As you will probably know by now, the Costa Rican people – the Ticos – are called ‘Ticos’ because of their excessive use of the diminutive which according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary means:

1. indicating small size and sometimes the state or quality of being familiarly known, lovable, pitiable, or contemptible — used of affixes (as -ette, -kin, -ling) and of words formed with them (as kitchenette, manikin, duckling), of clipped forms (as Jim), and of altered forms (as Peggy)
2. exceptionally or notably small

Traffic everywhere on the 13th February is a nightmare because every man, woman, girl and boy are out there buying cards and gifts for the people (and pets) they love.

Then on Valentine’s Day in Costa Rica ten million ++ text messages are sent (not bad for a country with a population of slightly more than four million) from lovers to each other and also from sons and daughters to their mothers and, the local newspapers are filled with full pages of advertisements from hundreds of people who go by their various cutesy pet names like:

Amorsote – My biggest love

Angelito – Little angel (male)
Bebita – Little babe (female)
Bomboncita – Little sweet candy (female)

Cachorrita – Little puppy (female)
Chelly Baby

Chichi – ?
Chiky – ?
Chinita – Little China girl
Chupapi – ?
Cupcake
Dulcinea – A fictional character in the book Don Quijote
Enana – Little dwarf (female)

Ensaladita – Little slad (female)

Ferchi – ?
Flaquita – Little skinny girl
Fosi – ?

Fresita – Little strawberry (female)

Gardenia – The flower
Gorda – Fatty (female)
Gordilla – Big fatty (female)

Gordita – Little fatty (female)

Gordocho

Kakito

Ladrillito – Little brick (male)

Machito – Little macho boy
Madrecita – Little mother

Mapopi

Mamochi
Mononita – Little monkey (female)

Muñequito – Little doll (male)

Negrita – Little blacky (female)

Ninaflakes

Osita – Little bear (female)

Paleta
Pancake
Papatuny – ?
Papeco

Papita Frita – Little French fry (female)

Pastelito – Little dessert (female)

Pedacito – Little piece (male)

Pelón – Bald
Perruco

Pichoncita Pinguinito – Something little penguin
Pito – Whistle
Pocholos

Pollilu

Pollita – Little chicken (female)

Preciosa – Little precious (female)

Princesa – Little Princess
Princesita Vampira – Little vampire Princess

Principito – Little Prince

Ratika – Little rat

Sweetopolis – ?
Sweety

Titi

Tortugusito – Little turtle (male)

Toto Pooh – ?
Tup Tupi – ?
Turroncito – ?
Usito – ?
Vidita – Little life (female)

If I have any of these names mixed up please feel free to correct me by contacting me here.

Written by Scott Oliver, author of How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa and Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore.

A Valentine’s Day Joke For You in Spanish

Una pareja lleva horas en un centro comercial cuando la mujer se gira hacia su marido y descubre que no está.

Enfadada, le llama al móvil y le pregunta… dónde demonios se ha metido?

“¿Recuerdas aquella joyería por la que paramos hace unos años y a ti te encantó aquel anillo de diamantes pero entonces no nos lo podíamos permitir y yo te prometí que un día te lo compraría?

Casi llorando de la emoción su mujer le contesta:

“Pues claro que me acuerdo mi amor!”

El contesto: “Pues estoy en el bar de enfrente!”

A Valentine’s Day Joke For You – Now in English

A couple take hours in a mall when the woman turns to her husband and discovers he is not there.

Angry, she calls his mobile phone and asks him … where the hell has he gone?

“Remember that jewelry store where we stopped a few years ago and you loved that diamond ring but then we could not afford it and I promised you that one day I would buy it for you?

Almost in tears of emotion his wife replied:

“Well of course I remember my love!”

He replied: “Well I’m in the bar opposite!”

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.