Doña Clotilde sueña con ser Miss Universo

What does “chanfle” mean in Spanish?

¡Chanfle! is an interjection of surprise — anything from delight to dismay — that works as a tidy, family-friendly stand-in for stronger words, on the level of “good grief,” “wow,” or “darn.” It was made famous worldwide by Roberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito) in El Chavo del 8 and El Chapulín Colorado, where it replaced the kind of expression you couldn’t say on a kids' show.

In sport, chanfle also literally means a curve or spin put on a ball (a banana kick), from the same root as chaflán, “bevel.” As an exclamation it can stand alone (¡Chanfle!) or appear in the grumble me lleva el chanfle, a softened “this is killing me.” It reads as gently old-fashioned and unmistakably Mexican.