"porras"?

"porras"?
 

What does "Porras" mean?

I don't even remember where I first learned about it, or in what context, so forgive me if this is all the information I can provide.

Does it ring a bell for any native Spanish speakers?

thanks in advance!

Manuel

As an Argentine, porras has tree meanings to me

Locally, porras is a good heap of hair "attached" to someone's head, not carefully cut or dressed.

For the Spanish side of it, a noa word, replacing a curse word, like "¡Porras!" meaning "Darn it!". Books have brought this to me.

For the Mexican side of it, a group of fans cheering for their favourite team, what extends to politics, and "dando porras" (cheering with special songs and group movements) for the team or group they support, what I would call "hinchando". TV dubbing has brought this to me, as porristas is their chosen "neutral" term for cheerleaders.

Adding to Alec's right answer, take a look at the rest of definitions in the dictionary here. :)

The dictionary definitions reminded me another use in Argentina. I heard it from Paraguayans, but it's probably extended: Among those poor hard working people who come from cultural contexts where they spend all spare money in whims and impulsive buying, they have problems to gather enough cash to buy a more expensive good, like a refrigerator, a computer or the building materials for a new bedroom so they won't have four kids of both genders sharing the same room. Then, they made porras, that is, groups of trusted relatives, friends and co-workers that contribute a fixed sum every weak or fortnight, let's say, the equivalent of 40 US dollars. So, this, say, 20 people, gather 800$ and give them to one of them, chosen either by draw or in list order. The system continues until the last one has their money.

The benefit is most none of them would have gathered the 800$ after 20 weeks, either because they would have spent them in "luxury superfluous" goods or declined extra time or jobs offered. Many participate in several porras at the same time. This manages risks and by calling dibs for a specific place in the list they can manage to get all of their money at the same time so they can buy a more expensive good, like a car, or the down-payment for an urban lot.