A

a grito pelado – shouting
a la par – next to. Al lado de or contiguo are synonyms.
a pata – to travel by foot or walk
acelerado – a drunk, even a belligerent drunk.
achantado – from the verb achantarse it means to be sad, lazy or disilusioned
achará/acharita- a pitty
acois – means “like this or like that.”
afanado – a word meaning pretty or cute. Lindo, bonito or bello are synonyms
agachado – a lazy person who ducks responsability.
acuantacito– means a little while ago
agarrado (adj.) – a cheapskate
agarrar cancha – to abuse or take advantage of someone
aguadulce – a Costa Rican drink made of hot water and brown sugar
aguacatazo – a strike or blow to the body
agüevarse – bored or sad
aguila – literally means an eagle but in Costa Rica iis slang for an Imperial beer. Ponerse aguila means to be alert.
aguachinarse – is a verb used mostly in the Guanacaste region that means to spoil a harvest due to an excess of rain or to get a foot fungus.
aguado – boring or a kill joy
alambrina – steel wool. Lana de acero is the correct word.
Alajuelense – a person from the city of Alajuela. Manudo is a synonym.
ahorcarse – to hang yourself or to get married.
amanecer – this verb literally means to wake up in the morning. However, in Costa Rica it is used to ask the question, How did you sleep? or ¿Cómo amanecío?
agringarse – a verb that means to adopt the customs or behavior of a gringo or North American.
ajiaco, asiaco or ayaco – are synonyms that refer to a dish made with pork or plantains.
almanaque – is a type of calendar
amarrar el perro – to not pay a debt
apearse – to get down off something
aplanchar la oreja – to sleep
apretar – is a verb that means to kiss in Costa Rica. Besar is the correct Spanish verb to kiss.
aprete –is a kiss
apuntarse – to accompany someone or participate in an activity.
argolla – a clic or group of people
armarse la gorda – to cause an aproar or fight
arrojar – to vomit. Ranchar and “Llamar a Hugo” are also used here.
arroz con leche – is one of Costa Rica’s most popular desserts made of rice, milk, condensed milk and cinammon. It resembles rice pudding.
atollar –to hit or strike someone

B

baboso – an idiot
Bagaces – a lazy person or laziness
baldazo – a downpour or rainstorm
balde – literally a bucket or bucket of bottles of beer served in a bar
bases – feet
bandido – literally menas ‘bandit” but is usually someone who is clever or sly
bañazo – embarassment or shame
bate – a man or a penis
bateador – person who guesess without being certain
batear – means to bat as in baseball. In Costa Rica it means to guess or bull-shit.
bicho – literally an insect but in Costa Rica it can refer to an smart person
birra – the Costa Rican slang word for beer
birrear – to drink beer
blanco – a cigarette
bocas – Costa Rican horderves
bochinche – a fight
bodega – literally a warehouse but in Costa Rica a type of large closet to store things
bomba – literally means a ‘bomb’ but also can mean gas station, a pump or a type of Costa Rican rhyme
bombeta – a conceited person
boñiga – Costa Rica word for manure
bostezo – a boring person
bote, tarro or tavo – slang words for jail
bretear – to work
brete – work or job
pasar la brocha – to stroke someone or figuratively kiss their ass to make a good impression
brumoso – a fan of Cartago’s soccer team
buseta – a type of van or bus
la burra – lunch one takes to work

C

caballos or rucos – pants
cabanga – sadness
cabecera – literally means the headboard of a bed but can be a pillow
cabra – girlfriend
cabrón – vulgar way of saying a man
cacho – an animal’s horn, shoes or chaeating on one’s girlfriend
cacique – a nacional licquor made from sugarcane
cagadera – vulgar word for diarrea
caite – an old short or ugly person
cajeta – a dessert or something that is easy to do “piece of cake”
cajón – coffin
calabaza, calabaza cada uno para so casa – to go home
cambiarle el agua al pajarito – to urinate
camote –sweet potato or crazy person
cancha – experience
canalla – a group of friends from the neighborhood
le canta la gallina – the woman wears the pants or is the boss
cantaleta – nagging
cantón – a political unit like a country
cañas – slang for colones Costa Rica’s monetary unit
andar de capa caída or con el moco caído – to be sad
carajada or chunche – a thing or object
carajillo – a child
el carajo – used to refer to a person without mentioning his or her name
carambola – starfruit
carbonero – a person who incites others to fight
caribarro – a shameless person
caripicha – a very vulgar word which means “dick head”
carne molida – a destructive person
en el carro de Fernando – on foot
Cartucho – a nickname for the city of Cartago
cas – a fruit used to make a beverage
casado – a typical dish with rice, beans, meat and other ingedients
cáscara – shameless
cerote – vulgar word that means excrement or a bad person
ceviche – a popular seafood dish made with raw fish marinated in lemon juice
cleta or bici – a bicycle
coco – bald
el “coco” – the devil
cochino – a filthy or self-centered person
coger – usually means to catch or grab but can also mean to have sex
colado or paracaidista – a party crasher
cole – high school
colgar los tennis – to die
colocho – curly hair
colón – the monetary unit of Costa Rica
como las vacas – to not understand anything
compa – a good male friend
compañebrio – drinking
con toda la pata – happy or in good health
concho – a gross person with bad manners
correrse las tejas – to go crazy
ni costra – nothing
cuadrar – used like the verb gustar (to like). le “cuadra”: le gusta.
culazo –a beautiful woman.
culear – to have sex (vulgar)
culebra – literally means ‘snake’ but is used jokingly to refer to one’s girlfriend or wife
culebrón – is a Spanish soap opera
culo de tres nalgas – a conceited woman

Ch-

chaineado – well-dressed or polished
chambón – clumsy
chan – a seed that is used to make frescos (a natural beverages)
chancecito – give me a chance or a minute
chanchos – means pigs but is used to refer to a woman’s butt
chante – a house
chao – good-by
chapa – a dumb and usless person
chapear – to cut grass or weeds
chapulín – means grasshopper or tractor but can also be a juvenile delinquent
ah charita! – What a pitty!
chavalo – a young man
chayote – a type of vegetable or someone’s head
chema – a shirt
Chepe – slang for the city of San José, Costa Rica
chepe or chepa – means a busybody or nosey person
chiverre – a big pot belly
chicha – a liquor made from corn or anger
chicharrón – pig skin fried in fat
chichí – a child
tome chichí – expresión that roughly means, “You see!”
chile dulce – bell pepper
al chile -really
chimichurri – a fresh salsa made with tomato, cilantro and onion. In Mexico it is called “pico de gallo”
chinamo – a fruit or vegetable stand on a street
chineado/a – a person who likes a lot of attention or to be pampered
chinear – to spoil or pamper
chinga – a cigarette butt
chingar – to bother someone
chingo – nude
chingue – something that is fun.
chiquero – a filthy place
chiquillo/a – a child or endearing term when referring to a boyfriend or girlfriend
chiquito – a child
chiringue – something that is fun
chirola – jail
chiva, chivísima – something that is great or fantastic
chiverre – a fruit that is used to staff empanadas
ponerse chiva – to get angry
chiva – a slang word that means ‘cool’. ¡Qué chiva! How cool!
chivo – a man who lives off women
chompipe –a turkey but can also mean a large cement mixer
choricero – a person who engages in illegal businesses
chorpa – jail
choza – slang for house
chunche – any thing or object
chuzo – a car

D

¡déle! – Hurry up! or to hit someone
dar en el clavo – to hit the nail on the head
dar lata – to bother someone
darse una matada – to work hard or sacrifice oneself
despichar/despicharse – to mess up, spoil something or to have an accident
despiche – a mess
detrás del palo – someone who is “out of it” or “off track.”
¿diay? – What? or Hey?
dicha – fortunately ¡qué dicha! means How lucky!
diez con hueco – deceit
dolor de huevos – a person who is a painin the butt (vulgar)
dos aplausos con natilla – two tortillas with sour cream

E

echar el cuento – to try and seduce a woman
echar un ojo – to watch or take care of something
embarrialarse – to get covered with mud
enaguas – Costa Rican word for skirt
enchilarse – to feel the effects from eating a spicy food
enjachar – to stare at someone or slander
espeso – troublesome
estampa – a carbon copy of someone
estaca – a cheapskate
estañón sin fondo – a big apetite or bottomless pit
estirar la pata – to die
estrilar – to bother someone
estripar – to pressure someone
estuche – a football stadium

F

fachento – a sloppy dresser
faja – a belt
feria – what vendors or merchants give to their clients for free
fiado – to buy on crédito
fiador – a person who is responsable for a loan
fiebre – someone who has great passion for something like sports
fijate – imagine or listen to what I am going to say
filo – hunger
finca – a farm
florense – a person from the province of Heredia
fogón – a wood-buring stove
fondillo – someone’s butt
formaleta – wood frames for pouring cement
forro – a cheat sheet used to cheat on a test
fregar – to bother or annoy
fresa – a rich kid
fresco – a homemade type of fruit juice
fritear – to fry
frito – “screwed” or to have no chance
furris – something that isn’t very good

G

gacho – difficult
galleta – an intelligent person or “smart as a cookie.”
gallina – a chicken or scaredicat
gallo, gallito – any food inside of a tortilla like a taco
gallo pinto – a breakfast dish made of rice, beans, cilantro and Lizano sauce
gancho – in business terms a ‘hook” or “gimmick”
garrote – a big stick
gato – a person with green or blue eyes
gato por liebre – to gyp someome
goma – a hangover
gorrear – to hit someone on the head
guachimán – watchman or guard
los guachos or las guayabas – slang for one’s eyes
guacho – a wrist watch
guamazo – a strong blow or hit
guata – water
guatearse – to bathe
guato – a dog or a guy who pick up women
guachar – to watch or take care of
guaro – a nacional liquor made from sugar cane. All liquor can be referred to as “guaro.”
Guava – luck
güeiso/weiso/hueiso – all mean something that is ugly or bad
güevo or huevo – slang for money
guindar – to hang something
guineo – a male homosexual
tener güecho – a stupid or gullible person
güila – a child

H

hablar paja – to talk bullshit
hablar hasta por los codos – to talk continuously
hacerse bolas – to get confused
hacerse el maje – to play dumb
harina- literally means flour but is “money” in Costa Rica
hasta la coronilla/el copete – to be fed up with or tired of something
hasta el culo/hasta las tetas/hasta la picha – to be very drunk
hediondo – stinky
hembra – a woman or girfriend
la high – a member of the high class
hijo de papi/papá – rich kids
horchata – a drink made from ground rice, cinammon and sugar
hospi – hospital
hueiso – difficult
huele pedos – a kiss ass or brown noser
hueso – a person who looks at things without buying anything
huevo – money