A pico de botella – to dring a beer right from the bottle without a glass.
Añejo – aged
Bebida embriagante – booze
Blanco – white as in ‘white wine”
Cerveza clara – light beer
Cerveza de barril – draft beer. In Costa Rica we say “cerveza cruda.”
Cerveza negra – dark beer
Coñac
More tiquismos
It is necessary to understand these expressions if one is going to live in Costa Rica. These terms cannot be found in a normal Spanish dictionary.
mala pata – Bad luck. For example: Fue mala pata que él perdiera el trabajo. It was because of bad luck that he lost his job. Mala suerte is the correct way to say bad luck. ¡Salado! can also mean
Something is Fishy
Costa Rica has two coasts, so there is plenty of seafood is available everywhere in the country. Corvina (sea bass) is the most commonly served fish and is prepared in a number of ways, including as ceviche (bits of fresh raw fish marinate in lime juice with onions, peppers and spices). Chucheca is a popular bivalve mollusc and
The accent can carry lots of weight in conversation
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A rose by any other name may still smell as sweet, but if the name is said with an accent, there are unexpected complexities that are being unraveled now by scientists. And understanding these complexities may be of value to foreigners living in a country where the principal language is not their own.
Expats may notice that as they talk to Costa Ricans
Phrases for the Restaurant
Salonero – waiter
¿Puedo ver el menú? – May I see the menu
¿Puede recomendarme algunos platos? – Can you recommend some dishes?
¿Cuál es la especialidad de la casa? – What’s the special?
El plato del día – The daily special in Costa Rica
¿Qué clase de… tiene? – What kind of
