Hispanics in my hometown use the word vato quite a lot. It seems that it refers to a “cool” person. Does anyone know of its exact meaning and its origin?
I don’t know its origin, but I’ve always understood it to be roughly equivalent to “dude” or “buddy”–a way of addressing someone who belongs to your own circle. There’s definitely an overtone of “one of us.”
Vato is “rat.” Colloquialism, I guess.
“Rata” is rat. Vato means “dude” or “guy” or “buddy,” as Biffy wrote.
Here’s a lead:
“vato loco” also seems to be a common usage.
White boy who grew up in the barrio here.
In the 60’s the gang members would call each other vato in the same maner that today they might say bro, or homeboy.
I had the feeling that vato loco was reserved as a term of respect for the really hard core gang bangers usually used to describe in the 3rd person. As in “He’s a real vato loco”
Vato just means “dude” or “buddy”. Extensively used in the Mexican-American communities across the US. It usage has spread in other Latino communities. Slang.
It’s used as in “¿Hey, vato, que horas son? Pasate un churro, huey.”
“Vato loco” just means “crazy dude” in the same we say in English “He is one crazy mofo.”
XicanoreX
Just be careful in your pronunciation. You don’t ever want to call anyone a “pato”. :eek: