Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

Plato means plate or dish in Spanish and is used in a variety of interesting expressions.
comer en el mismo plato – to be good friends
Del plato a la boca se pierde la sopa – easier said than done. Del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho is also used to express this idea
Nada entre dos platos [...]

Whether you like it or not the rainy season is now upon us. Anyone who lives here knows that in Costa Rica there are more rainy months than dry months. The rainy season or invierno, usually runs from May to November but this can vary from year to year. At times, there is an unseasonably [...]

Antojar is a verb that has a variety of uses and is difficult for beginners to master. This should stat you on your way.
A su antojo – to do as one pleases
Example:
Quiero hacerlo a mi antojo – I want to do it my way
Antojar – to crave, to take a sudden fancy to; to Imagine
Example:
Se [...]

In my column about Easter last week I forgot the Easter-related sayings or dichos below. Remember that la Pascua de Resurrección or la Pascua florida mean Easter in Spanish. By the way, la pascua de los hebreos is Passover.
Estar como unas pascuas or más alegre que unas pascuas – to be very happy
Hacerle la pascua [...]

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 [...]