# Why do Mestizos in the US say 'holmes' when it isn't Spanish?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 22, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739 "2008-06-22T01:31:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![scrambledeggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@scrambledeggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scrambledeggs)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739/1 "2008-06-22T01:31:29Z")

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I notice that (at least in the past) the big slang by US hispanics, especially Mestizos, was to say “Holmes” or “What up Holmes”.

Since Holmes is an English name, what is the connection?

Never understood that.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739/2 "2008-06-22T01:34:12Z")

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I always thought it was “homes,” short for “homeboy.”

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739/3 "2008-06-22T01:34:13Z")

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Not Holmes. Homes. Homeboy.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739/4 "2008-06-22T01:45:36Z")

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I’m pretty sure that word travelled:

Black man: Homeboy -\>  
-\> Black man: homes -\>  
white man: homes | hispanic man: homes  
|  
|  
V  
SDMB poster: Holmes

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739/5 "2008-06-22T01:51:33Z")

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[Wassup Holmes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOj-Is2ylA0)

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**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739/6 "2008-06-22T02:09:22Z")

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“Holmes” means “homeboy” which means “hombre” which means “man”.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739/7 "2008-06-22T02:12:22Z")

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[QUOTE=Terminus Est]  
“Holmes” means “homeboy” which means “hombre” which means “man”.  
[/QUOTE]

AFAIK, ‘homeboy’ \<\> ‘hombre’. Homeboy is someone from your ‘home’ (neighbourhood or gang).

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**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739/8 "2008-06-22T02:19:53Z")

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[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.]  
AFAIK, ‘homeboy’ \<\> ‘hombre’. Homeboy is someone from your ‘home’ (neighbourhood or gang).  
[/QUOTE]

I always understood to be a sort of triple-pun. A homeboy is an hombre, i.e. a boy, from your home.

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**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mestizos-in-the-us-say-holmes-when-it-isnt-spanish/453739/9 "2008-06-22T06:05:15Z")

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[QUOTE=Squink]  
[Wassup Holmes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOj-Is2ylA0)  
[/QUOTE]

That was too funny for words!

Also, didn’t the term “homeboy” originally refer to a (US) military man who was stationed in his home state?