What does “hocico” mean in Spanish?

“Hocico” is the snout of a dog, pig or horse — the front of the face around the nose and mouth. The trap for learners is using it for people: applied to a human it’s an insult, swapping in “snout” for “mouth” to imply someone is an animal. “Cállate el hocico” is the harsh version of “cállate la boca” — closer to “shut your trap.” For people, stick to “boca.”

The clip turns on a related word: a dog with “espuma en el hocico” (foam at the muzzle) sparks panic over “rabia” — rabies, where foaming is a classic sign — until it turns out the dog was just having its teeth brushed. “Tener rabia” literally is “to have rabies”; figuratively, “to be furious.”