Thread: What does "PINCHE" mean?

Hello Everyone! I have been on a quest to find out the slang translation for "Pinche". I don't even know if I'm spelling it right. My husband is fluent in Spanish and English and sometimes he calls me his "Little Pinche". He always says it lovingly, but I've heard it is a derogatory slang term. Please translate. Thanks!

Michelle:

"Pinche" significa: "Ayudante de cocinero"... pero dicha definición casi nunca es utilizada en ese sentido; más bien al contrario, en sentido peyorativo, con un equivalente más sutil que "fucking".

También es cierto que se utiliza a manera de "cariñitos" o "suavización", como lo es tu caso... e.g. "pinche niño" = "qué niño tan ocurrente"...

(Si no es bastante ilustrativa ésta orientación, avísame... me limité por respeto al foro)

Pinche es perfectamente correcto como "ayudante de cocina" así lo detalla el OED en su segunda acepción. Además, aquí en Barcelona no está en absoluto
ligada a ningún contexto del tipo "fucking", si bien es cierto que denota un tono despectivo dentro del ramo, ínfimo la mayoría de las veces.

pinche2 mf
a (Coc) kitchen porter
b (en una oficina) office junior
c (fam) (de albañil) mate (colloq)

Saludos!

Good Morning Everyone! Thanks for the replies, but I do not know Spanish. Can someone translate these two replies for me?

pinche can be bad or good depending on how you use it....most people would use it before something else, how we use 'fucking'....like 'mi pinche coche' would be 'my fucking car'...or 'pinche ganchos' would 'the fucking tongs'. I guess it also means cook assistant, but I've never heard anyone use it that way.

i thought this thread was funny cause i always call my gf 'pinche maria' and she calls me pinche too...but its meant in a good way. maybe you could say its like him calling you 'his little pain in the ass'...but in a loving joking way.

As I understand it, a "pinche" is a scullery maid. She could be called a cook's helper, but her main job is cleaning pots and pans. This is the least prestigious job in the kitchen, the one requiring the least talent, ability, and experience. It's easy to understand how this word could imply "worthless".

I see "pinche" in Mexico less as "fucking" than as "damn, darn, crappy, worthless, no-good" etc.

In Nicaragua, "pinche" means "tightfisted, stingy" etc.

Aqui en Texas, en el 'Tex Mex' pinche significa 'f---ing'.

Here in Texas, in 'Tex-Mex' piche means 'f---ing.'

Depende del contexto.. espero que esto te ayude


pinche1 adj
a (AmL fam) (delante del n) (maldito): ¡pinche vida! what a
(lousy o rotten) life!; me robaron mi pinche portafolios
they stole my damn o (BrE) bloody briefcase (colloq); por
unos pinches pesos for a few miserable o crummy o
measly pesos (colloq); ¿por qué no nos vamos de este
pinche sitio? let’s get out of this damn place!
b (Méx fam) (de poca calidad) lousy (colloq)
c (Méx fam) (despreciable) horrible
d (AmC fam) (tacaño) tightfisted (colloq)

pinche2 mf
a (Coc) kitchen porter
b (en una oficina) office junior
c (fam) (de albañil) mate (colloq)

pinche3 m
1 (Esp) (Jueg) ante, stake money
2 (Chi) (para el pelo) bobby pin (AmE), hairgrip (BrE)
3 (Arg) (de una planta) Þpincho 1