Every Puerto Rican grew up with a grandmother who had a saying for everything. Half of them make no literal sense and all of them are right. Here are a few we love, and what they actually mean.
"Wepa"
Not really a word, more a feeling. Joy, pride, let's go, all at once. You shout it at a parranda and you shout it when your team scores. If you know, you know.
"Ay bendito"
The most Puerto Rican phrase there is. It carries sympathy, mild exasperation, and tenderness depending on the tone. A spilled coffee, a sad story, a cute baby, all "ay bendito."
Words worth hanging
These sayings carry home in them. On a wall, they're a daily reminder of where you come from and who said them first.
