perico
/peˈɾiko/
The English phrase 'booger sugar' is translated into Spanish as perico.
The term is used as slang to refer to cocaine. Other slang terms for the drug include Nieve, which translates to 'snow'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word perico literally means 'little parrot'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Perico is a colloquial slang term used to refer to cocaine.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the slang term Farlopa is commonly used to refer to cocaine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word perico follows standard Spanish noun declension and can be made plural as pericos.
How do you pronounce it?
/peˈɾiko/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, perico also refers to a traditional breakfast dish of scrambled eggs with onions and tomatoes.
- The diminutive form of the name 'Pedro' is actually the root of the word perico, making it a linguistic descendant of a common name.
- In some Caribbean Spanish dialects, calling someone a perico might imply they are a 'mimic' or a 'repeater', rather than referring to the drug.
Examples in context
- Él compró un poco de perico.He bought a little bit of cocaine.
- No quiero saber nada sobre ese perico.I don't want to know anything about that cocaine.
- Ese perico es muy caro.That cocaine is very expensive.
Example conversation
Two people talking secretly at a club.
- SofíaMateo, ¿tienes un poco de perico?Mateo, do you have some cocaine?
- MateoNo, Sofía, ya no me queda.No, Sofía, I don't have any left.
- SofíaQué mal, yo quería comprarte.That's too bad, I wanted to buy some from you.
- MateoBusca a otra persona entonces.Look for someone else then.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry perico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries perico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
