palpak is crying again."
"'Look at my cute palpak!!' - PARENTS"
"I DON'T WANNA TALK TO YOUR PALPAK"
"IT CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND ME"
"you spilled your pumpkin spice latte on my palpak."
"that sentence could work for either definition"
"I have to wait to breastfeed my palpak because i got kikay with my bebots"
"Isn't my palpak gonna be such a bebot??!?!?"
Actual definition: "Palpak" refers to something that has failed or isn't functioning correctly.
"oh im def right then"
Word: Payatot
"someone who is bad at sharing"
"won't give you their tots"
"makes you pay for them"
"A service that allows you to rent an infant"
"i am going very literal"
"i think it's a toddler in a tiara. and she's really spoiled."
"that payatot's wig is askew and she's screaming for candy"
"payatots get reality shows"
"payatots love to say they're so over drama"
"but they're not"
"That payatot is drinking Mountain Dew and Red Bull again"
"Leave Honey Boo Boo alone YOU MONSTERS"
Actual meaning: Someone who is "payatot" is a person who is skinny. From the word "payat," meaning "thin."
Word: Titi
"SPERM"
"..."
"this is actually my childhood nickname"
"i think it's sperm"
"im not joking"
"small sperm"
"yeah like sperm that can't really swim that well"
"but all sperm are small"
"always left behind"
"we were all once just titi, you guys"
"just some titi and a dream"
"picked last for kickball"
"yeah, the sperms that never win the race"
"just get dried up on someone's leg"
"maybe a titi is a small chubby little girl who grows up to be a blogger"
"I have someone's titi on my jeans but like... who could know who it belongs to"
Actual meaning: "Titi" is a colloquial word that refers to a penis.
"RIGHT AGAIN"
"basically"
"omg"
"HE HAS A NICE TITI"
Word: Pekpek
"sex"
"def sex"
"i think it's doggy style"
"I'll go with oral sex for $500"
"well, if we hadn't already gotten the word for penis..."
"i feel like pekpek is just the tip"
"OMG"
"just a little pekpek"
"TRUE"
"is it in yet"
"just pekpek tonight"
"no we're just pekpeking"
"i had too much sisig and i just wanna pekpek"
Actual definition: "Pekpek" is a colloquial word that refers to a vagina.
"WHOA"
"gamechanger"
"that is literally the cutest name for vagina"
"so kikay"
