Plato

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

A foreign accent undermines a person’s credibility in ways that the speaker and the listener don’t consciously realize, new research at the University of Chicago shows.

Because an accent makes a person harder to understand, listeners are less likely to find what the person says as truthful, researchers found. The problem of credibility increases with the severity of the accent.

“The results have important implications for how people perceive non-native speakers of a language, particularly as mobility increases in the modern world, leading millions of people to be non-native speakers of the language they use daily,” said Boaz Keysar, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago and an expert on communication.

“Accent might reduce the credibility of non-native job seekers, eyewitnesses, reporters or people taking calls in foreign call centers,” said Shiri Lev-Ari, lead author of “Why Don’t We Believe Non-native Speakers? The Influence of Accent on Credibility,” written with Keysar and published in the current issue of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Levi-Ari is a post-doctoral researcher at the University whose work focuses on the interactions between native and non-native speakers.

To test the impact of accent on credibility, American participants were asked to judge the truthfulness of trivia statements by native or non-native speakers of English, such as, “A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel can.”

Simple prejudice could affect ratings of truthfulness, so the researchers tried to minimize that effect by telling participants the information in the statements was prepared for the speakers, and was not based on the speakers’ own knowledge.

Despite knowing the speakers were reciting from a script, the participants judged as less truthful the statements coming from people with foreign accents. On a truthfulness scale prepared for the experiment, the participants gave native speakers a score of 7.5, people with mild accents a score of 6.95 and people with heavy accents 6.84.

“The accent makes it harder for people to understand what the non-native speaker is saying,” Keysar said. “They misattribute the difficulty of understanding the speech to the truthfulness of the statements.”

In a second experiment, researchers tested whether awareness reduces the impact of accent on perceived truthfulness. Researchers told participants that they were being tested to see if accents undermine credibility.

That experiment was conducted with identical recorded statements, but with different results. While participants rated statements with mild accent just as truthful as statements by native speakers, they rated heavily accented statements as less truthful, Lev-Ari said.

Accent is one of the factors that influences people’s perception of foreigners in a society, Keysar pointed out. But its insidious impact on credibility is something researchers had not previously known, he added.

Below are the English translations of some of the words and expressions from this link.

Alzar un culo – to pick up a girl
Avisparse – to get smart or be alert
Baldazo – a rain storm
Carne de tavo – a person who is in jail
Cascabel – a rattle snake or mean woman.
Chante – a house. Choza and cuna are synonyms in pachucho
Compinches –friends or buddies
Comprarse una bronca – look for or get into trouble
Coronar la misión – to have sex
Creerse la última chupadita del mango – to think you are hot stuff. Other ways to say the same thing are: Creerse gran cosa, creerse la última Coca Cola en el desierto, creerse la gran caca (think you are big shit) or creerse muy sabroso.
Cuatro Plumas – Cacique the national liquor of Costa Rica. It is called cuatro plumas in tico slang (four feathers) because the Indian on the label has four feathers on his head.
Dar color – to embarrass
Darle pelón – to flirt with someone. It is more common to use dar pelota.
Dejar buey – to make someone feel stupid
Dejar como un domingo en la Sabana..solo pelotas – to get beaten up physically. To leave someone like the Sabana Park on a Sunday full of soccer balls (bumps)
Dejarle a uno más cruzado que el saco de Gardel – to get very high on drugs
Detrás de lopa – behind the eight ball. The expression is “Detrás del palo” but pachucos often reverse the syllables of words, thus lopa instead of palo
Echar el ruco – pick up girl. Ruco is slang for horse. Echar el caballo or echar los perros is also used here.
En menos que canta un gallo – fast or in a jiffy. I have also heard, “En menos que el presidente hace mil promesas.” In less time than it takes the president to make 1000 promises.
Enjacharle a alguien – make a face at someone. Jacha is slang for face in Costa Rica. Hacerle una cara a alguien is the correct way to say it.
Enroscarse – to sleep. Rulearse is also used in Costa Rica to mean the same thing.
Espomosita – beer (foamy). Una friá or un águlia is also used here.
Estaca – a tight-fisted person.
Estar como agua para chocolate – to be boiling mad
Estar como Bagaces de Liberia – to be lazy
Friquear – to freaked out
Gallada – bunch of guys
Gargantillas – a bunch of women
Guatazo – a quick bath
Hacerle daño – to have sex
Hacerse el Soviético – a variation of “Hacerse el Ruso” or to play dumb. Hacerse el maje is more common.
Harinón – a lot of money. Harina is more common for money. Un hueval de plata is also used.
Jema – means maje but backwards. Remember pachuchos like to reverse syllables.
La clase Burger King – word play on Burgesia (middle class or bourgeoisie).
La manteca – wife
La pulpe – pulpería or small corner grocery store
Lance – the opportunity to seduce a woman
Lolo – stupid
Manda güevo que – I don’t believe it or it is incredible. For example: Manda huevo güevo que BIll Smith no hable inglés. It is impossible that Bill doesn’t speak English.
Masticar – speak a language. It literally means to chew or masticate.
Muy kilometrado- a person who is over the hill. To have a lot of millage in this case kilometers.
Nido – slang for house. It literally means “nest.” Choza and chante are synonyms
Oler a quemado – sounds boring
Palmar – to kill
Parecer una bolsa de de leche – A woman who has no waist. She looks like a “bag” of milk.
Pelliscado – alert or smart. Vivo is a synonym.
Pichel – a person’s face. Cara or rostro are the correct words for face
Ponerse de jetas – to say stupid remarks
Ponerse en Venus – get high on drugs or literally go to the planet Venus
Raspar las ollas – to eat (literally to scrape the bowl)
Robar pasto – steal a girl from another guy
Ruedas – car (literally wheels)
Se le mete la guata – a version of se le mete el agua which means to go crazy. Guata is pachuco for water instead of agua
Ser como el cuchillo de Tarzán – to be as sharp as Tarzan’s knife or to be hungry
Ser todo orejas – to be all ears
Sobre – bed Cama or lecho are the correct words for bed. Lecho is used this way. El hombre está en el lecho de la muerte. The guy is on his death bed.
Solo good – a version of Solo bueno which means “Things are only good or only good things are happening”
Soltar el violín – to inspire pity
Tirar al baúl de los recuerdos – to get rid of a girlfriend in this case
Tirar la toalla – to give up or “throw in the towel.”
Tucos – legs
Volverse camote – to go crazy
Yodito – slang for coffee in Costa Rica

Conversa also offers live one-on-one Spanish courses online using video teleconferencing software. If you can’t come to Costa Rica to study or feel uncomfortable in group situations, this makes it possible to learn Spanish from the comfort of your home or office. This approach to teaching Spanish integrates live instruction with a valuable Spanish Resource Portal called “ConversaConmigo.” All you need is a high-speed internet connection and a headset.

By the way, the school was founded in 1975 by David Kauffman who is the former coordinator for a Peace Corp Center and also has a graduate degree in Spanish Linguistics. Most of the Spanish schools and teachers in Costa Rica do not have this background, experience or qualifications.

Check it out.

Spanish soap operas are even becoming popular in other countries where they are dubbed into different languages. The first global telenovela was Los Ricos También Lloran (“The Rich Cry Too”, Mexico, 1979), which was exported to Russia, China, the United States and other countries.

The final show (desenlace) of a novela typically features a wedding between the two leads, some horrible death or fate for the villain and redemption for the bad guys who were less evil than the villain. The good people are always rewarded in novelas.

Telenovelas have a sociological component because they reflect many real life situations and issues in Latin America. Narconovelas are a new phenomenon that have come from Colombia. Recent productions like El Capo, Sin Tetas No Hay Paraiso and El Cartel de los Sapos are social commentaries about real life problems that presently plague Colombia. Some have criticized the wave of Colombian soap operas for glamorizing the life of drug lords and for selling the drug culture as a risk-free entree into the high life.

The Novela is also a valuable learning tool. In the April 10, 2010 edition of La Nación there was an article about the benefits of watching soap operas for native Spanish speakers. According to Jorge Ignacio Covarrubias, the secretary of North American Academy of the Spanish Language, telenovelas enrich and spread the Spanish language. They help increase the viewer’s vocabulary, teach new ways of saying things and improve channels of communication.

Novelas also benefit non-native Spanish speakers who learn learn dialog in a real life context and build their vocabulary, especially idiomatic expressions. This method is free, fun, and not boring. On thing is for sure. If you are serious about learning the Spanish language, telenovelas are one of the better vehicles. Once you have a basic Spanish vocabulary you should be able to get the gist of what the characters are talking about in any soap opera. By watching telenovelas you will be exposed to how the language is really spoken and not boring textbook Spanish. Your ear for the language will also improve. The more soap operas you watch the better you will speak Spanish. Novelas are very melodramatic and visual. The facial expressions are more exaggerated than other kinds of programming, giving you visual clues about the content. When the hero physically throws the bad guy out of the house and says, “Lárgate! (Get your butt out of here!),” you know he’s not asking him out for a beer! Dialog is surprisingly easy to understand when accompanied by action.

Telenovelas is one of several Spanish magazines where you can read to keep up on all of the gossip about Spanish soap operas. In case you miss an episode of your favorite novela, there are Internet sites that summarize the daily plots.

Novela-related Vocabulary

Actor -actor
Actor de reparto – member of the supporting cast
Actriz –actress
Argumento or trama – the plot of a movie or soap opera
Culebrón – another name for a soap opera. Culebrones (“long snakes”) got their name because of the convoluted plots.
Desenlace – ending
Episodio – episode
Estelarizando or estelarizada por – starring…
Final feliz – happy ending or denenlace feliz
Final triste – sad ending or desenlace triste
Galán – leading man
Héroe – hero
Hora estelar –prime time
Novela – a Spanish soap opera
Novel por entregas – a serial
Novelero/a – a person who watches a lot of novelas
Personaje – character in a novela
Protagonista – person who has the leading role
Refrito – a remake of a previous novela
Televidentes – those who watch television
Villano/a or malo/a de la telenovela – bad guy or bad gal.

With the World Cup just 18 days away the interest in soccer here is really heating up. The Cup is contested every four years and is the Super Bowl of soccer. This year’s edition of the cup will be held in South Africa. Retirees in Costa Rica are bound to become interested in soccer or fútbol as it is called in the Spanish-speaking world. The game is almost a religion.

Whenever there is a major soccer game, everything comes to a stop and the party begins. Children of all ages can be seen playing soccer on the weekends. Adults even play informal games during their lunch breaks called mejengas.

Recently I watched a clasicazo (classic) soccer game with my son. It was between perennial powers Real Madrid and Barcelona. The latter won 2-0, marking the second time the team has defeated Real Madrid at home. Barcelona is led by the superhuman Lio Messi, who is considered the best player in the world, and Real Madrid is led by Cristiano Ronaldo, the “Pretty Boy” of world soccer. In Costa Rica we have a clasicazo which refers to games played between arch rivals Alajuela, known as La Liga, and Saprissa, known as El Monstruo.

Basically, here is how soccer is played:

Using a round ball, a soccer match is played by two teams wearing different colored shirts. Each team consists of not more than 11 players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. An official match may not start if either team consists of fewer than seven players.

Up to a maximum of three substitutes may be used in any match played in an official competition organized under the auspices of the world governing body, the Federation Internationale de Football Assocation.

In other competition, the rules must state how many substitutes may be nominated, from three up to a maximum of seven. The duration of an official match is 90 minutes played in two halves — each half lasting 45 minutes.

The aim of the game is for one team to score more goals than the opposing team. The winning team is the team that has scored the most goals at the end of the game. Players score a goal when they succeed in moving the whole ball over the opposing team’s goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar. Players may use any part of their body except their arms and hands (unless they are tending goal).

The ball is out of play when it has wholly crossed the goal line, or touch line — whether on the ground or in the air, and when play has been stopped by the referee.

The game is controlled by one referee on the playing field and two assistant referees placed on opposite sidelines. The field (or pitch) of play must be rectangular. The length of the touch line must be greater than the length of the goal line.

Length: minimum 90 meters (98.4 yards), maximum 120 meters (131.2 yards). Width: minimum 45 meters (49.2 yards), maximum 90 meters (98.4 yards).

International matches: Length: minimum 100 meters (109.4 yards) maximum 110 meters (120.3 yards) Width: minimum 64 meters (70 yards) maximum 75 meters (82 yards).

The field of play is marked with lines. These lines belong to the areas of which they are boundaries. The two longer boundary lines are called touch-lines. The two shorter lines are called goal lines. The field of play is divided into two halves by a halfway line. The center mark is indicated at the midpoint of the halfway line. A circle with a radius of 9.15 meters (10 yards) is marked around it.

A goal area is defined at each end of the field. A penalty area is defined at each end of the field. Goals must be placed on the center of each goal line.

Soccer vocabulary:

árbitro — referee

banda — sideline

cabezazo — header

cancha — field

defensa - The defense taken as a whole is la defensa. The back four is also termed la zaga

The Arizona immigration law controversy is spilling into others states, like Alabama where gubernatorial candidate Tim James, in an attempt to boost his ratings in the polls, by coming out with a television ad “we speak English in Alabama”, promising that driver’s license testing in that state will be only in English is he elected governor.

This recent act of xenophobia brings out the question how does a small country like Costa Rica with the many languages spoken here.

Of course, any American visiting Costa Rica knows well that Spanish is the official language in the tiny Central American nation.

Canadians are the exception, for though there are two official languages in Canada – French and English – a barrage of other languages, though not official, are spoken. Just turn on a television set in Toronto.

In Costa Rica, there is no “official” second language, though English is common, especially in areas like Escazú. So is Chinese. Italian and French can be easily overheard at a local restaurant or coffee shop. And there is the variation in Spanish, from the language spoken in the old country (Spain), to Nicaraguan, to Colombian to Cuban, etc.

In reference to Alabama’s James, drivers license tests in Costa Rica – both written and driven – are in Spanish. The forms are in Spanish, the people behind the counter processing the license speak only Spanish. And so do the driving testers.

Notwithstanding, there are thousands of Americans and other non Spanish speaking drivers in Costa Rica, with a valid drivers license. Yes, if they have a drivers license from their home country, the process is abbreviated. Nonetheless, the abbreviated process is all in Spanish.

And although many foreigners, mainly Americans, refuse of find learning a new language difficult, you need to learn Spanish in Costa Rica to enjoy “pura vida”.

Speaking the language is important for the “official” part of living in Costa Rica, like getting a drivers license or a residency or any interaction with a government institution or agency.

The business and commercial part is different, here foreigners can choose the language of choice. Merchants, service providers, hotels, restaurants, etc by an large have included English in their daily transactions. Some specialty business cater to specific language groups.

This is all part of being pragmatic.

In Costa Rica, you don’t hear politicians, like in the recent presidential elections or up coming municipal elections at the end of the year, spouting that everyone should speak Spanish and that all services are in Spanish.

Lets be realistic, today’s world is different than that of the past. Foreign travel is part of modern life and not everyone is required to speak English to travel.

The Costa Rican tourism board, although officially speaks Spanish, it does provide a number of services and guides in English. The practical approach of the tourism board if to offer a place where tourists, be it English, Chinese or Italian speaking, can obtain the basic information to get gas, food, lodging and medical attention.

We are not advocating that Alabama adopt a language other than English as the official language. It should be up to foreigners to learn English, like Alabamans coming to Costa Rica learn Spanish.

This xenophobic approach by states and countries goes against a “unified” world, where people, races and cutlures come together.

Speaking a common language is important in bringing these groups together. So, in Costa Rica, we speak Spanish. But we don’t need politicians to tell us or reassure us of that.

There are many uses of the words feet and foot in idiomatic expressions. The word for foot in Spanish is el pie, pronounced (pee-ay). The word pata is generally used to refer to the leg on a piece of furniture or an animal’s foot.

However, in jest pata is sometimes used to refer to a human’s feet. For example: Estar con un pie en la tumba means to have one’s foot in the grave. Often expats will hear Estar con una pata en la tumba, which means the same thing. They may also hear, Voy a pie (I’m going on foot). But some people say jokingly, Voy a pata. Pata can be used to get a laugh out of people (sacarles una cacajada).

Hear are some expressions using pie and pata:

A pie firme – steadily (progress).
Al pie de la letra – to the letter, exactly.
Al pie del cañon – to be working. Morir al pie del cañon means to die with your boots on.
Balompié – soccer.
Buscar tres pies al gato – to look for trouble (to look for three feet on a cat).
Cienpies – centipede.
Comenzar con el pie derecho – to start off on the right foot. Comenzar con la pata derecha.
Con pies de plomo – Carefully (with lead feet).
De pies a cabeza – from toe to head. Lo revisé de pies a cabeza. I examined it from head to toe.
En pie – standing like a house that survived a hurricane.
Estar con una pata en la tumba – to have one foot in the grave.
Estirar la pata – to die or kick the bucket. Patear el balde also means to kick the bucket.
Ir a pie – to go on foot. Vamos a pie. Let’s go on foot.
Meter la pata – to put your foot in your mouth.
Nacer de pie – to be born lucky.
No tener ni pies ni cabeza – not to make heads or tails of it or it makes no sense.
Pata de palo – peg leg.
Patas arriba – upside down or topsy-turvy (a mess).
Patas de gallina – crow’s feet (wrinkles around the eyes).
Patear – to kick.
Patear el culo – to kick someone’s butt (vulgar).
Patituerto/a – pigeon-toed. Also heard are patas de pato and pies encontrados.
Patón – someone with big feet.
Perder el pie – to lose one’s footing.
Pie de atleta – athlete’s foot.
Pies planos – flat feet.
Ponerse de pie – to stand up.
Saber de qué pie cojea – to know one’s weak point. El lado flaco or talón de Aquiles means the same thing.
Se le fueron los pies – to stumble. Literally his feet went out from under him.
Sólo salgo con los pies de frente – You’ll only take me out of here feet first (dead).
Soldado a pie – foot soldier, infantry.

Related Tiquismos (Costa Rican expressions):

A pata pelada – bare feet.
Bailar en una pata – to be happy,
Con toda la pata – when a person feels great.
Echar patas – to disappear or used when an object gets robbed.
Estar con una pata en el estribo – to be about to do something or have one foot out the door.
Llevar entre patas – to possess a woman sexually (vulgar).
Parar las patas – to fall.
Pata caliente – someone who likes to travel or hang out in the street.
Pata de chancho – a crow bar.
Pata de perro –means the same as pata caliente.
Patas vueltas – a good-for-nothing or insignificant person.
Patear con los dos – to be bisexual.
Salir con una pata de banco – used when a single woman gets pregnant.
Tener patas – to have pull or influence.
Volar pata – to walk.
Zafarse las patas – to commit an error or get pregnant as a single woman

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

Antojar

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 me antojó bastante dificil – I fancy it is it pretty difficult.
Se me antoja que va a llover – I’ve got imagine it is going to rain

Antojarsele a uno – to get into one’s head
Example:
Se me antojó ir a Costa Rica – I got it into my head to go to Costa Rica
No se le antoja ir – He doesn’t want to go

* The construction of the sentences in the examples above is much too difficult to explain to beginners.

Antojo – a whim or craving
Una mujer embarazada tiene muchos antojos raros– a pregnant woman has a lot of strange cravings

Antojos – can mean the same as antojitos below.
Antojitos - Snacks, hors d’oeuvres; traditional Mexican snack foods but also eaten in Costa Rica. Los Atojitos is the most famous and oldest chain of Mexican restaurants in Costa Rica.
Antojería – a restaurant that serves Mexican food.

Estar antojado – to want something

Expression of the week:

Si no te aclimatas, te aclichingas – If you don’t adapt, you will get screwed.
Al pueblo que fueres, haz lo vieres – When in Rome do as the Romans