Regionalismos y Modismos

Something that distinguishes the language from one country to another are the idiomatic and regional expressions. They are also the things that make it difficult for non-native speakers to understand. Can you share some favorite ones with us?

Algo que distingue al lenguaje de un país a otro son los modismos y regionalismos. También son las cosas que a los que no son nativos lo hacen difícil de entender . ¿Puedes compartir algunos de tus favoritos con nosotros?

Tags: modismos, regionalismos

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Permalink Reply by Lucio Ramirez on July 17, 2008 at 12:10am: Bueno, aquí va la primera aportación:

"Soy todo oidos..."

Significa que estoy muy atento a lo que digas; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by Cherry on July 17, 2008 at 2:38pm: The English equivalent of that is "I'm all ears".; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by Lucio Ramirez on July 17, 2008 at 8:14pm: Ok, pensé que era un poco mas regional...
más latino...
aqui tienen otro:

"estoy sudando la gota gorda"

Quiere decir que se está trabajando muy duro,
y en lo particular , se me hace chistoso a mí...; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by paul2099 on July 18, 2008 at 1:24am: "Hasta donde el diablo perdió el poncho"
It means really far; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by Lucio Ramirez on July 18, 2008 at 6:15am: paul2099 said:
"Hasta donde el diablo perdió el poncho"
It means really far

Esta esta buena, pero, Que significa en español?; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by paul2099 on July 18, 2008 at 8:41pm: Que el lugar está bien lejos

Lucio Ramirez said:
paul2099 said:
"Hasta donde el diablo perdió el poncho"
It means really far

Esta esta buena, pero, Que significa en español?; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by Bett.- on July 24, 2009 at 6:53pm: Hello to everyone!

Cherry, this is a good topic yo talk about! As you know; I am from Barranquilla-Colombia. We have the sea and the river around us; that's why we are also called "costeños".
So, as a good costeños, we like to use proverbs, slangs, idioms, latin phrases (locuciones latinas) etc... Also, we are really good by creating some hehehehehehe xD

Here are some of my fav:

-Estas escuchando el taconeo y preguntas donde es la fiesta? ( To ask about something that you already know)
-Cógela con su avena y su pitillo. (take it easy, relax)
-A otro perro con ese hueso (hmmm something like: "I am not too stupid to believe that!")
-Vamos a brillar hebilla. ( To dance really stucked) - Hebilla : the belt buckle.

The list is really long... hahaha

Also we use some locuciones latinas like:

-Carpe diem: vive el dia a dia
-A priori: antes de
-A posteriori: despues de
-Vox populi, vox dei: la voz del pueblo es la voz de Dios
-Ad pedem litterae: al pie de la letra
-Causus beli: motivo de guerra
-Maremagnun: mar de confusiones
-In vino verita: en el vino esta la verdad
-Chi va piano va lontano: quien va despacio, llega lejos
-Ad hoc : para esto

And much more....

Enjoy it guys!
HAVE A MARVELOUS DAY!
Betty.-; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by Bett.- on July 24, 2009 at 7:18pm: Ohh... I just remembered others; mostly used in my country, Colombia:

*When you want to say: please, get out of here!, Go!, I don't wanna see you!. You can say:

-Pinta un bosque y pierdete.
-Control, alt , suprimir
-Osea, hello? Te ví...
-Flew, flew, voló
-SAL, de frutas lua, disuelvete!

* When you are talking to someone and there is another person listening to the conversation:
-Marca cero para salir
-Sube la ventanilla

Hahaha... they are really funny. Esa es la idiosincracia (idiosyncrasy) de nosotros los costeños!

Saludos desde Colombia,
Betty.-; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by Gerardo on July 24, 2009 at 8:25pm: Here in Mexico we have this one: "No manches" it's exactly like "No way"; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by Steve on December 21, 2009 at 11:36am: I am looking for some expressions you might use in chat rooms or on facebook. For example, "rola" as in "Esta cancion rola" o "Buen rola!" on you tube. I would also like to know some texting expressions that are common.; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by rene gochez on December 21, 2009 at 9:46pm: hola soy de el salvador, aqui decimos cosas como

"es paja"..que significa...."es mentira" ....means "it´s lie"
"simon"... que es lo mismo que.... "si"....means "yes"
pajero......que significa... "mentiroso".....means "lair"; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)

Permalink Reply by Blanca on December 22, 2009 at 2:46pm: I'm going to write some of them.
Tomar las de Villadiego=Cuando Carlos vio que la relación iba en serio, tomó las de Villadiego y ya no lo vimos más.When Carlos saw that the relationship was getting serious, he flew the coop and we didn't see him anymore.
Parecer que alguien está empollando huevos=to seem like someone is nesting eggs. María parece que está empollando huevos; no sale a ninguna parte.= Mary is a real homebody; she doesn't go anywhere.
Más bueno que el pan=to be better than bread= Ese niño es má bueno que el pan= That boy is as good as gold.; ▶ Reply to This (Please don't include e-mail or Skype address)