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Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

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Archive

Archive for December, 2011

De hombre a hombre – man to man. Hablamos de hombre a hombre. We had a man-to-man talk.
El hombre medio – the average man or man on the street
Hombre – a man
¡Hombre! – Good heavens, man!
¡Hombre al agua! – Man overboard!
Hombre de armas tomar – a man to be reckoned with
Hombre de confianza – a right-hand man. Mano derecha or brazo derecho are also used.
Hombre de dinero – a man with money
Hombre de edad – an elderly man
Hombre de estado – a statesman
Hombre de letras – a man of letters
Hombre de mundo – a man of the world
Hombre de negocios – a business man
Hombre de su palabra – a man of his word
Hombre de pelo en su pecho – a real he-man
Hombre hecho y derecho – a grown man
Hombre-rana – frog man
Hombría – manliness

Expressions

¡Hágase hombre! – Man up!
El hombre propone, pero Dios dispone – man proposes but god disposes. Another version: El hombre propone, viene la mujer y todo descompone. Man proposes, along comes a woman and messes everything up.
Hombre prevenido vale por dos – a prepared man is worth two men
Hombre prevenido nunca fue vencido – a prepared man is never defeated

Estar inquieto/a por – to be anxious or worried about
Estar preocupado/a por – to be worried about
Inquietante or preocupante (adj) – worrying or disturbing
No lamentes lo irremediable – don’t worry about something that has no solution
No llores sobre la leche derramada – Don’t cry over spilt milk
No te ahogues en un vaso de agua – Don’t drown in a glass of water or make mountain out of a molehill. “De un granito de arena no hagas una montaña” is the literal translation of the latter. In Spanish you can also say “No hagas una tormenta en un vaso de agua” or simply “No exageres”.
No te aflijas or no te alteres – Don’t get upset
No me desvela – I won’t lose any sleep over it. Desvelar means to stay awake. El café me desvela means that the coffee keeps me awake. The noun desvelo can mean anxiety or worries
Ofenderse – to get upset or offended
Preocupón – a person who worries a lot
¡Tranquilo/a! – take it easy!

Tiquismos

¡Al chile! – Are you kidding me? No shit? Really? Cuando María le dijo a Carmen que iba a visitar Italia la próxima semana, Carmen dijo “¿Al chile?”. When María told Carmen that she was going to Italy next week, Carmen said, “Are you kidding me?”
¡No te agüeves, mae! – Don’t get upset, man!
Parársele la peluca – Figuratively it means to get upset. Literally to have your wig (hair) stand on end. A José se le paró la peluca. Joe got upset.
Tranquilo como Camilo or Calmado como el pescado – Take it easy.