Meaning
What does No Quema, Cuh mean?
No Quema, Cuh is a popular Spanish expression, mostly prevalent in Mexico and the bordering regions of the United States.
The phrase itself literally translates to “Can’t burn, cousin” and is used especially by the Takuache (meaning possum) subculture, who are the southern trucker equivalent of lowriders. Takuache are famous for their haircut (called an Edgar) and Drip, their amazement of lifted trucks (Mamalonas) and their use of the phrase “No Quema, Cuh”, used to say that a truck is incapable of doing a burnout. Takuache are an often ridiculed and memed subculture, similar to the British Chavs.
However, the large influence Takuache and Trokiando (trucking) enthusiasts have gained on Instagram and TikTok lately, has led to the rapid spread of “No Quema, Cuh”, which turned into a multifunctional slang phrase, used to express excitement, awe and appreciation.
It is also used by Takuaches and Takuachitas combined with phrases like No Cap and No Mames Wey.
Origin
What's the origin of No Quema, Cuh?
Although car culture, centered around trucks has been around in Texas since the 1960s, the Takuache subculture is a very recent development.
It was the Takuache, who confidently mixed the urban look with the rancher style, who coined the phrase “No Quema, Cuh”. Takuaches began establishing a significant online presence in the late 2010s, with an increasingly large amount of content on Instagram and TikTok, revolving around the Trokiando lifestyle.
Although there is no exact date to the first use of “No Quema, Cuh”, it can be traced back to this developing community, who initially began using it referring to trucks, unable to do a burnout.
One of the first hit songs, to mark the beginning of Trokiando expansion was the 2019 release of Faraon de Oro, titled Takuache Cuh.
Spread & Usage
How did No Quema, Cuh spread?
The 2020s saw the steady rise in popularity of the Takuache style among Texan Zoomers, who swarmed TikTok, YouTube and Instagram with Trokiando memes, propagating “No Quema, Cuh” online, for a broader audience.
Over time, “No Quema, Cuh” began taking on more abstract meanings, used in a wide variety of scenarios, to express astonishment and disbelief, as well as appreciation and respect.
“No Quema, Cuh” is yet another slang, popularized by Gen Z, that has taken the internet by storm, and is spreading like wildfire. “No Quema, Cuh” today is somewhat ambivalent, as it is so trending today – one might label it Lit – that it acts as its equally popular counterpart, Si Quema, Cuh, meaning “It does burn, cousin”.
External resources
- REMEZCLA – The Rise of a Trokiando Subculture Fueled by TikTok
- UrbanDictionary – No Quema Cuh