Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

choricero: a person who engages in an illegal business. The word really refers to a sausage maker or seller.
chorizo: is an illegal business. Embutido is also used. Both chorizo and embutido mean sausage. The latter comes form the verb embutir which means to insert/stuff or make sausage.
choza: slang for one’s house. Chante is also common here. La casa or el hogar (the institution) are the correct ways to say “home.”
chuzo: slang for automobile. La Nave (ship) is also slang for car. Carro or coche are more correct
cleta: bicycle. La bici is also slang for “bike.” Bicicleta is the correct word.
coco: (m.) bald Pelón or calvo are other ways of saying bald.
el “coco”: the devil
colado: a party crasher or someone who attends an event without being invited. Colarse is the verb which also means to butt in line.
cole: abbreviation for high school. El colegio or liceo are also used.
colgar los tennis: literally to hang up one’s tennis shoes. Here it means “to die.” Palmarse is also used by the ticos. Morirse or fallecer are the correct ways to express this idea.
compa: a good male friend.
compañebrio: a drinking buddy. You can also say amigo de tragos.
con toda la pata: to be very well. ¿Cómo está usted? Estoy con toda la pata. How are you? Fantastic
concho: rude or ill-mannered
correrse las tejas: to go crazy. A José se le corrieron las tejas. Joe went nuts.
cuadrarle a uno: to like something. Me cuadran los deportes . I like sports. It is better to use the verb gustar and say, “Me gustan los deportes.”
culazo: a beatutiful woman. (slightly vulgar)
culo de tres nalgas: a conceited person

After watching the games last night on Monday Night Football I decided expand the list below for those who have to watch the NFL in Spanish on Fox or ESPN. Learning the vocabulary below will help you understand what the announcers are talking about. They are Mexican and often tend to translate the football terminology literally form English to Spanish.

Abrir un espacio – to open a hole in the opposing line
abucheos – boos (noise)
acarrear – to carry a ball
acarreo – a carry
Aficionado/a – fan
aguador – waterboy
ala abierta – split end
ala cerrada – tight end
alineación titular – starting line up
anotar – to score
apoyador – linebacker
árbitro – ref
arranque en falso – off sides
atrapada –a catch
atrapar – to catch
barra or hincas – avid fans or fanatics
balón suelto – fumble (noun)
banca – bench
buena posición de campo – good field position
caderera – hip pad
campo de juego – playing field
captura sack
capturar – to sack
Capturar en la zona de anotación – safety
carga – rush
casco – helmut
castigo – penalty
cuartos – quarters (periods of time)
centro – center (lineman)
¿Con quién vas? or ¿A quién le vas? – Who are you rooting for?
corredor – runner
cuartos – quarters (periods of time)
cubrir or marcar – to cover a player
defensivo – a defensive player
defensiva – defense
desempater – to break a tie
desempate – tie breaker
despeje – punt
doble marcaje – to have two men guarding one man
doblar la esquina – turn the corner on the outside
empate – tie game
echar porra al equipo or animar – to cheer or root for a team
entrenador – coach
engaño – a trick play
equipo favorito – favorite team
escopeta – shotgun formation
estadio – stadium
finta – a fake
fogeo – scrimmage
formación – formation
fuerza excesiva – unnecessary roughness
ganar – to win
ganar terreno – to gain ground
guardia – guard (lineman)
gol de campo – field goal
golpe – hit
Hacer un bloque or bloquear – to block
hombre en movimiento – a man in motion
hombrera – shoulder pad
hueco – a hole in the scrimmage line
intercepción – interception
interceptar – to intercept
jugada – a play
jugada de anotacíon – scoring play
jugada de pizzarón or de película – a picture perfect play
jugador – player
interferencia – interference
lesión- an injury
línea de golpeo – scrimmage line
lineros – linemen
Mantener el equipo en el partido – to keep the team in the game
marcador – score or scoreboard
marcador final- final score
marcar – to guard a player
mariscal de campo – quarterback
mascarazo – illegal grabbing of the facemask
mascarilla – facemask
Medio campo – midfield
medio tiempo- half time
Movimiento ilegal – illegal movement
muete súbita – sudden death
narrador o locutor – announcer
ofensiva – offense
oviode – football (the ball)
pañuelo – flag (penalty)
pasador – passer
pasar – to pass
pase – pass
pase completo – completed pass
pase incompleto – incomplete pass
patada corta – short kick or onsides quick
patada de salida – kickoff
patear – to kick
perder el balón – to fumble (verb)
Perder terreno – to lose ground
pédida – a loss
primera, segunda, tercera oportunidad – fist down, second down and third down
por aire – through the air
por tierra on the ground
Posición de campo – field position
porristas – cheer leaders
postes – goal posts
postemporada – postseason
Preciso – like an accurate pass
pretemporada – preseason
primer tiempo – first half
primera y diez – first and ten
profundo – safety (player)
protector bucal – mouth piece
protesta – challenge
punto extra – extra point
receptor – receiver
repetición de la jugada – replay
reserva o suplente – back up player
retorno – kick return
rodillera – knee pad
Se le pasó el balón – they threw the ball over his head
Se zafa la tacleada – slips out of a tackler’s arms
sujetando – holding
Super Tazón – Super Bowl
tabla de posciones – standings (record)
tacleada – a tackle
taclear – to tackle
temporada regular – regular season
jugador titular – a player in the starting line up
tiempo extra – overtime
¡tiempo fuera! – Time out! Le quedan dos tiempos fuera ..They have three time outs left.
uso ilegal de las manos or sujetando – illegal use of the hands
utilero – equipment man
vestidor – locker room
victoria – victory
zona de anotación – end zone

Sports expressions:
La ópera no ha terminado hasta que cante la gorda – The opera isn’t over until the fat lady sings

chancecito: a moment. Dame un chancecito y te doy una mano .(Give me a chance and I will help you.)
chao: good-bye from the Italian word “ciao.”
chapa: a dumb person or a coin
chapulín: a thief, a grasshopper or a type of tractor
chavalo: a boy
chema: shirt
Chepe: a nickname for the city of San José. Chepe is the nickname for anyone whose name is José.
Chiverre: a type of fruit or which is used to make a type of sweetener like honey calle “miel de chiveree. This word also means big fat stomach
chicha: anger or a corn–based alcoholic drink
chichí: a child
tome chichí: an expression which means “You see” or “Take that!”
al chile: Really! De veras and de verdad are the correct ways to express this idea.
chinamo: a small stand or booth on the sidewalk. Tramo is also used. Puesto is the correct Spanish word.
chinear: to spoil someone in Costa Rican Spanish. Mimar or consentir are the correct verbs to use.
chinga: a cigarette butt. Chingo means nude. Chingar means to bother someone.
chingo: nude. Desnudo or encuerado are also used.
chingue: something that is funny
chirola: jail. El tarro, el tavo or el tabo are also used here for jail. La cárcel is the correct word.
chiva, chivísima: something that is very good…¡qué chiva! (How good!). Chiva can also mean “mad,” a female sheep, a goatee and a type of mini bus or van.
ponerse chiva: to get mad. Ponerse bravo/a, Estar como agua para chocolate, Estar hirviendo, estar que me lleva el diablo are also used here to express the same idea of anger. Enojarse is the correct way to say that someone is angry.
chivo: a male goat or man that is supported economically by a woman.

In Spanish there are two words that are frequently used for ears la oreja and el oído. The former is the external part of the ear. Oído is the inner part of the ear or sense of hearing.

Parts of the ear:
El estribo - stirrup
El lóbulo – ear lobe
El martillo - hammer
El oído externo - external ear
El oído medio – the middle ear
El tímpano – eardrum This word also refers to a percussion instrument called the kettledrum
La trompa de Eustaquio –eustachain tube
El yunque – anvil

El otorrinolaringólogo or médico de oídos, nariz y garganta – Nose ears and throat specialist. Note: there are two ways to say it in Spanish

Hear are some expressions using the word ear:
Agachar las orejas – to let someone dominate you.
Aguzar el oído - to be attentive or prick one’s ear
Arder las orejas – to believe or think that someone is talking or gossiping about you
Con las orejas gachas – to be dejected
De oído – to play by ear like some musicians do
Dumbo – a person with big ears like the cartoon character. Also the nickname the ticos fondly call Oscar Arias.
Enseñar la oreja – to show one’s true colors or intention
Jalarle las orejas – to pull one’s ears or to scold someone
Oreja – the fleshy outer ear or a person who spies on someone
Oreja de mercader – a deaf ear
Orejear - to eaves drop
Orejón – a person with big ears
Las paredes tienen orejas or las paredes oyen – the walls have ears
Parar la oreja – to listen or pay attention
Planchar la oreja – to sleep (iron one’s ear). Planchar means to iron clothers. In Costa Rica you will often hear aplanchar used instead of planchar.
Prestarle a alguien la oreja – to lend someone your ear (to listen)
Ser todo oídos – to be all ears
Verle las oreja al lobo –to see trouble coming