There is no easy way to explain this; there are a number of idioms that began to spread around the mid-eighties Madrid music and arts boom, referred to as "La Movida" (the move, the turbulence). The whole thing must be understood as a burst of freedom in Spain, a country which re-encountered democracy in 1978, after 40 years of Franco dictatorship. Suddenly, no more censorship (records like "Heroin" by Lou Reed, or X rated movies, things that could only be found in France or the UK before, were now freely available -there was also some/much indulgence with drugs), and there were live music and arts happenings all over the place. And the language reflected that, too.
The word "¡Toma!" pronounced like that, emphatically, was already in use, meaning: "You had it coming!" (the verb "tomar" means "to take"). Then, somehow mimicking the Cockney slang -as in just rhymes without any further meaning, like "trouble and strife", "bees and honey" or "Marks and Sparks"- , you could hear say "goma de Oklahoma" (gum from Oklahoma), or "costo de agosto" (cost from August); 'costo' and 'goma' being two of many words used meaning 'cannabis'. Depending on one's mood -or level of intoxication- one could enlarge the expression almost ad infinitum, e. g. : Toma Jeroma, pastillas de goma (que son buenas para la tos) = Here! Jeroma gumdrops (they're good for your cough). Some are harder to explain than others; "alucina, vecina" would literally mean: "hallucinate, neighbour" -female- (because the male neighbour in Spanish would be: vecino, -it wouldn't go so well with "alucina"-. The name of american singer Stevie Wonder, roughly mixed with "exactly" in Spanish, which is "efectivamente", would go "Efestivi wonder", meaning "You are right". A few books were published about La Movida, in case somebody wants to go deeper into the issue: "La Movida A-Z", "Madrid SÍ fue una fiesta (Madrid actually WAS a party)", and others.
Synonyms of toma, jeroma, pastillas de goma are toma goma jeroma movida spanish slang
Used in Spain as well
"Toma Jeroma, pastillas de goma (que son para la tos)"
This has absolutely nothing to do with Madrid, the eighties or la Movida. It is a far older expression that I had already heard to say to my father when I was a kid (and I am a 64 year old right now). It has the same meaning as "Take that" in English or "Chupate esa" (literally, suck that one) in Spanish. On top of that, we were not even from Madrid but from Barcelona. Jeroma is a female first name a.k.a. Jeronima = Hyeronima. Some synonyms, words or similar expressions can be no querias caldo? pues toma dos tazas literally, didn',t you want broth?, have two cups
"No querias problemas?, pues toma Jeroma. Were you looking for trouble?. Take that."
Although I am unsure as to the origin of the expression, it was pretty famous when I was a kid (born in 2000). It was used as an extension of the expression "¡Toma!", to overexaggerate it (just that), which in itself has several meanings. That was several decades later after the expression was coined, so it probably had changed meanings.
I'd like to add a clarification to Chean Martínez's comment that drugs were not only indulged in Spain after the civil war was over; they were promoted by the government, the police had orders not to act against them, and the younger generations suffered greatly because of this. Meanwhile, the population had enough problems on their hands to think about the political issues at hand. Obviously, this was never admitted and is silenced, but you can speak to people of the time and they will tell you similar stories. I've heard of this through profound chatting; this information I haven't found on the internet, as it is highly censored and has also been forgotten in time.
Also, "alucina" doesn't translate as "hallucinate" in these idioms. Imagine you have the same idiom in English, and someone says "I'm hallucinating"; that would mean they are either surprised by something (in a good or bad way), awestruck, or in love with (a person or thing). Which, by the way, has a synonym (that also means hallucinate), "flipar", and is used as the same idiom. Used in Spain as well
"¡Toma Jeroma, pastillas de goma, me ha caído el gordo de la lotería navideña!"
This is one of the many varied expressions that appeared in the Madrid movement of the 80-90s that serve more to the expressive form or the context than to its own meaning. It was used in situations where the speaker rejoiced in the consequence or punishment deserved as in this other : Well you like Herod. In almost all the rhyme was given in consonant as in these : hallucinations, neighbor; chachi piruli; Paraguay' cool; you screwed up, Burt Lancaster; you don't find out, Contreras; plasty's nasty; efectivi wonder . . . .
