Hocico

You might think you don't need to know how to say snout in Spanish but it comes up in two common — and rude — expressions.

Cállate el hocico

Cállate la boca works for Shut up; or more simply Te callas, Shut it. Farther along the rudeness spectrum is Cállate el hocico, shut the fuck up, shut your trap.

What makes these expressions rude is the suggestion, by substituting snount for mouth, that the address is sub-human, is merely an animal.

Some teachers will tell you that you don't need to learn such vocabulary because you shouldn't use it, that you could get into a fight unknowingly. But it's advantageous to recognize and understand such language when you hear it. In addition, there's often the possibility of using rude language playfully among friends. It all depends on the situation and your relationship with the listener. ¿A poco no?

Guardar silencio

By the way, the polite way of asking someone to be quiet is Guarda/guarde silencio, por favor. Remember that quieto is a false cognate, meaning not quiet but rather still. When giving commands to dogs, quieto works for stay, don't move. Its antonym, inquieto, means restless. A quiet place would be un lugar sin ruido or un lugar tranquilo.

Romperle el hocico a alguien

Mexican Spanish has no shortage of ways to talk about beating the crap out of someone. Here is yet another option, using hocico:

• Yo te hubiera roto el hocico. I would have punched you in the mouth.
• Te voy a romper el hocico. I'm gonna fuck you up.