# Why do Latinos refer to their chums as "Homes" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646 "2002-09-02T05:16:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rostfrei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@rostfrei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rostfrei)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/1 "2002-09-02T05:16:32Z")
i.e. “What’s up, Homes” ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/2 "2002-09-02T05:38:48Z")
Short for “homeboy”. Someone from the neighborhood. Also “homie”(sp?) ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/3 "2002-09-02T08:12:43Z")
Which begs the question, why do they call each other homeboy? ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/4 "2002-09-02T09:36:47Z")
This is my friend. Known, colloquially, as my boy. He is from my home. Hence he is my homeboy. Is that really so difficult to parse? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/5 "2002-09-02T14:59:52Z")
I always thought they were calling eachother “Holmes”. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/6 "2002-09-02T15:57:58Z")
How do you get “Holmes” from “Homies (Homeys/Homes)”? ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/7 "2002-09-02T16:30:11Z")
I thought it was “holmes” as well. ---
**Author:** ![mancunian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mancunian/32/12244_2.png) [@mancunian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mancunian)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/8 "2002-09-02T19:42:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skogcat \* > \*\*How do you get “Holmes” from “Homies (Homeys/Homes)”? \*\* 'Cos holmes sounds like homes. As in Sherlock Holmes. ---
**Author:** ![cleops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cleops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleops)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/9 "2002-09-02T20:44:48Z")
Man. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/10 "2002-09-02T21:49:32Z")
It wasn’t a latino thing where I grew up. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/11 "2002-09-02T22:05:39Z")
It’s not entirely just a Latino thing, I think. Holmes sounds like Homes, just like rasta sounds like hasta, which is the beginning to hasta la vista, or hasta luego, both of which are common Spanish phrases when leaving. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/12 "2002-09-02T22:32:54Z")
I thought it was Holmes too, as in John Holmes, as a compliment to a brother…like he was hung like Holmes. Us old white people are SO out of it… ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/13 "2002-09-02T23:45:43Z")
I thought they said “homie”, to rhyme with “phoney”. ---
**Author:** ![Rhapsody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Rhapsody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhapsody)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/14 "2002-09-03T01:14:48Z")
holmes and homie are 2 different things. Holmes is semi-derogatory and is suggestive of “catching a clue” or someone who is trying to find something out. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/15 "2002-09-03T01:41:42Z")
It was my impression that “Holmes” derived from “homeboy” by way of “home,” and referenced (probably third or fourth hand) the way Dr. Watson always referred to his bes friend simply as Holmes, even when addressing him directly. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/16 "2002-09-03T04:18:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rhapsody \* > \*\*Holmes is semi-derogatory and is suggestive of “catching a clue” or someone who is trying to find something out. \*\* Where did you get that idea from? Are you thinking of “Sherlock,” as in “No shit, Sherlock”? ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/17 "2002-09-03T04:26:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rhapsody \* > \*\*Holmes is semi-derogatory and is suggestive of “catching a clue” or someone who is trying to find something out. \*\* Where did you get that idea from? Are you thinking of “Sherlock,” as in “No shit, Sherlock”? ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/18 "2002-09-03T04:37:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rhapsody \* > \*\*Holmes is semi-derogatory and is suggestive of “catching a clue” or someone who is trying to find something out. \*\* Where did you get that idea from? Are you thinking of “Sherlock,” as in “No shit, Sherlock”? ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/19 "2002-09-03T05:13:55Z")
I don’t think its correct to say its ‘latino’, its really more Hip Hop urban slang - which probably originates more with black teens. That of course depends on where you live. I live in a town that is about 80% Latino, and there are many subgroups or subcultures not shared by everyone. I don’t think I ever hear friends say “holmes” or “homeboy” much. ---
**Author:** ![hapaXL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/94ad74/32.png) [@hapaXL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hapaXL)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-latinos-refer-to-their-chums-as-homes/126646/20 "2002-09-03T22:47:52Z")
Pretty certain it originated in the Mexican gangs of East L.A.