ESE

¹

or E.S.E.

abbreviation for

1. east-southeast.

-ese

²

1. a suffix forming adjectival derivatives of placenames, especially countries or cities; frequently used nominally to denote the inhabitants of the place or their language: Faroese; Japanese; Vietnamese; Viennese . By analogy with such language names, -ese occurs in coinages denoting in a disparaging, often facetious way a characteristic jargon, style, or accent: Brooklynese; bureaucratese; journalese; computerese .

ESE

¹

symbol for

1. east-southeast

-ese

²

suffix forming adjectives

1. indicating place of origin, language, or style

   Japanese

   Cantonese

   journalese

Word History and Origins

Origin of ESE¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; probably originally from Italian -ese, later representing Spanish, Portuguese -es, French -ais, -ois, all from Latin -ēnsem “pertaining to, originating in”; -ensis

Example Sentences

It is a mighty tough slog, I will have to give them that, written in terse and exclusive science-ese.

From The Daily Beast

Translated from fiscal-ese, it means government incompetence has concrete results.

From The Daily Beast

Did the letter itself, in its formal Senate-ese, spark the rumors, or was it meant to trap Hagel in a lie?

From The Daily Beast

The CBO cleared up any questions on this front if you like reading Congressional-ese (PDF).

From The Daily Beast

The Hollywood producer is a friend of the house, as they say in fashion-ese.

From The Daily Beast

The Ve-netians and Gen-o-ese, however, were not the only ones who wished to find a new road to the East.

From Project Gutenberg

But he vndirstondes e first figure at is in e nombur of e forsayd teen figuris, e quych is one of ese.

From Project Gutenberg

What all ese spices bene hit schalle be tolde singillatim in here caputule.

From Project Gutenberg

Now cast alle ese nounbers togedur, the quych is is, a hundryth & ten & 30 & 3.

From Project Gutenberg

For are hali mihte e carite is icleped ic e beseche bidde at tu ese halwende lore on write sette.

From Project Gutenberg

About This Word

What else does ese mean?

Ese, amigo, hombre. Or, in English slang, dude, bro, homey.

Ese is a Mexican-Spanish slang term of address for a fellow man.

How do you pronounce ese?

[ es-ey ] or [ ey-sey ]

Where did the term ese come from?

Ese originates in Mexican Spanish. Ese literally means “that” or “that one,” and likely extended to “fellow man” as shortened from expressions like ese vato, “that guy.”

There are some more elaborate (though less probable) theories behind ese. One goes that a notorious Mexican gang, the Sureños (“Southerners”), made their way from Mexico City to Southern California in the 1960s. Ese is the Spanish name for the letter S, which is how the gang members referred to each other. Or so the story goes.

Ese is recorded in English for a “fellow Hispanic man” in the 1960s. It became more a general term of address by the 1980s, though ese remains closely associated (and even stereotyped) with Chicano culture in the U.S.

Ese is notably found in the Chicano poetry of José Antonio Burciaga and Cheech & Chong comedy routines (Cheech Marin is Mexican-American.)

White confusion over ese was memorably parodied in a 2007 episode of the TV show South Park. On it, the boys think they can get some Mexican men to write their essays, but the men write letters home to their eses instead.

Who uses the term ese?

For Mexican and Mexican-American Spanish speakers, ese has the force of “dude,” “brother,” or “man” (i.e., a close and trusted friend or compatriot).

I needa kick it wit my ese's its been a minute

— al (@a1anxs) February 1, 2019

It’s often used as a friendly and familiar term of address …

Always a good time with my ese. 😎 pic.twitter.com/xxM4YroWDV

— Yaheli'🎈 (@yg_monroe) January 12, 2019

… but it can also be used more aggressively and forcefully.

Cypress Hill 2018:

Who you tryin' ta mess with, ese?
Don't you know I'm seeking professional help for my deep rooted emotional problemsssssss?!?

— JAY. (@GoonLeDouche) June 30, 2018

“You’d have to be crazy to swipe left.” Who you tryna get crazy with, ese? Don’t you know I’m loco? Sorry, always wanted to say that. Anyway, swipe left. Might actually be crazy.

— Why I Swiped Left (@LeftyMcSwiper) December 17, 2018

Ese is associated with Mexican and Chicano American culture, where it can refer to and be used by people of all genders. The term is also specifically associated with Mexican-American gang culture.

What's up ese? pic.twitter.com/0vAQxZZ6SO

— アレジ・アキラ (@AlesiAkira) January 21, 2019

It is often considered appropriative for people outside those cultures to use ese, especially since some non-Mexican people may use ese in ways that mock Mexicans and Mexican-American culture.

More examples of ese:

“I know my place, ese / I know my location / My station / Es aquí”
—José Antonio Burciaga, “El Juan from Sanjo” (poem), 1992

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.