February 1, 2010

burlarse

Meaning: to make fun of

Example: No es bueno burlarse de la gente. (It’s not nice to make fun of people.)

February 2, 2010

calentada

Meaning: heated interrogation

Example: Una calentada es usar métodos extraordinarios para sacar una confesión o información sobre un crimen. (A “heated interrogation” is using extra-strong methods to acquire a confession or information about a crime.)

February 3, 2010

aventura

Literal Meaning: adventure

Meaning: affair

Example: ¿No sabías que Jaime tuve una aventura con su secretaria? (Didn’t you know that Jaime had an affair with his secretary?)

February 4, 2010

para que conste

Meaning: for the record

Example: Haga lo que quiere, pero para que conste, le avisé del peligro. (Do what you want, but for the record, I warned you of the danger.)

February 5, 2010

centro de acopio

Meaning: collection center

Example: Lleva las cosas que quieres donar al centro de acopio. (Take the things you want to donate to the collection center.)

February 6, 2010

damnificado

Meaning: victim

Example: Los damnificados del terremoto de Haiti necesitan nuestra ayuda. (The victims of the Haiti earthquake need our help.)

February 7, 2010

en escabeche

Meaning: pickled

Example: Me encantan los jalapeños, cebolla, y zanahorias en escabeche. (I love pickled jalapeño peppers, onions, and carrots.)

February 8, 2010

albañil

Meaning: mason, bricklayer

Example: Voy a contratar un albañil para construir la barda. (I’m going to hire a mason to build the wall.)

February 9, 2010

feminicidio

Meaning: killing of women

Example: Desde 1993, unas 500 mujeres de bajos recursos han sido muertos o desaparacidos de las calles de Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, sin que los autoridades hayan resuelto los feminicidios. (Since 1993, some 500 women of limited means have been killed or disappeared from the streets of Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua. The authorities have not resolved these female murders.)

February 10, 2010

batalla de voluntades

Meaning: battle of wills

Example: Entre mis padres siempre había una batalla de voluntades. (There was always a battle of wills between my parents.)

February 11, 2010

chivo expiatorio

Literal Meaning: sacrificial goat

Meaning: scapegoat

Example: Los cristianos eran chivos expiatorios del emperador romano Nero en el primer siglo después de Cristo. (The Christians were scapegoats of the Roman emperor Nero in the first century AD.)

February 12, 2010

tope

Meaning: speed bump

Example: Anda más despacio. Estos topes son bien grandes. (Slow down. Those speed bumps are really big.)

February 13, 2010

vibradores

Literal Meaning: vibrators

Meaning: speed bumps (small)

Example: (The small speed bumps [called “vibradores”] get your attention more than anything; they aren’t as hard on your car as the “topes.”)

February 14, 2010

Feliz día del amor y de la amistad

Literal Meaning: Happy love and friendship day

Meaning: Happy Valentine’s Day

February 15, 2010

pozole

Meaning: hominy soup

Example: El pozole es una sopa prehispánica de maiz a base puerco o pollo al cual se le echa cebolla cruda, rábanos, oregano, chile, y limón, y se come con tostadas. (Pozole is a pre-Hispanic soup made with pork or chicken to which is added raw onions, radishes, oregano, chile, and lime, and eaten with crispy tostadas.)

February 16, 2010

gringa

Meaning: flour tortilla with meat and cheese

Example: Una gringa, además de referirse a una extranjera de los EE.UU. (o a veces de Canadá), es una tortilla de harina con queso y carne. (In addition to referring to a foreigner from the U.S. [or sometimes from Canada], is a flour tortilla with meat and cheese.)

February 17, 2010

Permítame.

Meaning: Just a second, please.

Example: [persona hablando por teléfono] Buenas tardes. Estoy busancdo el señor Martínez. ([person calling on the phone] Good afternoon. I’m calling for Mr. Martínez.) [operadora] Permítame. (Just a second, please.)

February 19, 2010

Si toma, no maneje.

Meaning: If you drink, don't drive.

February 20, 2010

lencería

Meaning: lingerie

Example: ¡Qué sorpresa! Para el día de San Valentín, mi esposo me regaló lencería. (What a surprise! For Valentine’s Day my husband gave me lingerie.)

February 21, 2010

¡Qué bárbaro!

Meaning: How terrible! How outrageous!

Example: ¡Qué bárbaro! Ganamos 50 pesos por día y los boletos al concierto cuestan 500 pesos cada uno. (How outrageous! We earn 50 pesos a day and the concert tickets cost 500 pesos each.)

February 22, 2010

ponerse los cuernos

Literal Meaning: to put the horns on

Meaning: to cuckold, to screw around on

Example: Lola y Paco tienen 10 años de casados, pero desde hace dos años ella le pone los cuernos. Se acuesta con Nacho cuando Paco sale de viaje. Lola and Paco have been married 10 years, but she’s been screwing around on him for the last two years. She goes to bed with Nacho when Paco goes out of town.)

February 23, 2010

De lengua me como un taco.

Literal Meaning: I'll eat a taco if it's beef tongue.

Meaning: Yeah, right, tell me another one!

Example: ¿Tú dices que Britney Spears quiere salir contigo? Eh, sí, de lengua me como un taco. (You’re telling me Britney Spears wants to go out with you? Yeah, right, tell me another one!)

February 24, 2010

independiente

Literal Meaning: independent

Meaning: freelance

Example: Mi hermano es un periodista independiente. Publica artículos en varias revistas y periódicos. (My brother is a freelance journalist. He publishes articles in several magazines and newspapers.)

February 25, 2010

bloguera

Meaning: blogger

Example: MadamMayo es mi bloguera favorita. (MadamMayo is my favorite blogger.)

February 26, 2010

El que nunca va a tu casa en la suya no te quiere.

Meaning: He who never goes to your house doesn’t want you in his.

February 27, 2010

chiquiado

Meaning: babied, spoiled

Example: Irma, no le des todo lo que pide al niño. Lo tienes bien chiquido. (Irma, don’t give the child everything he asks for. You really spoil him.)

February 28, 2010

gil

Meaning: rube

Example: Voy a buscarme un gil para comprar estas cosillas. (I’m going to look for a rube to buy this junk.)

March 1, 2010

caló

Meaning: slang

Example: El caló se refiere a vocabulario callejero usado por los chicanos y mexicanos. Viene de la lengua de los gitanos en España. (Caló refers to street slang used by Chicanos and Mexicans. The name comes from the language of Spanish gypsies.)

March 2, 2010

cajero automático

Meaning: ATM

Example: Vamos, pero tengo que pasar por el cajero automático de Banamex, pues no tengo lana. (Let’s go, but I have to stop at the Banamex ATM. I don’t have any dough.)

March 3, 2010

yaca

Meaning: jackfruit

Example: Fruta que crece en regiones de selva tropical, la yaca es enorme y verde y cubierta de bolitas. Su sabor es una mezcla sutil de melón, papaya, y otras frutas. (Native to tropical regions, the jackfruit is huge and bumpy and tastes of cantaloupe, papaya, and other fruits.)