noun General Slang

Bacan

/baˈkan/ · noun · slang

A well-off, well-dressed man about town, the tango's classic flush gentleman.

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Definitions

1

As an adjective in some regions, meaning 'cool', 'great', or 'first-rate' (especially elsewhere in Latin America).

“Que bacan tu auto! (How cool is your car!)”
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2

In tango, the rich protector who lures the mina away from the poor singer.

“She left the slum on the arm of a bacan and never looked back.”
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3

A wealthy, well-dressed man, often one who keeps a mistress; a 'high roller' or 'swell'. The source is debated, with Genoese 'baccan' (boss/master of the house) the leading candidate.

“Se hizo el bacan con su traje nuevo. (He played the swell in his new suit.)”
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Bacan In A Sentence

Vive como un bacan. (He lives like a high roller.)
El bacan pago la cuenta de todos. (The swell paid everyone's bill.)
Tango after tango warns the pibe against the smooth bacan.

Origin & Usage

Lunfardo from early-1900s Buenos Aires, recorded by the Academia Portena del Lunfardo; most often traced to Genoese 'baccan' (master/boss of the household), though the etymology is not fully settled.

Variants bacanabacanazo
Tags #lunfardo#spanish#argentine#tango#argot#people

People Also Ask

What does bacan mean?

It means a wealthy, well-dressed man, a 'swell' or 'high roller'.

Where did bacan come from?

Most likely from Genoese 'baccan', meaning the master or boss of the house.

Can bacan be an adjective?

Yes, in much of Latin America 'bacan' also means cool or excellent.

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