Neither La Extra nor La Teja are examples of good journalism, but can serve as useful tools for learning Costa Rican slang. Both are the most read newspapers in Costa Rica,. They are famous for their use of red ink in their headlines and sensationalism.

Why does one need to learn the local lingo? Because most of the Costa Ricans use it and you may be lost at times without it.

Here are the some of the words I found in both papers the other day:

Bombazo – a loud noise produced by a car crash or a big news event like a scandal
Guatear – to rain or take a bath
Cacos – criminals
Chepito – a nosey person or snoop
Colmillo – literally means fang but in this case it means to be shrewd or smart. Vivo is a synonym.
Echarle ojo – means to look at something
Fiebre – a soccer (football) fanatic
Melones – literally means melons but is slang for the word “millions”
Oijotos – agents from the O.I.J. investigative unit
Rodar cabezas – heads will roll which means people will get fired. Cortar el rabo also means to fire someone.
Secre – short for secretary
Silla caliente – the hot seat like the witness stand during a trial
Tabo – jail. El tarro (the can) is also used
Trocha – a road. This term has been in the news lately when referring the road being built along the border with Nicaragua.
Tucas – a woman’s legs
Una mami- a good looking woman
Volarle filazos – to stab someone

The mayor of San José, just announced that a bike path or ciclovía will be built across San José along streets that are less traveled by automobiles, thus making it safer and easier to ride a bike through the capital. The bike lane will extend from the Law School at the University of Costa Rica in the eastern suburb of San Pedro to the Sabana Park in the west.

Biking terms

Alforjas – saddle bags or panniers
Aro or llanta – rim
Bicicleta a la medida – custom built bike
Bicicleta de montaña – mountain bike
Bielas – crank set
Blocaje rápido or Cierre Rápido – quick release
Bomba or inflador – pump
Cambio trasero – rear derailer
Cadena – chain
Cámara – tube of a tire
Candado – lock
Ciclovía – bike path
Corona – gears
Componentes – components
Desviador delantero – front derailer
Desviadores – derailers
Dientes – teeth on a chain ring or gear
Eje – axle
Eslabón – links on a chain
Espaciadores – spacers
Fibra de carbono – carbon fiber used to make some lightweight bike frames
Frenos – brakes
Guardabarros – fender
Horqueta – fork of a bike
Manubrios or guías – handle bars
Marco or cuadro – frame
Montar or andar en bicicleta – to ride a bike
Palanca de freno – brake arm
Parqueo de bicicletas – bike racks or place to park a bike
Pedales – pedals
Pedalear – to pedal
Piñones – sprocket
Plato – chain ring
Porta bicicleta – a bike rack for a car like Yakima
Portaequipaje – rack on the back of a bike
Poste de manubrio – handle bar stem
Puño – handlebar grip
Radios or rayos – spokes
Sillín – bike seat
Tija sillín – seatpost
Triciclo – tricycle
Tubo superior -crossbar
Tubo inferior o diagonal – down tube of frame
Tuerca – nut
Uniciclo – unicycle
Válvula – tire valve

Related Tico Expression:

Bici – term for bike
Cletear – to ride a bike
Cleta- also a bike
Policleto – police on bikes
Volar pedal – to ride or pedal a bike

Calcular – to calculate or work out. Most often used with math but can also be used figuratively. La mujer es muy calucaladora. The woman is sly, astute or calculating. A calculadora is a calculator. Cálculos are kidney stones or mathematical calculations. Según mis cálculos means according to my calculations. Finally, cálculo is branch of math called calculus.

Hacerle números – literally to crunch numbers or do the math. In a figurative sense in means to figure something out or calculate. For example, El gato está observanado su presa y haciéndole números. The cat is trying to figure out how to catch his prey.

Sacar cuentas – literally to figure out the bill or do the math. It can also mean to “add things up” so they make sense or figure out something.

Deducir – to figure out by the process of deduction.

Ver – Usually means to see but can be used like this: José está viendo si tiene suficiente dinero para comprar un carro. Joe is try to see or figure out if he has enough money to buy the car.

Ingeniárselas – to figure out or manage to. José se las ingenío para conseguir una beca. Joe figured (managed to) out a way to get a scholarship.

I hope all of the above makes sense.

Tiquismos:

Pulseador – a person who works hard. It comes from the verb pulsear which means to make a big effort or work hard. Pulseador is also an arm wrestler so pulsear means to arm wrestle. Un pulso is an arm wrestling contest. Pulso also means a person’s pulse. Tome el pulso means to take someone’s pulse. Tomar el pulso a la opinión means to take a poll to see the public’s opinion. Encuestar (to poll) mean the same thing.

A la hora en punto – on the dot (time)
A primera hora – first thing in the morning
A última hora – at the last minute
Dejar las cosas hasta útima hora – leave things to the last minute
Era hora – it was about time (you did something, etc.)
Es hora de + verb – It’s time to…. For example, es hora de ir.. it is time to go
En las altas horas de la noche – late at night
En buena hora – fortunately
Hora de comer – mealtime
Horas extras or horas extraordinarias – overtime (work)
Horas libres – free time
Horas de oficina – office or business hours
Horas pico – rush hours
Poner el reloj en la hora – to set a clock
Trabajo por horas – to be paid by the hour

Tico Expressions:
Hora tica – “Tico time” which refers to arriving late
Vivir horas extras – to live on borrowed time

The verb dar usually means “to give” in Spanish. However, it is used with many idiomatic expressions where it can mean something else.

Dar de palos or dar de puñetazos – to punch someone
Dar en el blanco – to hit the nail on the head or be right on target
Dar las gracias – to thank
Dar por hecho – to take for granted. Dar por sentado also means the same thing.
Dar rienda suelta a – to give free rein to
Dar un paseo – to take a walk
Dar un paso en falso – to take a false step
Darle a uno por hacer algo – to get into one’s head to do something
Darse – to surrender or give up
Darse con – to bump into something. Toparse con is also used.
Darse cuenta de – to realize
Darse por vencido – to give up
Darse prisa – to hurry up

Expression:
Dar lata – to pester or bother
Dar pelota – to pay attention to
Dar vuelta a – to cheat on one’s mate or turn something

The verb dar usually means to give in Spanish. However, it is used with many idiomatic expressions where it can mean something else.

Dar el asunto por concluido – to consider the matter settled
Dar el visto bueno – to approve
Dar en el clavo – to hit the nail on the head
Dar fe – to certify
Dar guerra – to make trouble or give someone a hard time
Dar lo mismo or dar igual – to make no difference
Dar la cara por – to defend or stand up for someone
Dar ejemplo – to set an example
Dar la espalda – to let someone down. The verb fallar is also used.
Dar fruta – to bear fruit
Dar ganas de – to feel like
Dar la mano – to shake hands. Estrechar la mano is also used.
Dar una mano – is to help someone or give someone a hand.
Dar la razón – to agree with someone
Dar la vuelta – to turn something around
Dar las gracias – to thank
Dar a luz – to give birth

Expression:
Darle vuelta a alguien – to cheat on one’s mate. The verb engañar is also used.

The verb dar usually means to give in Spanish. However, it is used with many idiomatic expressions where it can mean something else.

A todo dar – wonderful, fantastic, great.
¡Dale¡ – Hurry up!
Dar a conocer – to make known
Dar a entender – to imply or insinuate
Dar asco – make someone sick
Dar celos – to make someone jealous
Dar con – to come across of find. Toparse con and encontrarse con are also used.
Dar cuerda – to wind a watch or encourage someone
Dar de alta – to release or discharge a patient form the hospital or someone from the army
Dar de baja – to remove someone from a list (like subscribers)
Dar de comer – to feed
Dar la bienvenida – to welcome someone
Dar la cara por alguien – to stand up for someone or defend someone
Dar el sí – to get married
Dar por sentado or dar por hecho – to take for granted
Darle a alguien – to hit someone

Expression :
Dar en la madre – to kick someone’s ass (vulgar and offensive)

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