Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

A friend just emailed me this and I thought my readers would enjoy a good dose of tico humor.

Enjoy!

Memorandum
To: Costa Rican Employees
From: Human Resources Department

Subject: New Policy using the Spanish language during working hours.

1. Words like “picha“, “ijueputa” and other such expressions will not be
used for emphasis, no matter how heated the discussion may get.

2. Non-important matters should not be addresses to as “mierda“.

3. You will not say “la cago” when someone makes a mistake, or “lo
cagaron” if you see someone being reprimanded. All forms and derivates of
the word “cagar” are inappropriate in our environment.

4. Lack of determination will not be referred to as “falta de huevos” or
“playadas“, not will a person with lack of initiative be referred as
“maricon“, “playo” or “come mierda“.

5. No manager or supervisor, under any circumstances, will not referred
to as “ese carepicha” or “ese maricon“.

6. When a good proposal is presented, the term “que pichudo” must not be
used.

7. Unusual or creative brainstorming meetings will not be referred to as
“diarreas mentales“.

8. Do not say “como jode” if a person is persistent, or “se jodio” if
somebody is going through a difficult situation. Furthermore, you must not
say “que hijueputa” or “que dolor de picha” when matter become complicated
in your line of work.

9. When asking someone to leave you alone, you should not say “vayase
pa`lamierda“, nor will you substitude “que putas queres?” for “May I help
you?”.

10. When leaving the office, using the term “voy jalando malparidos” is
not proper.

11. When any office equipment fails, it must be reported as “it broke
down”, not “se despicho” or “se jodió esta mierda“.

12. Last but not least, after reading this memo, please do not say “me
voy a limpiar el culo con esto“. Just keep it clean and file properly.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Human Resource Department.
Merlin Industries.

Cuatro ojos ven más que dos or dos cabezas piensan mejor que una – four eyes see more than two eyes or two heads are better than one.
De la mano a la boca se pierde la sopa or del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho – Easier said than done
El mandar no quiere par – Authority doesn’t want to be shared
No hay amor sin dolor or no hay rosa sin espina or no hay amor sin interés – Love doesn’t come without a cost
Parece que la fruta de la copa del árbol es más dulce or parece que la gallina del vecino pone más huevos que el suyo – The equivalent of “The grass is greener on the other side.”
Querer es poder – Where there is a will, there is a way.
Reunión de más de dos, es revolución or dos es pareja, tres es una multitud – two is company, three is a crowd
Saber es poder – knowledge is power

Tiquismos

Cletear of volar pedal – mean to ride a bicycle (bici) in Costa Rica. The correct way to say it is “montar en bicicleta.”

Most often when you want to say that you are undecided the verb estar is used + indeciso/indecisa. For example, José está indeciso.. Joe is undecided or can’t decide.

However, there are a few Spanish idioms which express the same idea. Since the language is very idiomatic it is best to learn these forms in case you hear them used by a native Spanish speaker.

Estar entre dos aguas – to be between two waters
Estar en la cerca – to be sitting on the fence
Estar con un pie adentro y otro afuera – to have one foot inside and one foot outside

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 – much to do about nothing
Pagar los platos rotos – to pay for something (figuratively)
plato frutero – fruit dish
plato fuerte – main course
Plato giratorio - turntable
plato sopero - soup dish or bowl
platos – the dishes or courses of a meal
Ser plato de segunda mesa - to be second-best or second fiddle
tener cara de no haber roto un plato – to look innocent

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 dry spell or Indian summer at the end of June. The Costa Ricans call this pause in the rainy weather, Veranillo (de San Juan), or “little summer.” Some years there is a relatively dry period in August which is referred to as canícula when there is a respite in the May to November rains.

In Spanish there are a lot of words and expressions that have to do with water and rain. Here are some of them. Have fun with this.

A las aguas mansas hay que tenerles miedo – be careful of calm waters (literally). Beware of the meek and mild (figuratively).
Abril lluvioso, saca a mayo florido y hermoso – April showers bring May flowers
Agua bendita – a loose woman. Everyone sticks their hand in the holy water. Get it? Literally this means holy water.
Agua dulce – fresh water
Agua potable – drinking water
Agua salada – salt water
Agua de abajo depende de agua de arriba – upstream the cows piss in the water and downstream people drink it. The water downstream depends on the water upstream
Agua de lluvia – rain water
Aguas negras – sewage
Agua pasada no mueve molina – it’s no good crying over spilt milk. Also No llorar sobre la leche derramada.
Agua que no has de beber, dejalo correr – If you’re not going to drink the water than let it run. Other possible translation..You shouldn’t get mixed up in things that are of no interest to you or if you’re not going marry a person then let then him or her go.
Aguacero – a rain storm
Aguado – a boring person
Aguafiestas – party pooper, killjoy
Aguamar – jellyfish. Medusa is also used
Aguar la fiesta – to spoil the party
Ahogarse en un vaso de agua – to make a mountain out of a molehill
Baldazo – a heavy rain. Literally..a bucket full
Caerle como balde de agua fría – to not like something of someone. Me cae como balde de agua fría. You may also say me cae como una bomba. If you really want to be vulgar and insulting you can say “Me cae en la pura picha.” I do not recommend the latter if you value you life.
Cambiarle el agua al pajarito – to take a pee (change the bird’s water)
Cuando corren los canales, no salgas de tus umbrales – When it rains a lot, don’t leave the house.
Dar agua a los caites – to flee
Diluvio – a pouring rain
Echarse al agua – to take the plunge (figurative) or to tell on someone
En su charco – to do what one likes (in one’s pond)
Estar como agua para chocolate – to be mad or..estar hirviendo (boiling)
Estar con agua al cuello – to be up to one’s neck in something
Garuar – to drizzle in Costa Rica
¡Hombre al agua! – Man overboard!
Lo que por agua se viene y por agua se va – Easy come, easy go
Las desgracias nunca vienen solas – When it rains it pours
Las manos aguadas – butterfingers Manos de mantequilla is also used
Le va a llover – something is going to happen to you in abundance. Le va a llover dinero – You will make a lot of money.
Lo que por agua viene por agua se va – easy come, easy go
Llover a cántaros or llover zapos (toads) y ranas (frogs)– to rain cats and dogs.
Lloviznar – means to drizzle
Llueva o truene – come rain or shine
Lluvioso – rainy
Mañana oscura tarde segura – rainy weather in the morning gives way to a dry afternoon
Metérsele el agua – to go crazy
Nadar entre dos aguas – to be indecisive or to be sitting on the fence
No alcanzar para agua – to make ends meet or scrape by
No dar ni agua – to be very stingy
No hallar el agua en el mar – can’t see the forest through the trees
No te agüites – Don’t get sad!
Pasado por agua – soft boiled
Pelillo de gato – drizzle Llovizna is the correct Spanish word
Se me hace agua la boca – my mouth is watering
Venir como agua de mayo – to be a godsend