May 1, 2010

puesto de control militar

Meaning: military checkpoint

May 2, 2010

al parecer

Meaning: it seems

Example: Lo siento mi amor, pero al parecer no voy a poder ir contigo a la opera este fin de semana. (I am sorry, my love, but it seems I will not be able to go to the opera with you this weekend.)

May 3, 2010

cara a cara

Meaning: face to face

Example: Si quieres divorciarme, bueno. Pero lo vamos a discutir cara a cara, no con los abogados. (If you want a divorce, fine. But we are going to discuss it face to face, not with the lawyers.)

May 4, 2010

baterista

Meaning: drummer

Example: El baterista para la banda roquera mexicana Mana es Alex Gonzales. (The drummer for the Mexican rock band Mana is Alex Gonzales.)

May 5, 2010

roquero

Meaning: rocker

Example: Mi hermano es punqueto pero yo soy roquera. (My brother is into punk but I am a rocker.)

May 6, 2010

ceviche

Meaning: marinated fish or seafood

Example: Ceviche is fish or seafood "cooked" in lime juice and served with diced tomatoes, chiles, and cilantro.

May 8, 2010

la letra pequeña

Meaning: the fine print

Example: Antes de firmar el contrato, lee la letra pequeña. (Read the fine print before you sign the contract.)

May 9, 2010

ida y vuelta

Meaning: round trip

Example: Mi hermano va a comprar un boleto sencillo pero el mio es de ida y vuelta. (My brother is buying a one-way ticket but mine is round trip.)

May 10, 2010

calle cerrada

Meaning: cul-de-sac

Example: Vivo en una calle cerrada; es muy tranquila. (I live on a cul-de-sac; it’s very quiet.)

May 11, 2010

salchicha

Literal Meaning: sausage

Meaning: wiener dog

Example: Yo tengo salchicha pero mi perro favorito es el pastor alemán. (I have a wiener dog but my favorite type of dog is the German shepherd.)

May 12, 2010

compradicto

Meaning: shopoholic

Example: Mi hermana no se puede controlar en las compras; es una compradicto. (My sister can’t control herself when shopping. She’s a shopoholic.)

May 13, 2010

entregar el equipo

Literal Meaning: turn in the equipment

Meaning: kick the bucket

Example: ¿No escuchaste? El Sr. Mario entregó el equipo después de estar enfermo durante mucho tiempo. (Didn’t you hear? Mr. Mario kicked the bucket after a long illness.)

May 14, 2010

corto plazo

Meaning: short term, near future

Example: El colapso del crédito tiene que ver con la tendencia de endeudarse a corto plazo, entre otras cosas. (The credit collapse is related to a tendency to short-term debt, among other things.)

May 15, 2010

enredoso

Meaning: confusing

Example: No entiendo la situación, es muy enredosa. (I don’t understand the situation; it is very confusing.)

May 16, 2010

fodonga

Meaning: sloppy, disheveled

Example: Me da pena decirlo, pero su suegra es una vieja fodonga. (I hate to say it, but your mother-in-law is a sloppy old lady.)

May 17, 2010

trailera

Meaning: female truck driver

Example: Ella es muy mal hablado; parece trailera. (She has a foul mouth; she’s like a truck driver.)

May 18, 2010

terco

Meaning: stubborn

Example: Nunca me hace caso; es tan terco como una mula. (She never listens to me; she’s as stubborn as a mule.)

May 19, 2010

joven (1)

Meaning: waiter

Example: Joven, quisiera pedir. Ya tengo 20 minutos esperando. (Waiter, I'd like to order. I've been waiting 20 minutes.)

May 20, 2010

joven (2)

Meaning: young person, young man, young woman

Example: Joven, ¿ha visto usted una joven chaparrita por aquí? (Waiter, have you seen a short young woman around here?)

May 21, 2010

ciber

Pronunciation: see-ber

Meaning: Internet cafe

Example: Búscame en el ciber en una hora. Tengo que mandar unos mails. (Come get me in an hour at the Internet café. I have to send some emails.)

May 22, 2010

puré de papas

Literal Meaning: potato purée

Meaning: mashed potatoes

Example: A los canadienses les encanta el puré de papas. (Canadians love mashed potatoes.)

May 23, 2010

chango

Literal Meaning: monkey

Meaning: dude

Example: El grupo de rock Café Tacuba tiene una canción en la cual menciona un “chango chilango”. (The rock group Café Tacuba has a song in which they mention a dude from Mexico City.”)

May 24, 2010

chavo

Meaning: kid, boy, young dude

Example: Vamos a reunirnos todos los chavos esta noche en el cine del centro. (All of us kids are going to meet at the downtown cinema tonight.)

May 25, 2010

tiritas

Literal Meaning: little strips

Meaning: marinated fish strips

Example: En la costa del Pacífico se comen tiritas, pescado en limón con cebollita y chile picante. (On the Pacific coast they eat a lot of tiritas, fish marinated in lime with onions and hot chilies.)

May 26, 2010

rompope

Meaning: a sweet, thick, slightly alcoholic beverage of egg yolks, vanilla, and milk.

Example: Una bebida tradicional de México, el rompope se hace desde el siglo XVI en los conventos de Puebla. (A traditional drink of Mexico, rompope has been made in the convents of Puebla since the 16th century.)

May 27, 2010

episodio estreno

Meaning: season premiere

Example: Hoy es el episodio estreno de Lost. (Today is the season premiere of Lost.)

May 28, 2010

tiempo límite

Meaning: deadline

Example: El tiempo límite para pagar la cuenta es el 31 de mayo. (The deadline for paying the bill is May 31.)

May 29, 2010

por debajo del agua

Literal Meaning: under the water

Meaning: under the table

Example: Lo que se ha vendido este mes es mayormente por debajo del agua. No vamos a pagar muchos impuestos. (Most of what we’ve sold this month has been under the table. We won’t pay much in taxes.)

May 30, 2010

días hábiles

Meaning: working days

Example: Tu pedido debe estar listo después de 10 días hábiles. (Your order should be ready in 10 working days.)

May 31, 2010

tinta china

Literal Meaning: Chinese ink

Meaning: India ink

Example: Cómprame una botella de tinta china, por favor, para que siga trabajando en mi obra. (Please buy me a bottle of India ink so that I can continue working on my piece.)