# In the song "Hotel California," what does "colitas" mean?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/314466>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 27, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/314466 "2005-07-27T20:58:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![luislega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a5b964/32.png) [@luislega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luislega)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/314466/1 "2005-07-27T20:58:24Z")

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[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_001](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_001)

I’m sorry if I should have posted this elsewhere, but this is the best I could do.  
“colitas” is the Mexican slang (and somewhat dirty) word for women. Literally, it means booty.

So, the interpretation we Mexican folks give to that phrase is simple, “the smell of hot chicks” rising in the air.

I have nothing more to add to this, so that’ll be it.

Thanks.  
Luis

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**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/314466/2 "2005-07-27T21:00:15Z")

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> [@luislega](#):
>
> [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_001](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_001)
> 
> I’m sorry if I should have posted this elsewhere, but this is the best I could do.  
> “colitas” is the Mexican slang (and somewhat dirty) word for women. Literally, it means booty.
> 
> So, the interpretation we Mexican folks give to that phrase is simple, “the smell of hot chicks” rising in the air.
> 
> I have nothing more to add to this, so that’ll be it.
> 
> Thanks.  
> Luis

I thought “colitas” was some kind of desert plant.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/314466/3 "2005-07-28T01:22:55Z")

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Wanna read a previous thread on this? I dare you.

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=57033&highlight=colitas](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=57033&highlight=colitas)

The answer is in there. I promise.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean/314466/4 "2005-07-28T04:05:24Z")

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You win, **sam**. I tried reading that other thread and failed miserably, when my own major intestine, in a desperate attempt to save my life and civilization, threatened to leap straight up through my neck and throttle my brain.