tamale, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

tamale n.

[Sp. tamale, a Mexican dish consisting of corn husks wrapped around a variety of fillings]

1. (US) derog. term for a Puerto Rican.

1956

‘Vin Packer’ Young and Violent 77: If you want it to snow, spic, you better see a man by the name Pontiac.’ ‘You’re crazy!’ ‘That’s right — but that don’t change the facts, tamale.’.

2. the vagina.

1975

J. Roe Same Old Grind 77: Flame had every right to run down the aisle and ram her fist up Lola’s tamale.

3. (US gay) gaudy ceramic crockery typical of that sold to tourists in Mexico.

1986–7

Maledicta IX 59: tamale n [R] Gaudy ceramic crockery; homosexual slang.

4. see hot tamale n.

In compounds

tamale-eater (n.) [used adj. to denote alleged Mexican stereotypes]

(US) a Mexican; cites 1888, 1896, 1904, 1911 are nickname of San Antonio baseball team.

1888		Austin American-Statesman (TX) 2 May 8/2: The game today between the hams and the Tamale Eaters was an uninteresting and one sided affair.
1896		Galveston Dly News (TX) 23 Feb. 7/1: He is particularly anxious to get hold of the tamale eaters. After the next game with them he says crepe will appear [on] their door.
1898		Reno Gaz.-Jrnl (NV) 11 May 3/3: It was so ‘Dewey’ that several tamale eaters got their feet wet.
1904		Galveston Dly News (TX) 23 Aug. 9/1: Marsene’s bunch appeared at the Auditorium Park [...] ready to take a fall out of the Tamale Eaters.
1909		‘O. Henry’ Roads of Destiny 299: That crowd of tamale-eaters.
1911		Austin American-Statesman (TX) 14 June 3/3: ‘Tamale Eaters’ Lose Lively Game.
1985		Seguin Gaz.-Enterprise (TX) 4 Dec. 22/2: Pejorative references to Mexicans have been deleted or changed (instead of ‘tamale-eaters’, they are called Spaniards).
1998		Austin American-Statesman (TX) 3 Dec. 13/1: There was no joy in being poor [...] I was a spic, a tamale eater, a greaser.