We had a light snowfall yesterday, and when I came home from work, I found that someone had written “Puto” in the snow on the hood. I have no idea what it means. We’ve got some latino looking folks living in the trailer park, so I assume it’s Spanish, but googling only gets me filipino references. If it’s something derogatory to me, what would be an appropriate response in the correct vernacular? (And don’t hand me this crap that I should just ignore it. I grew up in a tough neighborhood and I know that if you ignore it, you just invite more. The “nuclear option” in such situations is always your best bet.)
Are you sure it was not puta ?
Declan
Puto could either be a male prostitute or a homosexual, depending on where it’s used.
IANASS (I am not a Spanish speaker), but I think “Putar” is the verb “to copulate,” therefore Puto might possibly mean “I fuck”
“I fuck” without a direct object seems incredibly strange though… even for a strange snow message.
The Spanish word for “whore” is puta. “Puto” would be the male equivalent.
Spoken like a true pubbie, there, Tuckerfan. Welcome to the dark side. 
Gallantin, TN. Home of hard knocks!
Bzzt! Thank you for playing! Bob, who’s our next contestant on Your Life as a Loser? 
Gallatin, is merely my current place of exile, I grew up in what was then, a small farming town, in Ohio where if we liked you, we said nasty things about yo momma! If we didn’t like you, we said nasty things about your dead momma! (Even if she wasn’t dead! :eek: )
Puto is basically the equivalent word for ‘fag’. Are you openly gay? Either way, they’re just being stupid.
Actually, I’m openly straight.
Sounds like advertently or inadvertently you ticked him off.
Do whatever you did again and you’ll be risking a key scratch…
+1
They are just being stupid.
*Puto *means both fag or male slut. In Mexico, it is used to as an insult to homosexuals, but it is also used against womanizers. Also, as stated in the Urban Dictionary.com it is used to mean some who is a coward.
If it’s a one off, sounds more like kids being kids than a victimisation campaign.
Escalations aside, save the ammo for when aliens attack.
I’d agree with this. If you do not give the appearance of being gay, or have reason to believe you have pissed some Spanish-speaker off, it is most likely some kid writing a bad word on some random car. Ignore it unless it is repeated.
Hear hear. If you’d have been in my village when I was a teenager (and the SDMB had existed), you’d instead be writing “Why would someone draw a giant ejaculating penis and testicles on my car? Are they calling me a dick?”. Or in the case of my brother’s buddy, “Why would someone burn a swastika into the cowfield? Are there neo-nazis in the village?”
99.9% likely it’s just dumb kids, and the correct response is to ignore it and hope they grow up.
The appropriate response, then, is to start up an affair with the cuplrit’s female partner. That’ll show 'im!
Pluto? Sounds like someone meant to be a little Goofy!
heh heh, I did those. And the anarchy A. Stupid kid stuff. They will grow up and become stupid adults in due time, then you can beat them to a pulp. 
As for a good response, “me cago en la puta que te pario” is always certain to get a reaction. Bring your own chunk of rebar.
While “puto/puta” can mean “whore,” I’ve heard it more used as a general derogatory term on par with “asshole” and such. Something people friendly with each other could say without tempers being raised. But if you’re not friendly with them, then it’s probably reason for concern.
That said, if I see someone driving around with “puto” etched in snow on their car, I’ll be sure to give you a wave.
No, “Goofy” is Tonto.