Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

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 – Demanda
Lawyer – Abogado
Lawyer’s bar – Colegio de Abogados
Legal – Legal
Legal form – Papel sellado
Life sentance – Cadena perpetua
Litigate – Litigar
Litigation – Litigio or plrito
Lose a case– Perder un caso
Lower court – Corte inferior

Tiquismos of the week:

Así como es el chancho es la horqueta: The size of the pig determines its harness
Juntate con los buenos y serás uno de ellos: You are as good as your friends
El que con tigre se acuesta, desplumado amanece: if you court trouble, you´ll find trouble

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 – a coat like a doctor uses
Jareta – an opening in the front of a pair of pants like a zipper.
Leva – jacket
Los cuatro por cuatro – glasses
Pachucos – A woman’s underwear
Panta – surfing shorts
Pantaloneta – shorts
Pinta – appearance
Ruco/Caballo – pants
Sueta – sweater The correct Spanish word is suéter
Tallador – brassiére. Sostén is the correct Spanish word.
Tacos – soccer shoes
Zafarse – to take off ones clothes
Zipper – zipper. The correct word is cremallera

Appropriate Tiquismos of the week:

Estar como chaqueta de salonero
or
Estar más limpio que chaqueta de salonero – to be broke
Sostienetetas – brassiére (vulgar). The correct word is sostén.
Zocarse la faja – to economize

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 – Cattle Farming.
Ganga – Bargain.
Garaje (gje) – Garage (Garaje p/2car – garage for 2 cars)
Grande – Large.
Gratis – Free (Internet gratis – free Internet.)
Guarda – Guard.
Gym – Gym
Habitaciones – Rooms.
Hectare (hect.) – Hectare.
Información – Information.
Inmobiliarios – Property, Real Estate.
Internet – Internet.
Inversión – Investment.
Jardín – Garden.
Lámapara – Lamp.
Lavandería – Laundry Room. Cuarto de pilas
Lavadora – Washing Machine.
Lavaplatos – Dishwasher.
Lindo/a – Pretty.
Línea Blanca (lín, lín/blanca) – Kitchen Appliances.
Lotes – Lots.
Lujo – Luxurious
Luz – Electricity.

Tiquismos of the week:

Alborotar el panel : to open Pandora´s box
Al chancho con lo que lo crian: if raised as a pig, always be a pig
Alegrón de burro: a happy reaction to great news that aren´t true
Al que le cae el guante que se lo plantea: speaking to all so you get the message

Tico humor and wordplay ( this may be tough to understand):
Camarón – literally means shrimp. In this case it is a big camera to take pictures. (Aparato enorme para sacar fotos)

Easement: Servidumbre
Encumbrance: Gravamen
Equity: El activo neto
Escrow: Depósito
Escrow Account: Cuenta para Depósitos en Garantía.
Extension of credit: Concesión de crédito
Extension Time: Prórroga
Family Name: Apellido
Fair Market Value – El valor de mercado justo
Fault: Defecto
Fee Simple: Dominio Absoluto
Estate: Finca
Fixed term: Plaza fijo
For sale: Se vende or en venta
Free and Clear Title: Título Libre de Gravamen
Hectare (2.5 acres): Hectárea
High season: Temporada alta
Horizontal Condominiums: Condominio horizontal
Horizontal Property: Propiedad Horizontal
Identification – Cédula
Interest rate – Tasa de interés
Investment: Inversión
Land: Tierra
Landlord – Casero
Lawyer: Abogado
Lease: Arrendamiento or Contrato de arrendamiento
Leases:  Arrendamientos
Lender – Prestamista
Lessee: Arrendatario
Lessor: Arrendador
Legal Entity: Personas Jurídicas
Line of credit – Línea de crédito
Lien: Gravamen
Loan: Préstamo
Lock box or safe: Caja fuerte
Lot: Lote
Low season: Temporada baja

Tiquismos of the week:

Aguanta más que un zorro – a strong person, tough to beat
Adventarse de la casa – to move to another house quickly
Más sentado que un frasco de balines – to be sitting comfortably
Por los zapatos se conoce el buen gusto de una persona – a person’s shoes say a lot about one’s taste
Zafalomo – an irresponsible or lazy person

Tico humor and wordplay (this may be tough to understand):

Inestable – a North American table that belongs to a woman by the name of Inés (mesa norteamericana de Inés)

Andar con el pelo parado – is to be upset
Cana – a grey hair
Canoso – a lot of grey hair
Con pelos y señales – with minute details or all of the details.  Escríbeme con pelos y señales. Write me with all of the details.
Entresacar el pelo – to thin out one’s hair on purpose.
Escaparse por un pelo – to be a close shave
Faltar a las canas – to show a lack of respect for one’s elders. A cana is a grey hair
Faltó un pelo para que se cayera – He nearly fell.
Greña – a mop of hair
Greñudo – to have disheveled or uncombed hair
Línea de pelo – hairline
Librarse por un pelo – is to have a narrow escape. You can also say salvarse por un pelo.
Melenudo – to have a lot of hair like a lion’s mane
Montar a pelo or en pelo – to ride bareback.
No aflojar un pelo – to not yield an inch..No ceder is also used
No tener ni un pelo de tonto – to be no fool
No tener pelos en la lengua – to be outspoken
Pasar el examen por los pelos – He scraped through the exam.
Pelo ralo – thin hair
Pelo tupido – thick hair
Pelado – to be broke or empty (a place)
Peludo – a hairy person
Por los pelos – by the skin of one’ s teeth
Se me pusieron los pelos de punta – My hair stood on end. You can also say Se me erizó el pelo.
Ser de pelo en pecho – to be a he-man. You can also say Es todo un hombre.
Ser del mismo pelo – to be the same
Soltarse el pelo – to let it all hang out or drop all restraint
Tomar el pelo – to pull one’s leg. Creo que me estás tomando el pelo. I think you are pulling my leg.
Velludo – to have a lot of body hair
Venir a pelo – to be to the point. Lo que me dijo no venía a pelo. What he said wasn’t to the point.
Venir a pelo – also means to be just what the doctor ordered.

Related Tiquismo

• Andar con la peluca parada – to be upset (literally to have your wig standing up)
• Dejar pelos en el alambre - to scrape through something or just get by. Rozando is also used to express this idea. Pasó la prueba rozando..barely passed the test
• Echar una cana al aire – to have a fling. A cana is a grey hair
• La pelona – death
• Las arrugas son seguras y las canas son vanas..about getting old
• No arrancar un pelo sin sangre – to charge every last cent or take advantage of someone
• Pelota – a group of friends
• Por un pelo de rana y la rana no tiene pelo - by the skin of one’ s teeth
• Pelarse el rabo – to make a big mistake or screw up
• Pelo de elote – ugly hair
• Pelo de gato – drizzle
• Pelón – a party or a bald person
• Solo con un pelo del mismo chancho se quita – an example is if you lose your mate you can only make up for it finding someone else. Or if you have a hangover, you need a shot of whatever you had last night before to get rid of it. The y also say “Un clavo saca otro clavo” to express the same idea.