Learn Spanish a little at a time. Howler has many lessons online for you to read, learn and practice. These are Useful nouns for you to put into practice.

alcagüete — a person who tolerates more than he or she should, like a pushover; or someone who keeps secrets for other people

atajo — shortcut

cabro/cabra — “male goat/female goat,” meaning boyfriend or girlfriend

cacharpa — an old vehicle in terrible condition

chorizo — “sausage,” meaning a bribe

chusma — rabble, riffraff or criminal element. “En ese barrio hay pura chusma” — “That neighborhood is full of shady people.”

guachimán — “watchman,” security guard, also known as a “guarda” or a “guardia”

jama — food (the verb jamar means to eat)

jamón — literally “ham,” used to mean “easy.” “Estuvo jamón el exámen” — “The test was easy.”

leche/lechero — “milk,” “milkman,” someone with a lot of luck

mordida — “a bite,” meaning a bribe

nerdo — nerd

paño — towel. (Often toalla in other countries, though toalla is more commonly used in Costa Rica to mean a kitchen dish towel, a feminine sanitary napkin or a moist towelette used to clean babies.)

peso — the basic unit of currency in several countries, and also used colloquially of the colón in Costa Rica

sabelotodo — a know-it-all

suampo — swamp

vaina, vara — thing, object, issue, nonsense, excuse, problem

zaguate — a mixed-breed dog, a mutt

zancudo — mosquito