NEL a few days ago I described in detail this term and it is a displeasure to see it disappear, forcing me to work twice as hard. Protest. As we said before, NEL is a Mexicanism, like muletilla, which has a negative connotation and sense similar to 'no, no way' It was popularized internationally for its use by the Chilindrina in El chavo del ocho'Hoy is of colloquial use in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Spain, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Peru. The expression nel pastel is also used, as for rhyming, or nelson.