'Chanclas' and Other Weird Nick-Names for the Devil

Beware of Chanclas

Recently, my wife and I attended a marriage retreat in Spanish. We were there as a support to the leaders of the ministry. While my Spanish is terrible, I do know a little vocabulary. So I was picking up words here and there. While at the table the conversation turned toward spiritual warfare and the need to be vigilant in protecting the marriage bond. A man to my left asked me if I knew the Spanish word, ‘Chanclas’. Proudly, I replied, ‘Yes, I do. That means shoes or sandals.". He said that “Yes that’s true… but many Latinos use that word as a code for the Devil”.

I laughed. Chanclas? The Devil? I could not understand the connection. But I didn’t have a chance to ask him why.

I looked it up later when I got home and found that in pop culture, the moment a mom slips off her sandal, it is treated like a villain powering up their ultimate weapon. The chancla is an abuela superweapon. The joke is that no matter how fast a kid runs, how many corners they turn, or how far away they hide, a mother’s heat-seeking chancla throw never misses.

Not sure how many times that guys was hit with a flying flip-flop but as far as I know, he was exaggerating on the amount of people who use that word as a substitute for Satan.

But it is true that many cultures have been reluctant to speak the Devil’s biblical names aloud. The familiar expression “Speak of the devil, and he shall appear” comes from an old fear that naming an evil spirit might attract its attention. Just as invoking the name of God acknowledges his presence and authority, some people have believed that speaking the names of demons might open a door or at least crack a preternatural window.

Is that superstition? Perhaps. Catholicism certainly does not teach that merely pronouncing a name automatically summons a demon. Still, the custom reflects a sound spiritual instinct: the Devil is real, unseen, intelligent, and closer to human affairs than modern people generally like to admit.

The fear is, just as when we invoke the Name of God, there is thought to be spiritual power in the name of the demons as well. By saying their name(s) aloud, the demon may manifest or draw near as if a door has opened and an invitation spoken. It is probably just a way to remind oneself that the devil is real, unseen and proximate. By calling him ‘Chanclas‘ there is a degree of separation at least in the mind of the believer but I'm pretty sure no one thinks they are outsmarting an angelic intellect. 

It made me think about the need for special insider code words when speaking of the Devil and whether other cultures use them. I guess the closest thing we have in American culture and in English would be something like, “The Enemy”. I have to admit, I like ‘Chanclas' better. The Enemy is less creative but it certainly does get the theology correct. 

Through the scriptures we know that ‘Chanclas’ goes by many names such as what Father Chad Ripperger calls a grotesque inversion of the Trinity:  ‘Lucifer’, ‘Satan’ and ‘Beelzebul'. Satan is called the “father of lies” in John 8:44 . Lucifer means “light-bearer,” while Christ is the true “Light of the World” and “Light from Light.” Beelzebul is the inversion of the Holy Spirit, the Diabalos scattering and dividing people like a swarm of flies. Of course he did not equate the Devil with God. Satan is only a creature who freely and irrevocably rejected God, the Creator. 

So who else calls the Devil an alternative name?

Here is what I found…

The Portuguese & Brazilian call him…

O Canhoto ("The Left-Handed One"): Draws on traditional religious associations between the left side and sinister forces.
O Tinhoso ("The Mangy/Scabby One"): Degrades the Devil by describing him as diseased or filthy.
O Cão ("The Dog"): Used to reduce Satan's stature to that of a stray or unclean animal.
O Sete-Peles ("The Seven-Skins"): References his supposed ability to shed disguises or hide under multiple forms.
O Coisa-Ruim ("The Bad Thing"): A vague entity phrase used to avoid identifying him altogether.

The Irish & Scottish Gaelic call him…

Fear Dubh ("The Black/Dark Man"): The classic Irish and Scottish Gaelic folk euphemism for the Devil walking among humans.
An Donas ("The Evil/Misfortune"): A Gaelic term turning evil and bad luck into a personified noun.
The Old Boy / Old Nick: Common Hiberno-English nicknames used to downplay his power while avoiding his formal name.

The French & French-Canadian call him…

Le Malin ("The Cunning/Evil One"): The primary French euphemism, emphasizing his tricky and deceptive nature.
Le Mauvais ("The Bad One"): A straightforward regional substitute used in rural parishes.
Le Cornu ("The Horned One"): Focuses purely on physical characteristics to avoid using a spirit's name.
Le Ti-Rouge ("Little Red"): A Québécois folk nickname that turns Satan into a trickster figure.

The Polish call him…

Zly ("The Evil One"): Replaces the noun Diabel entirely with the substantive adjective for "evil."
Kusy ("The Short/Lame One"): A folk descriptor referencing the belief that Satan walks with a limp due to his fall from heaven.
Czort: Originally a pre-Christian Slavic demon, this name was repurposed in Polish Catholic culture as a safe substitute for Satan.

The Italians call him…

Il Brutto ("The Ugly One"): A widespread Southern Italian regional euphemism.
L'Innominabile ("The Unnamable"): Used literally to state that his name must not be spoken.
Lu Zoppu ("The Lame One"): Dialectal term (notably Sicilian) referring to his physical infirmity post-fall.

Whatever we call him, as Catholics we know he is real and that his nick-names, however comical they sound, are not meant to be funny or cute. They are meant as a reminder that the devil truly is The Enemy.