www.CostaRicaTicas.com

She would actually be Maria Gomez de de La Torre.

And these posts do reaffirm my correct decision to become a lifetime member of CRT. Paco, great informative and entertaining post. As for the Idaho rant, that was one of the funniest posts I have read in a long time. I have found Don Rickles' successor when he retires (I hope never). Also you forgot to mention the endless boring pine trees in Idaho.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

Also borrowed from another site a list of CR slang



-mae (my): Mae can be used to mean "dude" between friends, or simply to refer to any man or woman ("ese mae te esta llamando" = "that guy is calling you").

-100 (cien) metros (see-en met-ros): Always remember that "cien metros" means "one block." Likewise, "doscientos (200) metros" means "two blocks," and "cincuenta (50) metros", "half a block" – all regardless of the actual length of the block.

-aguevado (ah-gway-va-doh): bored or boring (synonym of bostezo)

-bostezo (boh-stes-oh): bored or boring (a synonym of aguevado)

-apuntarse (ah-poon-tar-say): to sign up (for something, like a tour)

-brete (bre-tay): work or job

-como amanecio? (coh-moh ah-mahn-es-ee-oh): how are you this morning?

-chunche(choon-chay): thingamajig

-di/diay(dee/dee-ay): With no exact translation, diay is best thought of as an interjection at the beginning of a sentence, similar to "um" or "well."

-dolor de jupa (dole-or day hoop-ah): a headache

-el chante (el chahn-tay): home (house
); place

-estar de chicha(es-tar day chee-chah): to be angry

-estar de goma (es-tar day goh-mah): to have a hangover

-fijate/fijese(fee-hah-tay/fee-hey-say): Another phrase with no exact translation, this is best thought of as an interjection, approximately meaning "would you believe it?"

-guila(gwee-lah): Despite its meaning in Mexico, a guila in Costa Rica is merely a "girl."

-hijueputa (ee-who-ay-poo-tah) (vulgar): son of a bitch

-la jama (lah hah-mah): food

-jamar (hah-marh): to eat

-jumas (hoo-mahs): drunk

-la choza (lah choh-sah): home

-que mala nota! (kay mahl-ah no-tah): what a bad person!

-macha (mah-cha): a blond female, usually a foreigner

-mucho gusto (moo-choh goo-stoh): Translating directly as "[with] much pleasure," Costa Ricans use this in lieu of "de nada," or "thank you."

-no entender ni papa (no en-ten-der nee pah-pah): to not understand a word

-no joda!/no jodás!(no hoe-da/no hoe-das): don't bother me! / leave me alone!

-ojo! (oh-hoe): watch out!

-pura paja(poor-ah pa-hah): crap; bullshit

-pinche (peen-chay): Despite its meaning in Mexico, pinche means "stingy" in Costa Rica.

-por dicha(poor dee-chah): thank goodness

-pulperia(pool-pehr-ee-ah): a small corner store

-que m'iche? (kay mee-chay): what's up? / what do you have to tell me?

-que pereza!(kay pay-ray-sah): ugh, what a drag! (synonym of "que tigra!")

-que tigra! (kay tee-grah): ugh, what a drag! (synonym of "que pereza!")

-salado (sahl-ah-doh): unlucky

-soda (soh-dah): a small, family-run typical restaurant

-soque!(soh-kay): hurry up!

-una teja (oo-nah tay-hah): Una teja is 100 of anything, usually money (100 colones). If someone is giving you directions, however, una teja refers to "100 meters," or one block.

-tome chichi!(toe-may chee-chee): Though this phrase has no direct translation, it's essentially a teasing form of "take that!"

-tuanis(too-ahn-ees): Said to be a Spanish adaptation of "too nice," this popular phrase means "cool."

-va jalando!(bah hahl-ahn-do): get out of here! / go away!

-la vara (lah bar-ah): the thing

-upe! (oo-pay): hello? anyone home?

-vieras que/viera que (bee-air-ahs kay/bee-air-ah kay): Another Costa Rican idiom with no direct translation, "vieras que/viera que" means "sure", in the sense of "I sure was surprised by his apology!" ("Vieras que sorprendida me dejo su disculpa!")

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Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

Very good stuff, Paco! Thank you. Hope to buy you a beer someday.

_________________
" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

Thanks so much Brother PL. Sure to be bookmarked. We haven't had one of these helpful lists in awhile. Especially as you were careful to point out this is CR slang. I was struck by the term ojo! as ojos are eyes and I just got 2 pairs of anteojos this last trip (what a perfectly logical word that is!--"before the eyes"). "Eye glasses" in English hasn't been correct for 20 years--they are plastic now.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Paco, I believe you forgot one "weird" stuff about Costa Rica.

The fact that when ticos/as wipe their culos, they throw the toilet paper full of sh¡t in the garbage bin instead of the toilet bowl.

very good -appreciate the posts

Great post Paco.
The Ticos are really beginning to scrutinize dollars. If it has the slightest blemish, they refuse it. I have started doing the same with colones. When I give one back (to the same person who refused my perfectly good bill) they look at me like I am loco.
Muy Tico.

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Bring on the dancin' girls and put the champagne on ice. -Bon Scott

Costa Rica: We make easy, hard........

Hoe Dog koo koo ka choo

I feel compelled to defend Idaho. Sure, the southern 2/3 of the state is butt ugly and 3/4 of the people are devout morons, but northern Idaho is among the most beautiful places in the world (don't drink the water though, unless you like heavy metal poisoning). I was in a touring rock band in the late 70s and always had a lot of luck getting laid in Idaho. Nothing like a Jack Mormon to be a party animal.

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"The only normal people are those you don't know very well." Joe Ancis

If ya wanna buy Paco a beer you better book a trip to the Dom. Republic

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"cuz I'm a back-door man" Jim Morrison-1969

Paco:

I will be in Biloxi Mississippi at the Beau Rivage this Friday Saturday and Sunday with a cute little 25-year-old from Jackson Mississippi come by and I'll introduce you and buy you a beer.

Lee

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PS: DO NOT SEND MONEY!

Nice Paco. you are alright....

Mil gracias, Paco, for some of those bits of information.
I've been puzzled several times when asking walking directions and someone told me a store or whatever I was looking for was "ciento metros" or "dos ciento metros," when it was actually much more or less than that distance. I use the word "quadra" for "block," but didn't realize "100 metros" was the conversational equivalent of a block also.

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Don't call 'em hookers. I tell my wife I'm here dealing with holesalers.