Slang differences

[atemoon]

Hi all,

I find it interesting that there are different slang in different Spanish countries. I’ve recently learned that the following words below mean this in Costa Rica. I'm just wondering how other countries interpret these phrases in their regions. What do some of these phrases mean in your specific country?

– “Pele la oreja”: Listen Well
-”Es un queque”: It is easy
--”Topar con cerca”: to arrive at the end of something
--”La soda”: small typical Costa Rican restaurant
– “Tenés que agarrar la lata”: Get on the Bus
– “Si no le pinta”: If it won’t work
– “Pirata”: Red Taxi in Costa Rica
– “Cara de pistola”: Dickface
– “Más harina”: to give more money
– “Un Tucán”: a 5000 colones bill
– “Buena nota o mala nota”: Good or Bad person
– “No se me haga bolas”: Don’t get confused
– “Se puede ir a pata”: You Can Walk
– “En un hueco2: Dangerous or Dirty Bar, Shitty Place
– “Tomarse un Yodo”: To have a coffee
– “Plato de bocas”: Plate will appetizers
– “Cabras”: Women– “Bates”: Men
– “Huele pedos”: to make a conversation
– “Tostado”: Out of money
– “Movió el piso”: Someone turns you on
– “Me dio un taco”: Something scares you
– “Le eché el cuento”: to propose sex

[Rusty]

Hi,

Not everything you've copied from elsewhere is correctly entered in your post. Some of the slang is incomplete. Incorrect English meanings are attached to some of the items, as well. Perhaps your source is to blame.

To be sure, Costa Ricans use a good amount of unique slang, but slang is found in every tongue and every clime. To understand it, and perhaps use it yourself, it's pretty much a requirement to be intimately familiar with the language and to have the slang explained to you by someone who uses it (it could be used in a particular region or it might only be used by a certain generation). Slang is not universally understood.

Many of the phrases you've copied (which may be copies of copies) come from a video created in 2009, by Universidad Veritas. At the end, you'll see that they got the idea for their video from an English-language cartoon made in 1951, titled Symphony in Slang. The cartoon is chock-full of American English slang. Unless you're an older, American-born English speaker, you won't understand everything. Bear in mind that I don't presume to understand the slang used by the younger generation of today. Slang comes and goes.

Folks here will most likely not be familiar with the items you've listed (none of us are presently from Costa Rica (those of us who lived there for a time might)). I was surprised to not see very familiar Tico slang, like «pura vida» and «tuanis», to name just two. You can't even walk in Costa Rica without hearing these, and they're not used anywhere else.

If we don't live where the slang is used, its meaning is lost on us.