_____ is an argot or slang of Mexican Spanish which originated during the first half of the 20th century in the Southwestern US.

• A. Cant
• B. Calo
• C. Jargon
• D. Dialect

Answer: (B)

Caló refers to a Mexican Spanish argot that developed in the Southwestern United States during the first half of the 20th century. It served as a covert way of speaking within Mexican American communities, blending Spanish with influences from English and other sources to keep outsiders from understanding. This is different from a general cant, which is broader slang not tied specifically to Mexican Spanish in that historical Southwest context, and from jargon, which is any specialized vocabulary used in a field, and from a dialect, which is a broader linguistic variety.