A gatas or gatear – to walk on all fours
A otro perro con ese hueso.- Literally means: To another dog with that bone. The English equivalent is: You’re pulling my leg.
Buscarle tres pies al gato – Literally means: To look for three feet on cat. The English equivalent is: To look for trouble.
Correr como gato por ascuas/brasas – Literally means: To go like a cat on hot bricks or coals. The English equivalent is: To go like a bat out of hell.
Cuidado con el perro – beware of the dog
Echar los perros a uno – Literally means: To get the dogs on someone. The English equivalent: To persecute someone
El hijo de la gato, ratones mata – Literally means: The son of a cat kills mice. The English equivalent is: Like father like son.
Estar lloviendo gatos y perros, sapos y culebras – it is raining cats and dogs or toads and snakes
Gato escaldado de agua fría huye – Literally means: a scalded cat even flees from cold water. The English equivalent: once bitten, twice shy.
Gato con guantes no caza ratones – Literally means: A cat with gloves can’t catch mice. The English equivalent: Nice guys finish last.
Dar gato por liebre – Literally: To give a cat for a hare (rabbit). The English equivalent: to jip
De noche todos las gatos son pardos – Literally means: The darkness of night hides everything that is clear during the day
Defenderse como un gato panza arriba – Literally means: Defend self like a cat on its back. English equivalent: Refers to the ferocity of a cat when he is cornered
Hay un gato encerrado – Literally means: The cat is locked up. The English equivalent: There is more than meets the eye.
Hasta los gatos tiene zapatos – Literally means: Even cats have shoes. The English equivalent: Someone who tries to do things beyond their age or beyond their means.
Hay más de una manera de matar pulgas: Literally means : There is more than one way to kill fleas. The English equivalent: There is more than one way to skin a cat.
Jugar al gato y al ratón- To play cat and mouse game
Lavarse a lo gato – Literally means: To clean yourself like a cat. The English equivalent: Used for people who don’t like to bathe with water. To similar expressions in Spanish: La cáscara guada el palo or Es mejor tierra en el cuero que cuerpo en la tierra
Llevarse un gato al agua – Literally means: To take a cat to water. As you know cats don’t like water. The English equivalent: To accomplish a difficult task
Pelear como gatos y perros – To fight like cats and dogs.
Perra – female dog or bitch. Also used as a derogatory term for promiscuous woman or a woman who dresses provocatively (Don’t use it).
Perro caliente – Hot-dog
Perro que ladra no muerde – Literally means: A dog that barks doesn’t bite. The English equivalent: His bark is worse than his bite.
Revelar el secreto – Literally: To reveal a secret. English equivalent: Let the cat out of the bag
Tiquismo (Costa Rican expression) of the week:
Amarrar el perro – To tie up the dog The English equivalent is: To not pay a debt
Echar el perro or el zaguate- To make an advance on someone or try to enamor a person. Echar el caballo and echar el ruco are also used.
Perrear – To chase a lot of women
Pierda que está para el perro ni metiéndose al cafetal – Can’t avoid certain situations.
