Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

Tener más vidas que un gato

A caballo regalado no se le mira el colmillo – Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth

Al mejor mono se le cae el zapote – It can happen to anyone

Aquí fue donde la chancha torcío el rabo- Here is where the crap hit the fan

A usted qué le come el zorro si ni gallinas tiene - You have no part in this affair

De la lagartija para arriba todo es cacería – Everything is fair game

El buey lerdo bebe el agua sucia-  A slow ox drinks the dirty water or a person who is last gets the worst of something. This is the opposite of first come, first served.

El cuerpo sólo en los chanchos sirve- Don´t try to impress us with your size

El peor chancho se lleva la mejor mazorca – Sometimes the worst people get the best things in life

El que es perico dondequiera es verde - When you are good, you are GOOD!

Loro viejo no aprende a hablar – You can’t teach an old parrot to speak or you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Más claro no canta un gallo- Clear as the light of day!

Quien con lobos anda, a aullar aprende – Bird of a feather flock together

Tener más colmillo que un elefante – To be a good talker

Tener más concha que una tortuga – To be shameless

Tener más vidas que un gato – To have more lives than a cat

Ser más loco que una cabra – To be crazy

Acribillar – to ridlde with bullits
Ajuste de cuentas – revenge
Ametrallar – to machinegun someone
Atropellar – to run over with a car
Asesino a sueldo – hired killer
Balear – to shoot
Dar una paliza – to beat someone
Dar una lección – to teach a lesson to someone
Degollar – to cut someone’s throat
Descuatizar – quarter someone
Despachar – to kill someone
Destruir el pueblo a balazos – to shoot up the town
Diezmembrar – to dismember
Disparar contra – to shoot at
Escopetar – to shotgun
Estrangular – to strangle
Garrotear – to beat with a stick
Gatillero – a triggerman or killer
Linchar – to lynch
Matar – to kill
Matar a golpes – to beat to death
Matar a pedradas to stone to death
Matar a tiros – to shoot to death
Matón – a bully
Romper o partir la madre – to someone’s ass
Sicario – a paid assassin
Ultimar – to kill
Valpulear – to beat
Victimizar – to victimize
Volverle la cara al revés – to turn someone’s face inside out

Tiquismos

• Leñear – to beat with a stick
• Madrear – to hit
• Pichasear – to hit (vulgar)

Amarrarse los pantalones – to make one’s authority felt
Chancletear – to wear sandals
Comprar el sol – used when someone is wearing sun glasses and it isn’t sunny
Como tres en un zapato –like sardines in a can (crowded)
Crecer antes de que se le acaben los zapatos – to outgrow one’s shoes
Dar hasta la camisa que lleva puesta – to give the shirt of one’s back
Dejar sin camisa – to take the shirt off someone’s back
La farmacia está abierta y el doctor está durmiendo – said when a man has his zipper open without realizing it
La horma de mi zapato – my better half or mate
Los zapatos te quedan grandes – hard shoes to fill
Meterse en la camisa de once varas – to get into trouble
No llega ni al talón de mis zapatos – person can’t compare to me
No le llega la camisa al cuerpo – to be terrified
No tener pantalones – to be a coward or not have the guts to
Pantalón ajustado or tallado – tight pants
Pantalón holgado –baggy pants
Pantaloneta – shorts
Parecer retrato – to wear the same clothes every day
Pegar las mangas – to kick the bucket
Quedar como anillo al dedo – to fit like a a glove or perfect
Quedar como guante – to fit perfectly
Quitarse el sombrero ante alguien – to take off your hat to someone (praise)
Saber donde aprieta el zapato – to know the score (figurative)
Si el zapato te queda pontelo – if the shoe fits, then wear it
Si se quema la casa no pierde nada – be be overdressed
Tapagomas – sunglasses
Tener bien puestas las enguas – to be a strong woman
Tener bien puestos los pantalones or calzones – to be manly
Tener manga (sleeve) ancha – to be easy going or broad minded
Tener un  as en la manga – to have an ace up one’s sleeve
Trapos – old clothing or clothes (figuratively speaking)
Vender hasta la camisa – to sell everything
Zapato viejo – an old and experienced person
Zapatos de payaso – said to someone who has big shoes like a clown uses
Zapatero a sus zapatos – get to work

Tiquismos

• Calzón flojo – an easy woman
• Chuicas – rags or clothes (figuratively speaking)
• El hábito no hace al monje – clothes don’t make the monk/person
• El hábito no hace al monje pero lo distingue – clothes don’t make a monk/person (person) but distinguish him.
• Faja larga, vida corta – long belt, short life (obesity)
• No es la ropa, es la percha – it is not the clothes but what is underneath

A mucho amor, mucho perdón – to be really in love you have to forgive defects
Adventura amorosa – a love affair
Amante – lover
Amor a primer mordisco – love at first bite
Amor a primera vista – love at first sight
Amorío – a love affair
Antes que cases mira lo que haces – look before you leap
Antes que te cases mira lo que haces, que no es nudo que así desates – same as the last one
Asaltacunas – to rob the cradle
Babear por alguien – to droll over someone
Buen partido – good catch
Calzón flojo – a woman who sleeps with a lot of men
Casadero –  eligible for marriage
Casamentero – matchmaker
Casarse de penalti – a shotgun wedding
Casarse detrás de la iglesia – to live together without getting married
Casarse es bonito, estar casado es feo – to get married is nice, but to be married is a drag
Casarse por casarse – get maried just to be married
Casarse por el sindicato de las prisas – a shotgun wedding
Casarse por interés – to get married for selfish reasons and not for love
Compañera sentimental – a woman with whom live  without being married
Cuando de los cincuenta pases, no te cases – don’t get married after 50
Cupidito – cupid
Dar el sí – to say yes to a marriage proposal or get married
Derretirse por alguien – to melt over someone
Deshojar la margarita – She loves me. She loves me not, etc.
Dime con quien andas y te digo quien eres – tell me who you go out with and I’ll tell you who you are
Dime con quien duermes, y te digo quien eres – tell me who you sleep with and I will tell you who you are
Echar el cuento – make a pass
Echarse la soga al cuello – to get married (put a noose around one’s neck)
El amor es ciego pero el matrimonio abre los ojos – love is blind but marriage will open your eyes
El amor es la única guerra donde uno duerme con el enemigo – love is the only war where you sleep with the enemy
El casado casa quiere – maried people want their own house
El hombre es para ganarlo y la mujer para gastarlo – the man makes the money and the woman spends it
El que se casa por todo pasa – he who gets married goes through a lot
Es mejor una buena amistad que un mal amor – a good friendship is better than bad love
Enpiernado – to be sexually captivated by someone
Entre marido y mujer no se puede meter – don’t get involved in  problems between and husband and wife
Flechar – love at first site
Hacer un levante – to pick up someone (meet)
Hechos el uno para el otro – made for each other
Hombre casado es el mejor bocado – maried men are the best to get involved with
Hombre casado ni frito ni asado – don’t get involved with married men
Hombreriego – man crazy
Horma de mi zapato – one’s mate
Juntarse – to shack up
La vida matrimonial – married life
Levantar – to pick up someone (meet)
Ligar – also to pick up someone (meet)
Luna de hiel – a bad honeymoon. Hiel is bile.
Luna de miel – honeymoon
Matricidio – marriage but in the sense of homicide
Media naranja – better half
Morirse por –to be dying for someone (love)
Mugeriego – girl crazy
Nacidos el uno par el otro – to be born for each other
Ni con ellas ni sin ellas – can’t live with them or without them
No es casa donde no hay mujer – a woman can run a house better than a man
No hay amor sin dolor –  there is no love without pain
No hay amor sin espina – means the same as the last one
No hay amor sin interés –  means the same as the las two
No quiero poner la mano donde la ha puesto el muerto – don’t marry a widow
Pasar a la vida seria – to get married
Picaflor – a guy who goes after a lot of woman
Prícipe azul – knight in shinning armor
Rejuntase to shack up
Querida – mistress
Robaesposas – a wife stealer
Robamaridos – a husband stealer
Robanovios – a boyfriend or girlfriend stealer
Soltero sin compromisos – an eligible bachelor
Solterón – a confirmed bachelor
Solterona – old maid
Templado/a – hot or turned on
Vieja verde – a woman who likes younger men
Viejo verde – a man who likes younger women

Tiquismos

• Amor a primera picha – to fall in love with the first guy you see (very vulgar)
• Billetera mata el galán – money will get a woman rather than good looks
• Calienta pichas – a woman who likes to sexually provoke men (vulgar)
• ¿Casado con zeta o ese? – With ese as in casar (“s”) it means your are  just married but with zeta (“Z”) it means you have been hunted since cazar means to hunt.
• Calienta culos – a guy who runs around with a lot of woman without getting involved with any of them (vulgar)
• Casado pero no capado – married but I can still play around
• Dime conquien andas, y si está buena me la mandas – tell me who you out with and if she is good send her to me
• Dime con quien andas y si está buena me la mandas – tell me who you go out with and I’ll tell you if I feel like it…
• Echar el caballo – make a pass at
• Echar los perros –make a pass at
• Echar el ruco – make a pass at
• El viejo está verde pero el plátano está maduro – (vulgar)
• Enculado – in love (vulgar)
• Microndas – a woman who teases  or provoke men
• No hay mujer tan buena como la ajena – there is no better woman than the one you are not involved with
• Pepeado – in love
• Robar pasto – to steal someone’s girlfriend
• Solterón maduro, playo por seguro – an older single man must be a homosexual (vulgar)
• Se enamor con cualquier escoba con enaguas – to fall in love with any woman or the first one that comes along
• Se enamoro con cualquier par de  pantalones – to fall in love with any man or the first one that comes along
• Soy como la miel de abeja, la que me prueba no me deja – I am like honey, the person who tries me once, will never leave me.

Aprovecharse de alguien – take advantage of someone
Apuñalar por la espalda – back stab
Atornillar a alguien – to screw someone (figuratively)
Calumniar – to slander
Cagarse en alguien – to “crap” on someone ( vulgar)
Comer vivo a alguien – to say bad things about someone
Comerle el culo a alguien – to talk bad about someone (vulgar)
Culear a alguien –  to screw someone (figuratively)
Difamar – to slander
De dos caras – two faced
Desquitarse – to get back at someone
Echar mal de ojo – to wish ill on someone
Echar una madición – to put a curse on someone
Embrujar – to bewitch
Empañar la reputación – to dirty one’s reputation
Hacer correr rumores – spread rumors
Hacer quedar como un culo – to make a bad impresion (vulgar)
Hacer quedar mal — to make a bad impresion
Hechizar – to put a spell on someone
Joder – to screw someone (vulgar and figuratively)
Jugar suciamente – to play dirty
Jugar una mala pasada – to play a dirty trick on someone or do something bad to them
Mala jugada – dirty trick
Mala pasada – dirty trick
Meter en un apuro or aprieto – put someone in a jam
Poner una trampa – to set a trap for someone
Robar el show – to steal the show
Sabotear – to sabotage
Sacar la espina – to get back at someone
Sacarle a alguien de en medio – to get someone out of the way
Sembrar una trampa – to set a trap for someone
Serrucharle el piso a alguien – to pull the rug out from under someone
Socavar – to undermine (figuratively)
Tener entre ojos to have an ‘in’ for someone
Timar – to rip off
Tirar la piedra y esconder la mano – to hurt someone but cover up one’s action
Tomar revancha – to get revenge
Traisionar – to betray
Trucos sucios – dirty tricks
Verselas con alguien – to confront someone
Vivir a costillas de alguien – to leach of someone

Tiquismos:

• Agarrarla con alguien to take revenge
• El que te compra con su adulación, te vende con su traisión – to betray
• Boca de miel, mano hiel – two faced
• Chulear – to leach off someone
• Quien much te alaba, después te la clava – to betray
• Más malo que la carne de pezcuezo – to be bad (someone or something)
• Más malo que las pastillas de La Caja – to be bad (someone or something)
• Pichasear to beat someone up (vulgar)
• Reputear – to curse someone
• Robar el mandado – to steal someone’s sweetheart
• Robarle pasto – to steal someone’s sweetheart
• Sacar del ring – to get someone out of way