Caray, Caray!

These are all the vocabulary words, phrases, and dichos collected from all the Sombra recaps.  A big thanks to the team: Eli, HellaShelle, Sara, and Lila!



A veces el amor se confunde con el costumbre.-Some times custom is confused for love
A veces le duele uno mas el cuero que la camisa.-Sometimes it's your skin that hurts more than your shirt; it's the things that are closest to you that concern you the most.
abogaducho-dirty little lawyer
acierto-wise choice
agarra su nivel-Attain their expected level
agredir-attack
agressión-assault
aguántate-deal with it
aguzada-sharpened
ahogando en un vaso de agua-drowning in a cup of water; making a mountain out of a mole hill
ajustar cuentas-settle the score
Al borrego trasquilado, Diosito le mide el frío.-I can't easily find a quick translation, but basically God won't give you more than you can take. Literally to the sheared sheep, God takes considers the cold for him….He won't make it too cold for the sheared sheep. I'm sure there's some fascinating agricultural history behind it.
alacrán-scorpion
alado-plow
alambres de púas-barbed wire
alcahuete-go between or pimp
algo que les puede convenir-something that may be in their best interest
amante-lover
amedrantar-intimidate
amparo-writ of protection
apelativo cariñoso-nickname
apodo-nickname
apostado-gambled away
arrancarle a la vida-rip out of life
arrastrada-dragged
arrebatar-catch
asqueroso-disgusting
atrabancado-hurried, rushing
auto-compadeciendose-wallowing; feeling sorry for oneself
aventura-affair, but also adventure

balneario populachero-public spa; a spa for the unwashed masses
barda-wall, enclosure
barragana-concubine
baúl-trunk
bochorno-scorching
bodorrio-a rowdy party, a bordijo, a boda desigual
El Borracho-the drunk
briagos-drunks
buen chiquita-too small
Bueno ¡que me lo pruebe!-OK, then she can prove it to me!
buscona-whore

cadenas-chains
campos electromagneticos-electromagnetic fields
Caras vemos, corazones no sabemos.-we see faces, but we don’t know the hearts
carta-menu; bill
caseta de vigilancia-security booth
casquivana-slut
cauce-irrigation channel/ditch
cerciorar-to reassure
un cero al izquierda-a zero to the left, pointless, ignored, the way a zero on the far left doesn't change a number
el chamuco-the devil
charro montaperros-literally, horseman who rides dogs; poor man's charro; cheap imitation charro
chichón-bump/lump
chilanguito-chilango; guy from the DF
chispazo-spark
cinismo-shamelessness
cojo-missing a leg
comadre-"co-mother," the godmother of one of your children, or the mother of your godchild. Informally comadre is also BFF. Because, in theory, that's who you would ask to be the godmother to your children.
comehombres-maneater
comerle el mandado-take advantage of the situation. Literally, eat the shopping. I guess like eating the shopping before it’s home to make the person have to buy more?
como agua para chocolate-at her boiling point
como Santo Cristo-beat up; like Christ
con la palabra en la boca-with the word in her mouth; mid-sentence
con la punta de pie-with her toe; wanting nothing to do with him
con todo y chivas-with all his junk. Possibly “with everything, even the goats”
con un demonio-with a demon is just an expression of excessive frustration, like “Devil take it!” in English.
Contigo, me lo voy a cobrar.-With you, I’ll be paid.
El corazon no se manda.-the heart has a will of its own
corrupto-corrupt
Cuando a uno no le llueve, le lovizne.-It never rains, but it pours.
culebra ponzoñosa-a venemous snake
cusca-ho
cusquivana/casquivana-tart (as in "ho")

daño en propiedad ajena-damage to someone else's property
dar alas-giving someone false hopes
dejar que las cosas caigan por su propio peso-let things fall from their own weight; let it take its course
desahogar-let it all out
descalabrar-head wound
descalabró-bashed his head
desligarse de-separate himself from
despistada-scatterbrained
desprecio-disdain
desquiciada-a crazy person
destapar-uncap, unclog; reveal
desviar-divert
dicharachero-chattiness
Dios mediante-God willing
dolor fantasma-phantom [limb] pain
dolor neuropático-neuropathic pain
Donde hubo fuego, caricias quedan.-Where there was fire, caresses remain
dulceria-candy shop

echar un taco-have dinner, have a taco
ecogido-hunched
empresa de bienes y raices-real estate company
en tiempo y forma-in due time and proper form
encaprichado-infatuated
enfrentar-face
entorpecer-impede
entre ceja y ceja-between eyebrows; had his eyes on him
envase-container
era incondicional del Sr. Mendoza-was Sr. Mendoza's yes man
es alta-is high
escopetas-shotguns
eslabones-links
estaquilla-croquet stake
estorbo-a bother
exponer-to risk

finca-country house; farm
fosa común-common grave
furcia-whore

gamberras-troublemakers
geniuda-in a foul mood, as in having "mal genio"
guacamaya-macaw
guardar lealtades-to be loyal
guardar rencor-hold on to resentment
gurbia-a less common word...gubia being the preferred. It means gouge.

haberle puesto un hasta aquí-have put a stop to
habían tenido sus queveres-they've knocked huaraches
hablar pestes-badmouthing
hacer de tripas corazon-make heart from guts (like tripe). Basically, do something you don’t want to
hasta el copete-had it up to here! Literally, up to a tuft (of hair)
hasta las chanclas-down to their sandals
hazmerreír-laughingstock
hipocorístoco-nickname
hipoteca-mortgage
huerta-crop (melons!), farm, orchard

inmundicia-filth
inquieto-restless
intransigente-inflexible

¡La boca se te haga chicharrón!-May your mouth turn to fried pig skins! (rather than what you say come to pass)
lagartija-lizard
lengua viperina del demonio-a hellishly wicked tongue
la ley del hielo-She’s cut him off; no gravy train; beyond blocking all the way to freezing
licenciatura-Masters
linchar-lynch
Lo hechaste al plato.-had him on a plate; or, you know…just had him
un lombriz-a worm

mala sangre-bad blood
malagradecidos-ungrateful
las malas lenguas-gossips
Maldito! Mil veces, maldito!-Damn him! A thousand times, damn him!
maletero-porter
malnacido-"badly born"; bastard
manco-missing an arm
una mancuerna ideal-ideal team/ideal pair
manita de puerco-twisting his arm
Manual de Monaguillo-Altar Boy Manual
Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo.-The devil knows more because he's old than because he's the devil.
Un matrimonio conveniente no conviene a nadie.-A marriage of convenience isn't in anyone's best interests
¡Me lleva!-short for "me lleva el diablo"…British dudes would say "Devil take it!"…I'd say, "Aw, FFS!"
medio zonzo-half stupid
un mediocre-a mediocre guy, a nobody
mensadas-stupid things
merceria-notions store
meretriz-slut
mi compadre es un hueso muy duro de roer-my co-(god)“parent” is a tough bone to chew
El miedo no anda en burro.-Literally, it's "fear doesn't ride a donkey." Severiano says he's not scared of her, but he sure did move fast…as in, not at the speed of a donkey.
miel con limon-honey and lemon
mochería-no translation found…it might be related to "mocha" or being Puritanical)
mocoso-snotty kid
monaguillo-altar boy
mozcorra-slut. Etymology: Basque
Muerto el perro se acabó la rabia.-Dead, dogs lose rabid…ness. More easily, dead dogs don’t attack/bite.
mustia-shriveled-up old bat

Ni siquiera los lobos traten asi a sus hijos.-Not even wolves treat their children like that
No paso de mayores.-it wasn't worse
No te la vas a acabar conmigo.-you won't get away with it; you won't ever be done with me and not in a good way
No tiene nombre ni perdón de Dios.-no name, no forgiveness from God. i.e. it's unspeakably bad and even God wouldn’t forgive it
Nos telepateamos.-we're telepathic
novia-girlfriend, depending on context
numerito-scene

oligofrenico-an archaic term and most likely a slur for someone with an intellectual disability
òoscolo-a kiss

palazo-palo+ the suffix -azo...palo is a stick
pan de dios-"bread of God" literally; i.e., she's good people
pantalones-pants, "guts"
para variar-literally "for a change" but it's used sarcastically
pasante-intern
pasarse de listo-be too clever
patán-jerk, thug
patrimonio-birthright, asset
pedrazo-piedra+the suffix -azo ...so a blow with a stone
peladeces y desplantes-1: vulgarities; obscenities and 2: rude/crazy/insolent remarks/ideas
peliforra-prostitute
perdidas-lost
perfidas-betraying
peritaje caligráfico-graphological analysis by an expert
perito-expert
pesado-heavy
pinche-kitchen help
pirada-crazy
plato de segunda mesa-second choice
podredumbre-corruption
poner la soga al cuello-put the rope around his neck; stick his neck out
por las buenas o las malas-nicely or suffer the consequences if they refuse
por las malas-the hard way
por lo civil-civilly; legally
por metiche-because he's a meddler
¿Por qué andabas de morbosa?-What's with the morbid curiosity anyway?
presa-dam
presentimiento-premonition, hunch
psiquiátrico-psychiatric hospital
una pulga-a flea
pura conveniencia-purely convenience, interest, or benefit
puta-whore

que enredes a mi hijo-to tangle up her son
Que genio!-What a temper!
que ningún hombre te pisotee-that she will never let a man trample her
Quieres, pero no la amas.-“You care for her, but you don’t love her” or “. . . you’re not in love with her.”

rábano-radish
ratificar-confirm
reclamos-complaints
recogido-stray
rejega-wild and rebellious
rendir pleitesía-loosely- to kowtow
roce de labios-brushing of lips

salada-jinxed, unlucky; literally "salted" as in "salted earth"
salir de redil-break out of his enclosure
salta-jumps
sanguijuela-leech
satrapa-subordinate? Middle-manager? Minor official?
Se agarraron a moquetes.-punched each other in the nose
se alebrestó-got excited
una soberbia-an arrogant person
sobrenombre-nickname

tapar-cover
Te juro que te deseo--te deseo todo la felicidad del mundo con Lola.-I swear, I want you--I wish you all the happiness in the world with Lola.
te pusiste hasta las chanclas-got krunk
tipa-chick
tipejo-bum
El tiro le salió por la culata.-the shot came out of the butt, it backfired on her
tirria-dislike
tlacoyos-stuffed and loaded corn tortillas
toloache-which a half-assed google image search revealed is a flower called Devil's trumpet [latin: Datura ioxia]and is used to make people fall in love. Mad props to davesgarden.com
tomar ojeriza-take a disliking to, develop antipathy for
tonterias-stupidity
un torre-a tower
tramite un amparo-Get an order of protection
un trapeador-a mop
traspapelado-mislayed
turbio-shady
tutear-address her with the familiar "tu"

ubicación-location, placement

valioso-beautiful, cherished
velador-guard; night watchman. Also, interestingly, night table
velorio-vigil
vendido-sell-out
vendoletes-special medical tape bandages, that are apparently extra gentle
vestida y alboratada-left at the altar

yo quiero a-I care for

zángano-lazy slacker
zorra-slut

Labels: sombra, Vocabulary