August 1, 2010

el público

Literal Meaning: the public

Meaning: the audience

Example: Al terminar la obra de teatro, el público aplaudió con mucho entusiasmo. (When the play was over, the audience applauded enthusiastically.)

August 2, 2010

niño prodigio

Meaning: child prodigy

Example: A los seis años, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart tocaba bien los instrumentos de teclado, y componía pequeñas piezas de música. Era un niño prodigio. (At six years old, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played keyboard instruments well and composed short musical compositions. He was a child prodigy.)

August 3, 2010

caer

Literal Meaning: to fall

Meaning: to happen, to occur, to arrive

Example: Al caer la noche, te caigo en donde trabajas. (At nightfall I’ll come by where you work.)

August 4, 2010

chocolate amargo

Literal Meaning: bitter chocolate

Meaning: dark chocolate

Example: Cómprame una barra de chocolate amargo. Lo prefiero al chocolate de leche. (Buy me a dark chocolate bar. I prefer it to milk chocolate.)

August 5, 2010

pachanga

Meaning: party

Example: ¡Hoy es sábado, chicos! ¡Vamos a la pachanga! (It’s Saturday, kids! Let’s go to the party.)

August 6, 2010

chava

Meaning: chick, young girl

Example: Vamos de vacaciones a Puerto Escondido. Entiendo que allí hay unas chavas surfistas a todo dar. (Let’s go to Puerto Escondido for vacation. I hear there are some righteous surfer chicks there.)

August 7, 2010

salsa inglesa

Meaning: Worcestershire sauce

Example: La salsa inglesa es apta para carnes asadas y se utiliza tambien en algunas bebidas alcóholicas. (Worcestershire sauce is used on grilled meats and also in some alcoholic beverages.)

August 8, 2010

michelada

Meaning: beer mixed with lime juice and one or more other ingredients

Example: Depende donde estés, pero una michelada se suele preparar con jugo de limón, Clamato o jugo de tomate, y salsas como Tabasco y salsa inglesa, aparte de la cerveza. (It depends where you are, but a michelada is usually prepared with lime juice, Clamato or tomato juice, and Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, or other bottled sauces, in addition to beer.)

August 9, 2010

Estoy hecho pedazos.

Literal Meaning: I’ve been made into pieces.

Meaning: I’m thrashed. I’m beat.

Example: Después de trabajar 10 horas en el sol, voy a dormir. Estoy hecho pedazos. (After working 10 hours in the sun, I’m going to sleep. I’m beat.)

August 10, 2010

pinche de la cocina

Literal Meaning: kitchen fucker

Meaning: cook's helper

Example: Luisa es la chef; Oscar es el pinche de la cocina. (Luisa is the chef; Oscar is the cook's helper.)

August 11, 2010

bacteria come carne

Meaning: flesh-eating bacteria

Example: Hoy vi un reportaje sobre una mujer que contrató bacteria come carne después de una cesárea. (Today I read an article about a woman who contracted a flesh-eating bacteria after a Cesarean section.)

August 12, 2010

Buscarle tres patas al gato

Literal Meaning: Look for three legs on the cat

Meaning: Look for problems where none exist

Example: Juan está deprimido. Siempre busca tres patas al gato. (Juan is depressed. He always sees problems where none exist.)

August 13, 2010

box

Pronunciation: bosh

Meaning: a person from the Yucatan

Example: Hola, box. Te veo el jueves en Tulum. (Hi, man. I'll see you on Thursday in Tulum,)

August 14, 2010

No te rajes.

Meaning: Don´t be a chicken.

Example: No te rajes. Vamos a saltar la barda! (Don´t be a chicken. Let´s jump the fence.)

August 15, 2010

chuza

Meaning: strike

Example: ¡Felicidades, otra chuza! Eresla reina del boliche. (Congratulations, another strike! You are the queen of bowling!)

August 16, 2010

Mueve el bote.

Literal Meaning: Move your boat.

Meaning: Move your butt.

Example: Mueve el bote, carnal. Todos los chavos te están esperando. (Move your butt, brother. All the guys are waiting for you.)

August 17, 2010

telenovela

Literal Meaning: TV novel

Meaning: telenovela

Example: En México las telenovelas suelen durar entre un par de meses y dos o tres años. Entre los más conocidas están La Fea Más Bella, Rosa Salvaje, y Amigas y Rivales. (In Mexico soap operas usually go on for between a few months and two or three years. Among the best known are La Fea Más Bella [Ugly Betty], Rosa Salvaje [Wild Rose] and Amigas y Rivales [Friends and Rivals].

August 18, 2010

¡Ponte/Póngase a trabajar!

Meaning: Get to work!

Example: Ha descansado suficiente. Ahora póngase a trabajar. (You have rested enough. Now get to work.)

August 19, 2010

ronronear

Meaning: to purr

Example: Este gato es muy amable. Se siente en mi regazo y ronronea muy contento. (That cat is very friendly. He sits in my lap and purrs happily.)

August 20, 2010

gorrón

Meaning: freeloader, scrounge

Example: Vámonos! Ahí viene esa gorrón, Silvia. Siempre quiere que le compre una copa … o diez. (Let’s split! Here comes that freeloader Silvia. She always wants me to buy her a drink … or ten.)

August 21, 2010

automedicarse

Meaning: to self-medicate

Example: No te automedíques con tequila. Ve al médico para ver qué te pasa. (Don’t self-medicate yourself with tequila. Go to the doctor to see what’s wrong.)

August 22, 2010

prueba antidoping

Meaning: drug test

Example: Todos del equipo de futból tendrán que tomar una prueba antidoping el jueves. (Everyone on the soccer team will have to take a drug test on Thursday.)

August 23, 2010

Se siente la Divina envuelta en huevo.

Literal Meaning: Literal: S/he thinks s/he’s the Divine [wrapped in egg].

Meaning: S/he thinks s/he’s God’s gift to mankind.

Example: Ahora que ganó Leslie el premio de mejor vestida, se siente la Divina envuelta en huevo. (Since she’s won the best-dressed award, Leslie thinks she’s God’s gift to mankind.)

August 24, 2010

Al que le gusta el durazno que se aguante la peluza.

Literal Meaning: He who likes peaches must deal with the fuzz.

Meaning: You’ve got to take the bitter with the sweet.

Example: Quisiste ser rockera famosa; ahora tienes que aguantar los fans. Al que le gusta el durazno que se aguante la peluza. (You wanted to be a famous rock star; now you’ve got to put up with the fans. One must take the bitter with the sweet.)

August 25, 2010

Quien de los suyos se aleja, Dios lo deja.

Meaning: He who leaves his family is forsaken by God.

August 26, 2010

dar la razón

Meaning: to agree with

Example: La jefa dijo que lo mejor sería que se quedaron en sus cuartos, y todos le dieron la razón. (The boss said it would be best if they stayed in their rooms, and everyone agreed.)

August 27, 2010

Pobre con puro es ladrón, seguro.

Meaning: A poor man with a cigar is a thief for sure.

August 28, 2010

De la muerte y de la suerte, no hay quien se escape.

Meaning: There’s no escaping from death and fate.

August 29, 2010

los Zetas

Meaning: Los Zetas: An organized crime group of hired killers

Example: Los Zetas es un grupo criminal de sicarios poderosos que extorciona dinero de grupos e individuos. (The Zetas is a powerful criminal group of assassins that extorts money from groups and individuals.)

September 1, 2010

meter la pata

Literal Meaning: Stick a foot in

Meaning: to goof up, to screw up, to make a mistake

Example: Mi jefe metió la pata cuando despidió a Carlos. Es el mejor vendedor del distrito. (My boss really screwed up when he fired Carlos. He’s the best salesperson in the district.)