The Universal Bathroom Survival Stance
Picture this: you are at a massive music festival in Mexico City, or maybe you are hitting up a lively, crowded cantina downtown. You have had a few too many chelas, and nature is calling loud and clear. You push open the door to the public restroom and... yeah, it is not exactly a five-star hotel experience. The floor is wet, the toilet seat is questionable at best, and sitting down is absolutely out of the question.
What is your game plan? You cannot just hold it forever. If you are in Mexico, you are going to have to handle the situation de aguilita.
This is one of those incredibly specific, hilariously accurate Mexican slang phrases that you won't find in any traditional Spanish textbook. But if you want to sound like a local when recounting your weekend adventures—or your bathroom nightmares—this is a phrase you absolutely need in your vocabulary.
What Does "De aguilita" Actually Mean?
Let's break the phrase down. Literally translated, de aguilita means "like a little eagle." But we are not talking about soaring majestically through the sky over the Aztec pyramids here. We are talking about the universal survival technique of hovering over a sketchy toilet seat to pee without letting your skin touch the porcelain.
That is right. Doing something de aguilita means squatting or hovering. While it can technically be used for any situation where you are squatting down (like waiting for a bus when there are no benches), 99% of the time, Mexicans use it to talk about navigating public restrooms.
The Majestic Origin of the Phrase
Ever wondered why Mexicans chose an eagle to describe this specific bathroom maneuver? Just think about the visual for a second.
Imagine an eagle perched high up on a tree branch. Its knees are bent, its body is hovering, and it is holding a tense, balanced stance, ready to strike. Now, think about the stance you take when you are trying desperately not to make contact with a gas station toilet. You are doing the exact same thing! You are perched, balancing on your legs, using every ounce of your thigh strength to maintain altitude.
It is a hilarious mental image, but it perfectly captures the physical exertion required. Anyone who has had to hold the "little eagle" pose for more than a minute knows it is basically a full-blown leg workout.
How to Use It in the Wild
You will hear this phrase thrown around a lot among friends, especially after a night out or a road trip. Here is how you can drop it into your conversations naturally:
"El baño de la gasolinera estaba asqueroso. Tuve que hacer de aguilita."
Translation: The gas station bathroom was disgusting. I had to hover."Güey, ni de broma te sientes ahí, mejor haz de aguilita."
Translation: Dude, don't even joke about sitting there, you better hover."Me tiemblan las piernas de tanto hacer de aguilita en el concierto."
Translation: My legs are shaking from hovering so much at the concert."Siempre hago de aguilita en los baños públicos, por si las moscas."
Translation: I always hover in public bathrooms, just in case.
The Unspoken Rules of the Eagle Squat
If you are hanging out with Mexicans and the topic of terrible bathrooms comes up (which happens more often than you'd think after a few drinks), here are a few insider tips on how this phrase fits into the culture.
It is mostly a female struggle (but guys get it too)
For obvious anatomical reasons, women use this phrase way more than men. The "eagle stance" is a mandatory skill for women navigating dive bars and public events. However, guys absolutely know what it means. Men will use it too if they are talking about needing to do a number two in a less-than-ideal location, or they will use it to sympathize with their female friends.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Sometimes, doing things de aguilita requires a co-pilot. Public bathroom stalls in busy clubs often have broken locks. You might need your friend to do you un paro (a favor) and hold the stall door shut while you focus all your energy on maintaining your eagle balance. This is true friendship in Mexico.
It is strictly casual
Keep in mind that this is slang. You probably shouldn't use it in a formal business meeting or when meeting your Mexican partner's grandparents for the first time. Save it for chatting with friends over coffee, complaining about the logistics of a music festival, or warning someone about the restroom at a local taco stand.
Taking Your Spanish Beyond the Classroom
Learning phrases like this is what bridges the gap between sounding like a textbook and sounding like a real person. Textbooks will teach you how to ask "Where is the bathroom?" (¿Dónde está el baño?), but they won't teach you how to survive it once you get in there.
Want to practice using expressions like this in real conversations? Ahorita drops you into interactive stories where you'll use them naturally — like ordering at a taquería, navigating local markets, or chatting with locals. It is the best way to get comfortable with the rhythm and humor of everyday Mexican Spanish.
Ready to Fly?
Next time you find yourself staring down a questionable public toilet in Mexico City, Guadalajara, or anywhere else, don't panic. Just channel your inner bird of prey, bend those knees, and handle it de aguilita. And when you get back to your table, you will have the perfect slang phrase ready to complain about it to your friends. They will definitely laugh, nod in sympathy, and probably share their own eagle-squat survival stories.
