Street
san quilmas
What does san quilmas mean?
Old-school Chicano Caló name for San Antonio. The origin is darker than it sounds — back in the 40s through 60s, 'San Quilmas' was discreet street code for the Bexar County Jail (modeled after San Quentin). Saying someone was 'in San Quilmas' meant locked up. The name eventually escaped the jailhouse and got applied to the whole city.
"Lowriders rolling deep through San Quilmas on a Sunday."
Origin
Bexar County, Texas — mid-20th-century Chicano street code for the downtown jail, later generalized to the city of San Antonio.
Frequently asked questions
What does San Quilmas mean?
San Quilmas is a Caló nickname for San Antonio, originally street slang for the county jail.
How do you use San Quilmas in a sentence?
"He grew up in San Quilmas, out on the west side."
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