What is Firulais? The Origin Story of the Iconic Dog Tag

If you’re Mexican, then you most have definitely heard the famous nickname given to all dogs: Firulais. 

A pooch tag that is so iconic in our casas and culture, that it has trumped any other possible title for our four-legged family members. So if you just adopted a dog and named him a traditional name such as Spot, Lucky, Princess; Well good luck! When he or she is home or around family, they will always be referred to as FIRULAIS. If your abuelita is angered by some trouble they caused, she won't hesitate to yell, Ay Pinche "Firulais!" When they are incessantly barking at the mailman, your dad will exclaim "Ya Callate Firulais!" Or when it's dinner time and your mom made them their own plate of beans and rice, she will call out "Firulais, ya sta tu comida!" After all, we Mexicans seem to have an obsession with calling people anything but their actual name, why would our fur babies be any different? 

A true icon in our culture, but where does it originate from? 

Upon closer listening, Firulais has a very distinctive ring to it.. Compared to how we speak, it doesn't match how we sound. It is pronounced FEE-Roo-LYES. Phonetically, it is different to the Spanish brought by our conquerors, nor does it resemble the linguistic style of indigenous languages that predated European colonialism. If anything, it sounds anglo, resembling the popular hybrid language of Spanglish; a blend between US English and Mexican Spanish. Therefore, in search of its origins, we have to take it all the way back to the US-Mexico border.

Crossing At The Border Theory 

The most popular origin theory came from immigration. Apparently, when immigrants were crossing the border, many brought their best buds with them. As part of the inspection, Border Patrol would ask whether the dogs were “free of lice”. Like it is today, a lot of our raza then were at the learning stages of English. So when the agents would point to their dogs, and ask “Free of Lice”, they would just nod their head in agreement, probably unsure of exactly what was being communicated. Soon enough, “Free of Lice” became a moniker that they associated with their dogs, but unable to pronounce it correctly, they would repeat it as “Firulais”. When returning back to the rancho, they would show off their pooches to their families, calling them by their new ‘American’ given name. This name was a proud accolade, as it symbolized their success in the US and the upgrade they experienced thereafter, both in class and society.

What Firulais Represents To Us Today

Ultimately, no one can ascertain the true origin of this beloved name! But what we can confirm is that the popularity of Firulais has transcended into every aspect of Mexican Culture. It is prevalent in our households, out in the street, and in the media!