If you’ve been studying Spanish in Argentina, you’ve probably heard the word “quilombo” used to describe a ruckus or a disorganized situation. It can be used positively or negatively, as in a fun mess or a total pain-in-the-butt disaster.
While this word is considered part of Lunfardo, or the unique slang of Buenos Aires, it can be traced back even further to the Kimbundu (African) word “kilombo.” This word was used to describe the hideouts of escaped slaves, many of which evolved into full-fledged towns in Brazil.
Other related words in Lunfardo:
quilombero/a: troublemaker, rowdy or noisy person
bolonqui: same meaning as quilombo, just a different way of saying it with the syllables reversed.
quilombear: to cause a disturbance