Using puto to call someone “weak” is also offensive, because it denigrates people who are gay by comparison. The vulgar chant is a bit of a play on words, as missing a goal in Spanish is dejar que se la metieran, or “to let someone stick it in.” If they do that, well, then they must be a puto, at least in the minds of macho muchachos.Ĭalling someone a puto, whether in a Spanish or mixed English–Spanish contexts, is very offensive. There, fans may chant puto to distract the opposing team’s goalkeeper. Puto, like puta, can be used as a general intensifier à la the English fuck. It’s particularly common Mexico and Chicano communities, especially at fútbol matches.
