Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

Guilt – Culpa
Guilty – Culpable
Hearing – Audiencia
Higher court – Corte superior
House arrest – Arresto domiciliario or casa por cárcel
I.D. Card – Cédula
Illegal- Ilegal/prohibido
Illegal enrichment – Enriquecimiento ilícito
Impediment to leave country – Impedimento de salida
Innocent – Inocente
Jail – Cárcel
Judge – Juez (masc.)/Jueza (fem.)
Justice – Justicia
Key witness – Testigo clave, testigo estrella (star witness)
Law suit – Demanda
Lawyer – Abogado
Lawyer’s bar – Colegio de Abogados
Legal – Legal
Legal form – Papel sellado
Life sentance – Cadena perpetua
Litigate – Litigar
Litigation – Litigio or plrito
Lose a case– Perder un caso
Lower court – Corte inferior

Tiquismos of the week:

Así como es el chancho es la horqueta: The size of the pig determines its harness
Juntate con los buenos y serás uno de ellos: You are as good as your friends
El que con tigre se acuesta, desplumado amanece: if you court trouble, you´ll find trouble

Guachos – sunglasses
Cachos – shoes
Caite – shoe
Calzón – a woman’s underwear. Ropa interior is a more correct term.
Chema – camisa
Chingoleta – woman who wears little clothes
Chonete – hat
Chuicas – clothes (old or rags in a figurative sense)
Cruz – shirt
Cuello de tortuga – turtleneck
Faja – belt also used for the fan belt of a car.
Gabacha – a coat like a doctor uses
Jareta – an opening in the front of a pair of pants like a zipper.
Leva – jacket
Los cuatro por cuatro – glasses
Pachucos – A woman’s underwear
Panta – surfing shorts
Pantaloneta – shorts
Pinta – appearance
Ruco/Caballo – pants
Sueta – sweater The correct Spanish word is suéter
Tallador – brassiére. Sostén is the correct Spanish word.
Tacos – soccer shoes
Zafarse – to take off ones clothes
Zipper – zipper. The correct word is cremallera

Appropriate Tiquismos of the week:

Estar como chaqueta de salonero
or
Estar más limpio que chaqueta de salonero – to be broke
Sostienetetas – brassiére (vulgar). The correct word is sostén.
Zocarse la faja – to economize

LEGAL TERMS / TERMINOS LEGALES

Due diligence – Diligencia debida
Easement – Servidumbre
Executor – Albacea
Execution of the verdict – Ejecución de la pena
Embezzlement – Desfalco
Encumbrance – Gravamen
Evidence – Evidencia or pruebas
Eye witness – Testigo ocular
False witness – Testigo falso
Fees – Honorarios
Felony – Delito mayor
Fight case – Pelear el caso
Find guilty – Encontrar culpable
Find innocent – Encontrar inocente
Fine – Multa
Fraud – Fraude

Tiquismos of the week:

Destaparse el tamal: hell broke loose
Dios tarda pero no olvida: God may take time but never forgets
Donde menos se piensa salta la liebre: the hare jumps in the least expected place (things sometimes happen unexpectedly)