Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

The verb volar in Spanish means to fly or blow something up. However, in Costa Rica it is used with a series of idiomatic expressions.

For example:
Volar cuchillo – to work with a knife
Volar faja – to punish someone with a strap
Volar fuego – to light something with a match
Volar garrote – to hit with a club. Garrotear is the real verb.
Volar lengua – to talk. Hablar is the real verb to talk.
Volar machete – to use a machete knife
Volar ojo – to watch
Volar pala – to use a shovel
Volar pata – to walk
Volar pedal – means to ride a bicycle
Volar pico – to talk
Volar plomo – to shoot a gun
Volar rabo or volar culo – to have sex (vulgar)
Volar rueda – to drive a car

Expression:
Volarse – means to eat something. For example, volarse el pan means to eat bread.

Echar el cuento – to try and seduce someone by flattering them
Estañon sin fondo – a bottomless pit (a person who eats a lot)
Estrilar – to complain. Quejarse is the correct verb.
Fresa – a spoiled rich kid
Frito – screwed or to have now chance
Galleta – a smart person. This word literally means “cookie.”
Guachimán – a guard or watchman
Harina – money. Dinero is the correct word.
Jacha – face. Cara or rostro are the correct words.
Jalar – to date your sweetheart. Jalar (Halar) literally means “to pull.”
Lance – the chance to seduce a woman
Limpio – to have no money. Limpio literally means “clean.”
Mejenga – an informal pick-up game of soccer.
Mocoso – child . Niño or niña is the correct word for child
Nave – a car. Nave literally means a ship.
Ni papa – nothing

Aplanchar la oreja – to sleep
Aprete – to kiss
Argolla – a clique or group of people with similar interests
Armarse la gorda – to start a fight
Bagaces – a bum or lazy person
Bañazo – ridiculous or shame
Bateador – a person who guesses at something or who is uncertain
Bicho – a strange person or animal
Blanco – a cigarette. The correct word is cigarillo.
Brete – work (noun). The correct word is trabajo
Cabanga – sadness
Cabra – girlfriend. Novia is the correct word
Cambiarle el agua al pajarito (to change the bird’s water literally)– to urinate. Orinar or mear are the correct words.
Cañas – slang for colones (Costa Rica’s money)
Detrás del palo – lost or out of it
Dolor de huevos – a pain in the balls (butt). This expression is vulgar.

Expression of the week:
Dios aprieta pero no ahorca – God won’t deal you more than you can handle