Tico Lindo - Dictionary of Costa Rican Slang

Tico Lindo - The guy who knows EVERYBODY. When he walks down the street he waves and says hello to everyone or they wave and say hello to him. The actual root of the saying comes from the contest where the Tica Linda is chosen and rides in a parade and waves to everyone doing the Parade wave.

Many of you expats will study Spanish and begin to speak fluently. You will find yourself becoming more confident and speaking only in Spanish to the locals! At some point, though you will find that to your surprise you understand the words but nothing seems to make sense?

Hola Pura Vida! (So far so good). Que Tuanis Mae (hmm? OK). Donde esta mi Nave? (HUH!?).

You think you are going crazy because you studied and practiced soooo hard and are surprised you don't understand them. Don't worry. The reason you don't understand is that the Costa Ricans are speaking to you in slang or "Pachuco" as the Ticos call it.

At the end there is a link to a video done by the University of Costa Rica that includes many of these Pachuco sayings so hopefully you can understand the video a little better and you too can be a TICO LINDO!!!

So to help out those of you who want to understand some of the Pachuco slang I prepared a list of Pachuco sayings with the translation, both literal and the actual meaning. Sometimes the literal translation is funnier to think about than what they are actually saying.

Dictionary of Costa Rica Slang (Pachuco)

Me pescó GRINGITO !! (Did you catch all that GRINGO?)

So now you might be ready to understand this video a little better and have a laugh.

Have patience as you go through the video and you will be dying from laughter (cagandose de risa)!! You can translate that last one.