States
An American state named after the word for Mountain
Montana
This city in Texas refers to the pass between two countries.
El Paso
This word for "tie" in Spanish refers to way to wrangle animals in English.
Lasso/Lazo
This geological phenomenon is a large, flat, elevated landscape and translates to "table" in Spanish.
This large reptile takes its name from an anglicization of the word for lizard in Spanish, el lagarto.
Alligator
This architectural term refers to the inner courtyard of a building.
Patio
The things you carry with you, coming from the Spanish word "to load"
Cargo
A spicy pork sausage.
Chorizo
A red "fruit" coming from the Nahuatl "xitomatl."
Tomato/Tomate
The word in Spanish for soon, implying "as soon as possible" in English.
Pronto
A flowery state in the US
Florida
This city has the shortened version of an older name, “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of Angels of the Porciúncula River”
Los Angeles
This refers to a place to a yard or an animal pen in both English and Spanish.
Corral
This large geological phenomenon is a formed by erosion and is a cognate in English and Spanish.
Canyon/Cañon
This pesky bug translates to "little fly" in Spanish.
Mosquito
In city planning, a central public square
Plaza
In English, when a country stops purchasing an item from another country, coming from the Spanish verb for "to seize".
Embargo
The name for this pepper technically means "from Jalapa."
Jalapeño
This word refers to a smoked chili pepper, but is also a popular American chain of restaurants.
Chipotle
A poolside shelter, coming from the Spanish word for Cabin
Cabana
This American state is named after a kind of precipitation
Nevada
This California city is named after a saint who also founded an order of monks.
San Francisco
These go over your pants to further protect your legs.
Chaps/chaparreras
This word takes the phrase for mountain range in Spanish.
Sierra
This rodent with armor takes its name from the diminuitive in Spanish "little armored one."
Armadillo
In English, this word means a well-educated patron, coming from the word for "fan" in Spanish.
Aficionado
Both in English and Spanish, a boat dock
Embarcadero
This herb is found in many Mexican and Italian dishes.
Oregano
This classic sweet flavor comes from the nahuatl word for "hot water."
Chocolate
Suave
This American state is named for the color of the river that shares the state's name
Colorado
This Texas city is named after the patron saint of lost objects.
San Antonio
The name of this event comes from the Spanish verb rodear (to go around).
Rodeo
A large, usually circular volcanic depression formed when magma is withdrawn or erupted from a shallow underground magma reservoir taking it's name from the Spanish word for a boiler.
Caledera
This wild animal takes it´s name from the Spanish "mesteño," or untamed. Also the mascot of Ms. Towler's alma mater, SMU.
Mustang
The quality of being overly masculine
Macho
In English, a fleet of warships, coming from the Spanish adjective for "armed"
Armada
Salsa
This dip combines the words for ahuacatl and molli (avocado and sauce).
Guacamole
Someone who knows a lot, coming from the verb for "to know" (saber) in Spanish
Savvy
This American state has the name the Spaniards adopted from the language of the indigenous Cado people, meaning "friends" or "allies"
Texas
These sister cities in California and Mexico have a name meaning "King's Mountain."
Monterrey
This slang word for cowboy in English comes from a very poor interpretation of the Spanish word for cowboy, vaquero
Buckaroo
This ugly bug´s name comes from the anglicization of its Spanish counterpart.
Cockroach/Cucaracha
In English, this word means corner store, coming from the Spanish word for "cellar".
Bodega
In English, a fleet of warships, coming from the Spanish diminuitive for "float"
Flotilla
This is a common flavor in Mexican desserts.
Vanilla/Vainilla
A place where food can be bought, coming from the word for "coffee store" in Spanish
Cafeteria
This American state has the name of a mythical island from the 1510 novel Las Sergas de la Esplandián
California
This city in Nevada is named after the meadow landscape.
Las Vegas
This word refers to a small rural community, often working with animals or farming.
Rancho
This fish with taking its name from the Spanish word for boar, "barraco."
Barracuda
This adjective, meaning unreasonably optimistic, takes it's name after Miguel de Cervantes's famous, delusional knight, Don Quijote de la Mancha.
Quixotic
A member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, coming from the Spanish dimunitive for "war"
Guerilla
The name for this filling dish literally means "little donkey."
Burrito
Returning home in the middle of the day for a nap, from Latin for "sixth hour"
siesta
This city in California is named after the Spanish name for an ash tree.
Fresno
This word has been used in English as well to refer to a desperate person. It is also the name of one of Ms. Towler's favorite Rihanna songs.
Desperado/Desesperado
The name of this wild horse comes from the Spanish word for "rough."
Bronco
A traitor, coming from the Spanish word of the same definition
Renegade/Renegado
The name for this pepper technically means "from Havana."
Habanero
A person who takes law enforcement into their own hands (like Batman), coming from the Spanish word for "watchman"
Vigilante
This snack is named after its creator, Ignacio Anaya, who created the messy dish in 1943.
Nachos
The phrase for this fruity drink refers to a "strained pineapple" in Spanish.
Piña colada