What Does This Mean?
Chilean slang term, derogatory and widely seen as classist, for a person of low social standing who is perceived as rowdy, aggressive or badly behaved; it also describes the clothing, music, speech and places associated with that stereotype, and, more loosely, any vulgar behaviour. It is used across social classes, sometimes even for wealthy people whose conduct is called vulgar, so its meaning shifts with the speaker.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
""No le hables así, no seas flaite," she told her cousin, annoyed at the shouting in the plaza."
LORE & ORIGIN
Spanish Wikipedia calls the etymology disputed. One theory links it to English "flighter" or "flyer" through "volados", Chilean slang for marijuana users; the Chilean linguist Darío Rojas is cited as tracing it to "faite", from "fighter", used in Lima in the early 20th century. A song titled "Flaites del Puerto" on a 1967 Nano Parra record suggests the word is older than the 2000s. The Academia Chilena de la Lengua included it in its dictionary of Chilean usage in 2010. A 2005 radio campaign built on the word drew legal action and was cancelled, which shows how offensive many Chileans find the label.
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