What does “desparpajo” mean in Spanish?

Desparpajo is the breezy self-assurance of someone who speaks and acts without a shred of timidity — the RAE defines it as “great ease and freedom in speech or action.” It can be admiring (poise, nerve, a knack for handling any room) or faintly critical (cheek, too much front). Someone who has it is desparpajado: outgoing, unembarrassed, unbothered by el qué dirán — “what people will say.”

It is the positive twin of sinvergüenza (literally “shameless”): the same fearless lack of embarrassment, read as charm rather than gall. Useful relatives heard alongside it: dicharachero (chatty, full of witty remarks) and risueño (cheerful, smiley). Habla con mucho desparpajo — “she speaks with real confidence.”