Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

Andar con el pelo parado – is to be upset
Cana – a grey hair
Canoso – a lot of grey hair
Con pelos y señales – with minute details or all of the details.  Escríbeme con pelos y señales. Write me with all of the details.
Entresacar el pelo – to thin out one’s hair on purpose.
Escaparse por un pelo – to be a close shave
Faltar a las canas – to show a lack of respect for one’s elders. A cana is a grey hair
Faltó un pelo para que se cayera – He nearly fell.
Greña – a mop of hair
Greñudo – to have disheveled or uncombed hair
Línea de pelo – hairline
Librarse por un pelo – is to have a narrow escape. You can also say salvarse por un pelo.
Melenudo – to have a lot of hair like a lion’s mane
Montar a pelo or en pelo – to ride bareback.
No aflojar un pelo – to not yield an inch..No ceder is also used
No tener ni un pelo de tonto – to be no fool
No tener pelos en la lengua – to be outspoken
Pasar el examen por los pelos – He scraped through the exam.
Pelo ralo – thin hair
Pelo tupido – thick hair
Pelado – to be broke or empty (a place)
Peludo – a hairy person
Por los pelos – by the skin of one’ s teeth
Se me pusieron los pelos de punta – My hair stood on end. You can also say Se me erizó el pelo.
Ser de pelo en pecho – to be a he-man. You can also say Es todo un hombre.
Ser del mismo pelo – to be the same
Soltarse el pelo – to let it all hang out or drop all restraint
Tomar el pelo – to pull one’s leg. Creo que me estás tomando el pelo. I think you are pulling my leg.
Velludo – to have a lot of body hair
Venir a pelo – to be to the point. Lo que me dijo no venía a pelo. What he said wasn’t to the point.
Venir a pelo – also means to be just what the doctor ordered.

Related Tiquismo

• Andar con la peluca parada – to be upset (literally to have your wig standing up)
• Dejar pelos en el alambre - to scrape through something or just get by. Rozando is also used to express this idea. Pasó la prueba rozando..barely passed the test
• Echar una cana al aire – to have a fling. A cana is a grey hair
• La pelona – death
• Las arrugas son seguras y las canas son vanas..about getting old
• No arrancar un pelo sin sangre – to charge every last cent or take advantage of someone
• Pelota – a group of friends
• Por un pelo de rana y la rana no tiene pelo - by the skin of one’ s teeth
• Pelarse el rabo – to make a big mistake or screw up
• Pelo de elote – ugly hair
• Pelo de gato – drizzle
• Pelón – a party or a bald person
• Solo con un pelo del mismo chancho se quita – an example is if you lose your mate you can only make up for it finding someone else. Or if you have a hangover, you need a shot of whatever you had last night before to get rid of it. The y also say “Un clavo saca otro clavo” to express the same idea.