loco

Loco is a term with multiple meanings that vary by language and context. In Spanish, loco is an adjective meaning crazy or insane. In English, the word has been adopted as informal slang to describe someone or something as wild, eccentric, or irrational. Its usage spans everyday speech, popular culture, and creative works, where it may appear in titles, characters, or branding without implying a specific origin beyond its meaning.

One well-known use of the word in popular culture is loco moco, a traditional Hawaiian dish. It typically consists of white rice topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and rich brown gravy, with regional variations that may add ingredients such as onions or Spam. The dish is widely associated with Hawaii and is often cited in discussions of regional cuisine.

Beyond language and food, loco appears as a word in various proper nouns, including brand names, fictional characters, and place names. In technical or formal contexts, it is generally preferable to use the standard terms associated with the field, such as locomotive for a railway engine, although casual speech may shorten or stylize references to locomotives as “loco.”

Etymologically, loco comes from the Spanish adjective loco, meaning crazy, with its broader adoption in English-language contexts reflecting familiar patterns of borrowing and cultural exchange. The term remains common in informal speech and in cultural expressions around music, art, and cuisine.