To have bad luck

Spanish phrases

Añejo/a: A person who has not bathed. Here is a related expression: Más vale tierra en cuerpo que cuerpo en tierra. It is better to have dirt on your body than to be under the ground (dead).

Caco: A criminal. The expression El/la pinta is also used for criminal in Costa Rica slang

Cien metros or una teja: One block. read more

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To Cost an arm and a leg

Spanish phrases
  • Costar un ojo de la cara: To cost an arm and a leg or require a lot of effort to achieve
  • Filo: Hunger. Hambre is the correct term.
  • Dejar el ombligo enterrado: The place where a person was born
  • Guachos or guayabas: Both words are slang for eyes. The correct word is los ojos. Pelar las guayabas means to keep one’s eyes peeled.
  • Paquete: Bull or lies.
  • Pasar raspando: To scrape by. We also say, “Pasar dejando pelos en el alambre.”
  • Pelar los dientes: To smile. Sonreír is the correct Spanish word.
  • Ser un saco de mañas: To have many bad habits.
  • Donde el diablo perdió la chaqueta: Very far away.
  • Ya vengo: I’ll be right there.

Christopher Howard has been conducting monthly relocation/retirement tours and writing retirement guidebooks for more than 30 years. See www.liveincostarica.com.

He has a #1 relocation/retirement blog at: read more