Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

This is a continuation of my series on Spanish legal language. The series will conclude with the next article
Life in prison – cadena perpetua
Probate – Sucesorio
Property – Propiedad
Prosecutor – Fiscal/procurador
Residency – Residencia
Restraining order – Orden de alejamiento
Retainer – Pago anticipado de honorarios
Ruling- Fallo
Sentence – Condena, pena or sentencia
Stockholder/shareholder – Accionista
Signature – Firma
Squatter [...]

In case you missed this in yesterday’s AM Costa Rica, here is something for all of you enamorados (people in love). Enjoy!
Valentine’s Day or Saint Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In Spanish-speaking countries the holiday is called Día de los Enamorados . It is [...]

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 [...]

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 – [...]

Some of the abbreviations that appear in the newspaper are included below.
Equipado – Equipped ( fully equipped.)
Esquinero – On a Corner.
Espacio – Space.
Estrenar (estren) – To Use For The First Time
Este – East
Estudio – Studio
Extranjero (extranj) – Foreigner.
Finca – Farm or Estate.
Finos Acabados – Nice Furnishings
Frente (fte) – Facing (frente pista – facing the highway.)
Ganadería [...]