Most people think English is Costa Rica’s second language, but surprisingly that is not the case. In Costa Rica the word pachuco refers to a person who has manners that are socially unacceptable and often uses shocking language when speaking. Pachuco is also a pejorative name given to certain colloquial words and expressions. Some consider pachuco and its pachuquísmos to be Costa Rica’s second language. There is a place on you tube where you can listen to a tico doing a humorous monologue by using an exaggerated form of pachuco titled “Nuestro segundo idioma el pachuco” (“Our second language pachuco”). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU8A0VYZ_OE
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
