Vocabulary & Culture Lesson #2

A lot of Argentine Spanish is very different from the Spanish I learned in school or in Mexico. Here are a few vocabulary differences and slang words I've come to know the past two weeks:

Food Words:

anana = pineapple (not piña, like in Mexico)
palta = avocado (not aguacate, like in Mexico)
chocla = corn (not maiz, like in Mexico)
ñoqui = Italian pasta made with flour, potato, and egg (gnocchi). Argentine families traditionally eat ñoquis on the 29th of the month, probably a marketing gimmick invented by the pasta industry. The superstitious put a bill under their plate before digging in, thereby insuring better monetary fortunes in the month to come. [Special shout-out to Wally's on that one]

Slang Terms:

ladron de cuna = cradle robber
trago = a drink
gil = stupid
che = dude
boludo = affectionate word for drunk (used among friends)
cartoneros = a community of people who dig through trash at night and live in shanty towns, see also this link for an article