"What are you teeny guys, anyway? What do you want from us? What do you want from me?"
From beneath her bed, from the bathroom, from under the closet door, more wugs appeared. Dozens more. The range of shapes and sizes was breathtaking. No two were alike. It was almost as if they were experimenting with themselves, searching for an ideal structure, trying to find the best way to be whatever it was they were. She could understand that. In many ways, she had embarked on the same kind of journey. Whirring and buzzing and humming softly to themselves, they climbed up onto the window seat, and onto her.
Evolving together they might be, she reflected, but there was no disputing who was the more ticklish. Covered in curious wugs, she began to giggle, then to laugh.
She wondered what that nice federale Angel Cardenas would have thought of it.
El Fin
GLOSSARY OF SPANG
(Spanish-English slang)
Expressions
"Hoh"—Strip exclamation. Variant of "Whoa!"
"Como se happening?"—combination of Sp. "What is" & English "
To the opto"—to take something to the max(imum)
"What's skewed?"—what's wrong?
"Verdad"—truth; it's for sure. From Sp. for "truth"
"Faz"—fabulous, great, wonderful
"Andale!"—go! Get going! From the Sp.
Verbs
Note: In the slang of the Strip, many Spanish verbs are "spanged" by having their original suffixes anglicized. To wit, solicitar (to solicit or request) adds the Eng. -ed and -ing, instead of the usual Sp. endings. As in "he solicitared (something)" or "he was solicitaring."
abla—to talk or say something. From Sp. hablar, to talk
ambulate—to go, move
arribed—arrived; to arrive. From Sp. arribar, to arrive
boney—to scavenge someone's bones and marrow
bungo—used like "nez"
canyon—to cut deeply
carny—to assail a citizen with advertisements
coge—to fuck. From Mex. Slang coger, to fuck
cogit—to create, make, invent. From Eng. Cogitate
cojone—to make something tougher. From Sp. cojones, balls
coz—to make use of. As in "to cozy up to something"
dock—to get somebody (as in archaic "put them in the dock"—only worse)
drac—to scavenge someone's blood
expiate—to kill
eyedee—to identify someone, something
facilit—to take it easy, relax. From Eng. facile & Sp. facil, easy
facture—to make or manufacture something
flash—to show advertisements
mess—to send a message; communicate
mickey—to customize something; esp. by the Disony entertainment multinat
nez—to screw up or mess up
pop—to open
portage—to carry
rainbow—to change color
respirate—to extort, usually money
romp—to ruin. From Eng. to romp & Sp. romper, to destroy
roto—to steal; to mug someone
sabe—to know. From the Sp.
shrewd—to speak or perceive shrewdly
shunt—synonym of ambulate
skip—to take or drag
skrag—to beat someone up bad
slag—to lead someone on; to tease. Also, to melt something
snak—to catch, intercept something
solicitar—to solicit, request. From the Sp.
somber—to say or speak somberly
vape—to kill
vete—to hang out with someone
vitalize—to make or create or bring something into existence
volubate—to talk, speak. From Eng. Voluble
waft—to go away; tell someone to get lost
whirligig—to pass something along
Other
agro—aggression. An aggressive person. From N. Zealand slang
antisoc—an antisocial person, criminal element
baggerag—a low-class mugger
Big Box, the—contemporary equivalent of the old, historic Internet
biosurge—a surgeon with advanced mechanical handling skills
Bonezone—a dangerous, lawless area
boxes—linked computers. Intranets to infranets to the Big Box itself
buitrees—from Sp. buitre, vulture
burley—especially messy or nasty garbage; junk. From Aust. Slang
cerebro—brains; brainy
chameleon—a highly sensitive, sensor-equipped device that fits over the face and is capable of mimicking another person's facial features.
chica—a chick, a girl. From Sp. Slang
chieflado—the head of a ninloco gang. From Eng. chief & Sp. chiflado, crazy
chingaroon—a real tough fucker. From Sp. chingaron (a tough fucker) and the vinegaroon, an especially ugly desert arachnid
diopter—a modern helicopter
chopwire—a pocket-sized weapon for delivering a paralyzing electrical charge
cleanie—a solid, upstanding, middle-class citizen
codo—a condominium
comm—a telephone or other communications device
colorcrawl—a glowing, neonlike, kinetic wall décor
comercio—a shop or business. From the Sp. crunch—computing power
culo—asshole. From Sp. Slang
desal—desalinated seawater
dinkum—the truth; for real. From Aust. slang fair dinkum
Disony—the giant Disney-Sony entertainment multinat
disruptor—a device for discharging a powerful electromagnetic pulse
drool—a snitch
drongo—a bum, loser, bad guy. From Aust. Slang
durable—tough guy; from Eng. durable and Sp. duro, tough
eeLancer—a freelance technology expert
federale—from Sp. for cop, policeman
fedoco—a disparaging term for a federale
fejoada—a spicy Brazilian dish
feleon—a real nasty bad guy. From Eng. felon & Mex. slang feon, an ugly sucker
feral (a)—an unregistered resident of the nether regions of the Strip
flashman—a PR specialist. May be either sex
flicker—a gun that fires hypodermic shells; invisible to most weapons detectors
frac—an anti-personnel grenade
gazehaze—rumors
gengineering—genetic engineering, often for cosmetic reasons
giggilo—comb, of giggle and gigolo
gloomer—a sextel featuring hard sex
goofac—(juvie slang) a doofus
gordo—Sp. Fat
gram—a computer program
hangle—a detailed discussion. From Eng. haggle and hang
hardzine—a printed newspaper, magazine, brochure, etc.
homber—from original Sp. hombre, but pronounced as Eng. A guy, a male
huevos—"balls." From Sp., literally "eggs"
husher—a device that enhances silence by canceling out other sounds
induction tube—a maglev mass transportation system common throughout North America
infovoid—the usable three-dimensional area of an open, active box
integral—intact, whole, undamaged, unharmed
juice—any kind of drug
keiretsu—a huge industrial-commercial combine. From the Japanese
kims—kilometers
kosh—as in "kosher cash." Legitimate money
krilliabase—food made from krill
lepero—From Mex. slang lepero, leper; a foul-mouthed, obscene creep
Madison ejector—a device for foisting multiple, alterable ads on a helpless public
macrolice—a large police file
maquiladora—an old border (Strip) manufacturing plant
masalsa—country-style north Mexican music. From Mex. salsa, a type of music, and masa, a corn flour used in the making of tortillas
mataro(a)—assassin. From Sp. matar, to ki
ll
medoggle—specialized hitech goggles for use by medical personnel meroin—a synthetic opiate
mierde—shit. From the Sp.
miragoo—a mirage tattoo
molly—a mollysphere. A spherical hard drive suspended in a magnetic field that is read by a laser as it rotates. The integrated laser not only reads information stored on the surface, but can change focus, thus enabling it to read from many multiple layers within, as if reading information imprinted on the concentric layers of an onion.
monger—someone with a complaint; a talker
muerto—a dead person. From the Sp. Also used as a verb, to kill
multinats—giant multinational corporations, companies
muse lenses—wearable, eyeglasslike device for sensory playback
muy malo—very bad. From the Sp.
neg and pos—boy and girl. From Eng. negative and positive
nacha—ass. From Mex. Slang
Namerica—North American Union, consisting of old USA, Canada, & Mexico
NFP—Namerican Federal Police; the federales nins;
ninlocos—literally, "crazyboys." From Sp. nino & loco, child & crazy
nodester—a dealer in muse wafers
nonzafado—not with it, not "in"
nypron—very strong but near-massless fiber based on aerogel technology
OTS—Organization for Tropical Studies
para-site—a Web site
pend—penis. From Mex. slang pendejo
pinche cabron—a fucking asshole. From Mex. Slang
psychys—psychologists and psychiatrists
qwilk shop—from "quick click." A store with high-tech componentry for sale
Rara Aves—Rare Birds. From the Latin
Sanjuana—the future arcomplex of greater San Diego and Tijuana
scave—a scavenger
seamyvits—porno
sextel—a licensed brothel
sheila—a woman. From Aust. Slang
shocker—a small pistol-like device that fires electrically charged pellets
soche—a school-like environment for teaching children life skills
Schlage sesame—a device for decoding and unlocking an electronic lock
siryore—a male honorific; combination of Eng. sir and Sp. senor.
skim artist—a con man
slywire—a wire-thin knife blade
snaffler—someone who's too talkative. In Mex. slang, horicon
snapper—a police sniper. From archaic 20th-century American slang
soulpool—a poor part of a big city; not necessarily a slum area
spacebase—an illegal narcotic
sparkle—another illegal narcotic spizzed;
spazzed out—wiped out, overwhelmed
sponging—working the box (computer, Net, Web, etc.)
stimstick—a legal smokable narcotic
strewth—the truth, verdad. From Aust. Slang
strine—Australian slang
subcue—a personal identification chip installed under the skin; subcutaneously
subgrub—a preteen
sylph—a high-class whore
tactile—a program that can be "felt." Uses enormous amounts of crunch
tambaqui—a very large, very tasty fish from the Amazon basin
tecant—a technological savant, i.e., a technical talent
Tico/Tica—a nickname for male/female residents of Costa Rica
todos—that's all
tortuga—turtle. From the Sp.
toyman—a kept man
traba-job—a job, work. From Sp. trabajo, to work, and Eng. job.
trochus—an edible mollusk from the South Pacific
vacan—something that's cool, with it. From Peruvian slang
vapor—talk, rumor
vapowraith—an image formed out of "solid" smoke. More aerogel technology
Verdes—ecological activists. From Sp. verde, green
vertiprop—an aircraft that can fly like a plane but take off and land vertically
vit—video pickup, camera, show . . . multiple usages referring to video
vorec—voice recognition device, handheld, for controlling electronics
wafers—small, flexible electronic storage media
wanker—a goof-off, a no-good. From Aust. Slang
wishwire—electronic ganglia
Wugs—wireless underground gofer systems. The individual components of a communal AI lifeform that haunts the Strip
WWF—World Wildlife Fund
yakk—talk, chatter; talking ability
yobbo—loser, bum. From Aust. slang
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Glossary of Spang