New Phone App for Costa Rican Idioms
Al Chile! and other phrases are finally explained -- through a cell phone app. A must have for every visitor to Costa Rica.
INSIDECOSTARICA.COM | COSTA RICA NEWS | Tuesday 08 November 2011
Tico Wit Leads To Creation of App For Foreigners in Costa Rica
You'll never be "detras del palo" again with this app!
An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning which is different from the dictionary definitions of individual words. And Costa Rica has a lot of idioms to confuse and bewilder English speaking tourists and foreigners living here.
However, a couple of Ticos have created an application (App) for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad designed for foreigners, which includes more than 310 Costa Rican idioms.
The App is called "Costa Rica Idioms" and is only us$0.99 at the App Store. An Android version is in the works. "The App offers people the opportunity to improve strategies for being successful in the usage of native-level expressions of Costa Rica", says the app's description. The software includes its definition in English and Spanish and an example sentence for a better idea of how to use the word properly. Terms such as "bombetas", "cabanga" and "tucán" are just a few of the examples.
Foreigners can use this app when they do not understand phrases like “prestame un tucán y luego te lo pago” (lend me ¢5.000 and I will pay you back) or “se va a pata o en nave?” (are we going on foot or by car or plane or ship). The App - the only one like it found at the App Store - was created by Alejandro Azuola, a computer systems engineer who teamed up with his girlfriend Monserrat Trigueros Alpizar, who is a graduate of hotel administration. Azuola is from Escazú and Alpizar from Santa Ana. Alejandro says that his curiosity about the world of applications led him to create the app and with his girlfriend gave birth to a very unique dictionary. The two worked on the project for four months and are now working on an "Android" version that should be available in January 2012.
For more on this application go to www.costaricaidioms.com or visit the App Store.
