chachi, chachito, chachitos

[Tomisimo]

I had someone ask me about these words chachi and chachito, and I didn't really have an answer for them. After doing some research, this is what I've found, but I'd like your help if you know anything about these terms.

chachi
A character in 'Happy Days' was called chachi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chachi_Arcola
chachi or chanchi are adjectives meaning buenísimo, estupendo, chido [MX], although I'm not sure where that term is used.

chachito
chachito de mar is apparently a type of fish near chile, known as a horsefish in English.
Chachitos is a brand name for a puffed wheat product. http://www.chachitos.com.mx/
chachitos is apparently some kind of term to refer to certain kids that live on the streets? http://www.chachitosdocu.org/main.html

Does anyone else have any more information about what these words mean and where they're used?

[bryantmom22]

women at my husbands work call him that should i be worried? They flirt all the time and i am worried what they are calling him.
Danielle

[sosia]

Spanish terms (as far as I know):
Chachi: cool, like in Mexico, as Tomisimo says
chachito: ¿¿??

Chachi (english slang)
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chachi

Hope it helps

[Elaina]

Hola! Buenos dias!

Chachi...... he visto (re-runs) de Happy Days en la Tele y se quien es Chachi pero voy a ser honesta en decir que nunca he escuchado las demás palabras.

Ahora yo sé la palabra Chancho!:D pero creo que es algo totalmente diferente.

:o

[Tomisimo]

women at my husbands work call him that should i be worried? They flirt all the time and i am worried what they are calling him.
Danielle

Do you or your husband speak Spanish? Do you know what the context is when they call your husband that, as in do they use chachito in a phrase or by itself as a nickname? Some of that might help us decipher the meaning.

Here's a kids video I found. I think the clown's name is chachito travieso? Aquí hay otros videos (http://www.youtube.com/user/chachotravieso) que ha hecho.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjxgNm43UA

If you do a search on youtube for 'chachito' (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chachito&search=) they list a bunch of videos, but I'm still not sure exactly what it means. I'll try to ask around too.

[bryantmom22]

They call him that as a nickname? Neither of us speak spanish. He just had his birthday and they put in his card that "he is there best chachito and that they are his chacha and cheche" I am furious and think that it is disrespectful and want to know if i have a reason to be concerned. To me it is like in english when we call someone honey or baby.
Thank you for all your help
Danielle

[sosia]

Sorry, never heard cheche here in Spain. It's cuban/puerto Rico

First RAE (Royal Academie) Definiction
---------------
chacho, cha. (Acort. de muchacho). (sortening of muchacho)
1. m. y f. coloq. muchacho. (boy) muchacha (girl)
2. m. Puesta que se hace en el juego del hombre. (a specific situation in a old card's game)
3. f. coloq. niñera. (sitter, babysitter)
4. f. coloq. sirvienta. (maid)

m: masculine
f: feminine
m. y f. : masculine and feminine
Coloq.: colloquial
--------------------

I have only heard chacha as babysitter/maid.
As babysitter usually is a relative:
-old: an aunt without familie, or a grandma with other children to care
-young: a cousin/niece who cares for the children and can live/study in your house.

Chacha as maid was very common in the 60,70, but now it's not so common to have maids, so they call them "servicio".
"yo no soy la chacha de nadie " --> "I'm nobody's maid"
Usually was an old woman, who knows the family and speaks a lot.:D
But she could be old or young. Usually they do both house service and babysitting.

Usually muchacha means girl, but it can also mean maid/babysitter. A lot of poor girls (or girls from the country who went to the city) worked for other families as maid/babysitter in order to have a proper place to live/eat.

Muchacho means always boy, because the boys worked in the country/factories, but not as maids

So
chacha: diminutivo de muchacha. (diminutive of muchacha)
chacho = muchacho
chacho = muchacho, joven
chachito = muchacho, joven


Chacha and Chacho as girl/boy it's not so common here, but used in Cuba, Rep. Dominicana, Canary Island, Puerto Rico, caló (Gipsy's language) and some other places. Also used in raeggeton lyrics (a form of spanish rap :rolleyes: ).

Cheche it's more dificult.
First the RAE
---------------------------
cheche.
1. m. Cuba. Hombre bravucón, fanfarrón. a boastful/show-off/braggart man
2. m. irón. coloq. P. Rico. Jefe, director. Boss, director
3. m. coloq. P. Rico. Persona que triunfa. a winner person
m: masculine
irón: irónico: ironic
CUba: Cuba
P. Rico: Puerto Rico
------------------------------

The problem it's your sentence

"he is there best chachito and that they are his chacha and cheche"
He is the best mate/boy/guy/buddy and that they are his girl/mate/colleague and bosses/chiefs.
If the card it's signed by some chief/boss it's ok, but linguistic not ok (it should be "they are his chachas and cheches")
If not signed by a boss, it should be some kind of word play, impliying more persons and gramatically ok (chacha and cheche its plural)

Hope it helps :D

PD: To Danielle.
This is a personal opinion: Sincerely I don't think this is a disrespectful message, but I must say I don't use this words this way so I'm not an expert.I take it as "You're the best buddy here, from your colleagues" and nothing more. Chachito it's an affective/diminutive term, but not necesary flirting.
Spanish has sure a lot of options to implying love/affections (similar to honey/baby: cariño, ricura, encanto, corazón, bobón) and cacho/cachito it's not so personal. I can't find a english similar, it's like buddy.
Chancho/chanchito (with n), as Elaina implies, it's pig