Boricua
Speaking Phrases
Jared Romey’s
A COLLECTION OF WISDOM
AND SAYINGS FROM
PUERTO RICO
A Book
2ND
EDITION
REVISED
AND
UPDATED

Boricua
Speaking Phrases
Jared Romey’s
A COLLECTION OF WISDOM AND SAYINGS FROM PUERTO RICO
ñ

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[ 1 ]
PUERTORICANSPANISHCHEATSHEET:
CommonWords&Expressions
WORD OR
PHRASE
DEFINITION
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
1. abombao
smelly, stinky stench caused
by humidity
El carro de mi cuñado tiene una peste a
abombao que no se le quita.
2. achicharrar
to burn
¡Mijo, se nota que fuiste a la playa!
Estás achicharrao.
3. acho
a filler word that expresses
some sort of regret
Acho, mañana hay trabajo.
4. afrentao
1) to have a voracious
appetite for food 2) stingy
person that wants everything
for himself
1) ¡Ave María, chico, qué afrentao eres!
No me dejaste na’ de comer.
2) Yo no creo que Don Miguel te haga
descuento. Ese don es bien afrentao
pa’ los chavos.
5. ajorar
to be in a hurry, rushed for
time
Estoy ajorá, no puedo hablar ahora. Te
llamo después.
6. ajumao /
jendío
drunk
Todos los viernes mi marido llega
ajumao a la casa.
Joel estaba jendío anoche. No se
acuerda de nada.
7. al garete
out of control
La gente está al garete este fin de
semana. Ten cuidao, ¿ok?
8. arrancao /
pelao(á)
broke, penniless
Yadiel dijo que no podía ir porque está
arrancao.
Chica, estoy pelá hasta que cobremos
el viernes.
9. ¡Ave María!
“Holy Mary!” expression
of surprise, joy or
disappointment
¡Ave María, qué mucho cafre hay aquí!
10. averiguao(á)
/ presentao(á)
nosy
¡No seas averiguao y lárgate pa’ lla!
¡Pero que presentao eres, deja de estar
chequeando mi celular!
11. Ay, bendito
1) express sorrow 2) express
frustration
1) ¡Ay, bendito! ¿Pero qué le pasó?
2) ¡Ay bendito, pero que mucho jode!
12. babilla
courage, bravery
Ahh, ahh.. No te atreves a hacerlo. No
hay babilla, no hay babilla.
13. bochinche gossip
Yadira, te llamé pa’ que me cuentes el
bochinche.
14. Boricua
nickname for Puerto Ricans;
comes from Borinquén or
Borikén, the name given
to the island by the native
indigenous, Taínos
Chico, si la ciudad de Orlando está así,
mira, choreta de Boricuas.
CLICK HERE
FOR AUDIOS:
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sentences at
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PUERTO RICAN
SPANISH CHEAT SHEET
with the 100 most common
words and expressions used
in Puerto Rico.
ñ

Other books in the Speaking Latino Series:
- Speaking Boricua
- Speaking Argento
- Speaking Chileno
Speaking Latino Quick Guides:
- Quick Guide to Cuban Spanish
- Quick Guide to Dominican Spanish
- Quick Guide to Mexican Spanish
- Quick Guide to MORE Mexican Spanish
- Quick Guide to Peruvian Spanish
- Quick Guide to Colombian Spanish
- Quick Guide to Venezuelan Spanish
- Quick Guide to MORE Venezuelan Spanish

v
The process of my learning Spanish started in the sixth grade
and has continued ever since. I’d like to thank Ms. Gray,
Charlezetta, Ms. McPherson, my professor at St. Mary’s, Patricia,
the staffs at the University of South Carolina and El Instituto
Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Guadalajara
and Bernardo for their perseverance.
Mi proceso de aprender el español empezó en sexto grado y
ha continuado desde ese momento. Me gustaría agradecer
a Srta. Gray, Charlezetta, Srta. McPherson, mi profesor en St.
Mary’s, Patricia, las facultades de la Universidad de South Carolina
y del Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
en Guadalajara y Bernardo por su perseverancia.

vii
Introduction������������������������������������������������������������������������ 1
How to Use this Guide �������������������������������������������������������� 3
Introducción������������������������������������������������������������������������ 6
Cómo Usar Esta Guía���������������������������������������������������������� 8
Wisdom Boricua/Sabiduría Boricua
Puerto Rican Sayings to English���������������������������������������� 11
Index/Índice
English Sayings with Spanish Equivalents ���������������������� 135
Acknowledgements �������������������������������������������������������� 157
Agradecimientos ������������������������������������������������������������ 158
About the Author/Sobre el Autor������������������������������������ 159
Bibliography/Bibliografía������������������������������������������������ 162
Table of Contents

“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is
at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.”
- Gilbert Keith Chesterton
“I, who travel most often for my pleasure, do not direct myself
so badly. If it looks ugly on the right, I take the left; if I find myself
unfit to ride my horse, I stop… Have I left something unseen
behind me? I go back; it is still on my road. I trace no fixed line,
either straight or crooked.”
- Michel de Montaigne
“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for
travel’s sake. The great affair is to move; to feel the needs and
hitches of our life more nearly; to come down off this featherbed
of civilization, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn
with cutting flints.”
- Robert Louis Stevenson
“For the profit of travel: in the first place, you get rid of a few
prejudices… The prejudiced against color finds several hundred
millions of people of all shades of color, and all degrees of
intellect, rank, and social worth, generals, judges, priests, and
kings, and learns to give up his foolish prejudice.”
- Herman Melville

1
While you may see this book as one on language, to me it is
also about travel…not travel in the traditional travel-guide
sense of who, what, when, where, or how. This book touches
on the WHY.
You may wonder how a book about common sayings can be
related to the WHY of travel. In preparing this guide, I’ve learned
about the history of Puerto Rico, the problems facing Puerto
Ricans, Puerto Rican culture, the language and I’ve also learned
to see my own culture differently.
In my experience, language opens the mind to new points of
view, teaches a person about culture (both their own and the
“foreign” culture) and just, generally, creates new experiences for
the traveler. These sayings have the same effect.
To further explain the WHY, I have turned to the help of several
people. You will see their words on the previous page. Given that I
am a somewhat inexpressive person (I’ve even occasionally been
accused of being cold!), I found that they explained in amazing
clarity what I could not.
One of my favorites is from Johan Huizinga, a Dutch historian who
lived from 1872 to 1945.
“The things which can make life enjoyable remain the same.
They are, now as before, reading, music, fine arts, travel, the
enjoyment of nature, sports, fashion, social vanity (knightly
orders, honorary office, gatherings) and the intoxication of the
senses.”
This was written in 1921 and almost a century later is still a
wonderfully applicable phrase. I can almost even forgive him for
leaving out wine.
One of the things that most surprised me about Puerto Rico is the
presence of regional differences in the language. For a country
that is 100 by 35, miles I find it entertaining that with a 30-minute
car ride you can find words with different meanings or sayings that
Introduction

2
“city folk” just don’t get. As I write this, I realize that the same is
probably true for most other places, but it just seems to be more
noticeable here.
One day, I had a friend come up to me and say “I think your
definition of X word is wrong. It should say…”, referring to an
entry in my first book, Speaking Boricua! Fortunately, two other
people were standing nearby and came over. What followed was
a humorous debate among the three of them (all Puerto Ricans).
Three people that grew up less than 60 miles from each other
had differing opinions on the meaning of a word. For me, this was
an entertaining experience, highlighting the amorphous nature of
language.
As an author, perhaps my greatest pleasure is to hear people
comment that my book made them laugh. In fact, the comments
readers made referring to my first book pushed me to publish
this one. I thank those people and look forward to hearing from
them again.
I hope this helps you understand WHY.
August 2005
San Juan

3
How to Use This Guide
j H k Cuando el río suena, agua lleva
l L: When the river sounds, it carries water
m D: There must be some truth to the rumor.
Used in response...
n S: Cuando el río suena, es porque algo trae.
o E: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire
j Symbol (if necessary)
k Saying in Spanish
l Literal Translation into
English
m Definition in English
n Similar sayings in Spanish
(if any exist)
o Equivalent or similar saying
(if one exists) in English
Most of the sayings in this book are written based on the
grammatically correct way, and not based on how they are
pronounced. In some situations, the pronounced version may be
significantly different from how it is written. If you cannot find the
saying in this guide and you think it is because of the pronunciation,
I would suggest asking someone about the saying or write us an
email to info@speakinglatino.com for more information.
While these sayings are commonly used in Puerto Rico, they
are not proprietary from the island. Many of these sayings (or
variations of these sayings) are also used in other Spanish-
speaking countries.
The following symbols are located before a saying’s entry and are
to help make the guide a bit easier to enjoy (NOTE: The symbol
may apply to only one definition for sayings with more than one
definition). The symbols are:
H Commonly used sayings
M Sayings that may not be acceptable in some circumstances,
including expletives, insults, crude or politically incorrect words.
E Sayings that are the same or similar in English and Spanish.
Each entry follows this format:

4
You will also notice in some entries:
• Words between brackets [ ]: These are alternate words used
for the same sayings.
• Words between parenthesis ( ): These are additional words
that complete the saying, but many people leave off.

“El objetivo principal de viajar no es poner pie en una tierra
extraña; es al fin poner pie en su propio país como si fuera tierra
extranjera.”
- Gilbert Keith Chesterton
“Yo, que viajo a menudo por placer, no me conduzco tan mal. Si
es muy fea la derecha tomo a la izquierda; si creo que no puedo
viajar a caballo, me detengo... ¿habré dejado atrás algo sin ver?
Vuelvo; todavía eso está en mi camino, no me trazo línea fija sea
recta o torcida.”
- Michel de Montaigne
“Por mi parte, viajo no para llegar a un sitio sino para ir. Viajo
por viajar. El asunto es moverse, sentir cercanamente las
necesidades y contratiempos de nuestra vida; bajarnos de la
almohada de plumas de la civilización y encontrar bajo nuestros
pies el duro granito cubierto de cortantes pedernales.”
- Robert Louis Stevenson
“El beneficio de viajar: en primer lugar te libras de unos
prejuicios.... El prejuiciado contra el color encuentra varios
cientos de millones de personas de todos los colores, de todos
los grados intelectuales, rango y bienes sociales, generales,
jueces, sacerdotes y reyes y uno aprende a dejar el tonto
prejuicio.”
- Herman Melville

6
Introducción
Mientras quizás ves que este libro se trata de idiomas, para
mí se trata también de viajar… no de viajar en el sentido
tradicional de las guías de viajes que hablan de quién, qué,
cuándo, dónde y cómo. Este libro se trata del PORQUÉ.
Seguramente te estás preguntando como un libro de dichos y
refranes puede estar relacionado con el porqué viajar. Preparando
esta guía he aprendido de la historia de Puerto Rico, los problemas
que enfrentan los puertorriqueños, la cultura puertorriqueña, el
idioma y también aprendí a ver mi propia cultura de una forma
diferente.
En mi experiencia, el idioma abre la mente a nuevos puntos de
vista, enseña a uno de cultura (la propia y la cultura “extranjera”)
y generalmente crea nuevas experiencias para un viajero. Estos
refranes tienen el mismo efecto.
Para explicar en más detalle el PORQUÉ, he incluido los
comentarios de varias personas. Verás sus palabras en la página
anterior. Dado a que yo no soy una persona muy expresiva (¡hasta
me han acusado de ser frío!), encontré que ellos explicaron con
una claridad extraordinaria lo que yo no podía expresar.
Uno de mis favoritos es del Sr. Johan Huizinga, un historiador
Holandés quien vivió del 1872 al 1945.
“Las cosas que pueden hacer la vida agradable se quedan
iguales. Ellas son, ahora como antes, la lectura, música, bellas
artes, viajar, el placer de la naturaleza, deporte, moda, vanidades
sociales (órdenes caballerescas, oficinas honorarias, encuentros)
y la intoxicación de los sentidos.”
Esto fue escrito en 1921 y casi un siglo después sigue siendo una
frase completamente aplicable. Casi le puedo perdonar el error
de no incluir el vino.
Una de las cosas que más me sorprendió en Puerto Rico es la
presencia de diferencias regionales en el idioma. Para un país
de 100 por 35 millas encuentro divertido que con un viaje de

7
30 minutos en carro (auto) uno se puede encontrar palabras
con sentidos diferentes o refranes que la gente de la ciudad no
entiende. Mientras escribo esto me doy cuenta que seguramente
lo mismo es cierto para otros lugares, pero parece más notable
aquí.
Un día una amiga se acercó y me dijo “Creo que tu definición de X
palabra está equivocada. Debe decir…” refiriéndose a una palabra
en mi primer libro Speaking Boricua! Afortunadamente, dos otras
personas estaban cerca y se involucraron en la conversación.
Un debate gracioso siguió entre las tres (todas puertorriqueñas).
Tres personas que se criaron a menos de 60 millas de las otras
tenían opiniones diferentes en referencia al sentido de una palabra.
Para mí, esto fue una experiencia divertida que destacó el estado
amorfo de los idiomas.
Como autor quizás mi mayor placer es escuchar comentarios de
que mi libro hizo reír a la gente. De hecho, los comentarios de
lectores del primer libro, me empujaron a publicar este. Les doy
gracias a ellos y espero escuchar sus comentarios nuevamente.
Espero que esto te ayude a contestar el PORQUÉ.
Agosto 2005
San Juan

8
La mayoría de los refranes en este libro están escritos según
la forma gramaticalmente correcta, y no como se pronuncian.
En algunas situaciones la versión pronunciada puede ser
significativamente diferente de la forma escrita. Si no encuentras un
refrán en esta guía y piensas que tiene que ver con la pronunciación,
sugiero preguntar a alguien o escribirnos un correo electrónico a
info@speakinglatino.com para mayor información.
Mientras que estos dichos son muy comunes en Puerto Rico,
no son exclusivos de la isla. Muchos de estos dichos (o sus
variaciones) también son usados en otros países hispanohablantes.
Se encuentran los siguientes símbolos antes del refrán y están
para ayudar en el uso de la guía. (NOTA: Los símbolos pueden
aplicar solamente a una de las definiciones en aquellos casos que
haya más de una definición). Los símbolos son:
H Refranes comunes
M Refranes que pueden ser inaceptables en ciertas circunstancias,
incluyendo malas palabras, refranes insultantes, o palabras
que pueden ofender a algunas personas o grupos de personas.
E Refranes que son iguales o parecidos en inglés y español.
Cada refrán sigue este formato:
Cómo Usar Esta Guía
j Símbolo (si necesario)
k Refrán en español
l Traducción literal al inglés
m Definición en inglés
n Refranes parecidos en
español (si existen algunos)
o Refrán equivalente o
parecido (si existe alguno)
j H k Cuando el río suena, agua lleva.
l L: When the river sounds, it carries water
m D: There must be some truth to the rumor.
Used in response...
n S: Cuando el río suena, es porque algo trae.
o E: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire

9
También notarás en algunas entradas:
• Palabras entre corchetes [ ]: Estas son otras palabras que
se usan para el mismo dicho.
• Palabras entre paréntesis ( ): Estas son palabras adicionales
que completan el dicho, pero que muchas personas las obvian.

11
Wisdom Boricua:
Puerto Rican to English
A
E A caballo regalado no
se le mira el colmillo
L: A horse given as a gift, do
not look at its eye teeth
D: Don’t look for the faults in
a gift, just be happy that
you received something
and accept it for what it is
E: Don’t look a gift horse in
the mouth
A cada guaraguao le llega
su pitirre
L: For each hawk his pitirre
arrives
D: The pitirre is a small bird
that attacks specifically
the guaraguao, a large
hawk. The implication
of the phrase is that just
because someone is
physically large does not
mean that he/she will
automatically dominate
over someone much
smaller
E: Brains over brawn
A cada lechón le llega su
San Martín
L: To each suckling pig, his
Saint Martin arrives
D: The belief that, although
a person that deserves
punishment has not
received it, eventually he will
be punished.
S: A cada puerco le llega su
sábado, A cada lechón
le llega su Navidad, A
cada lechón le llega su
Nochebuena
E: He’ll get his, He’ll get what’s
coming to him, He’ll get
what he deserves, His time
will come
H A cada puerco le llega
su sábado
L: To each pig, his Saturday
arrives
D: Sooner or later whoever
does something wrong will
be caught
S: A cada santo le llega su
día, A cada lechón le llega
su San Martín, A cada
lechón le llega su Navidad,
A cada lechón le llega su
Nochebuena
E: He’ll get his, He’ll get
what’s coming to him, He’ll
get what he deserves, His
time will come
H A cada santo le llega
su día [hora]
L: To each saint, his day
L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent

L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent
12
[hour] arrives
D: Anyone’s good deeds will
be recognized eventually,
if at no other time, then
when the person faces
their Creator
E: His time will come
A cada santo su vela
L: To each saint his candle
D: Recognizes the positive
acts of people that
deserve recognition
E: His time will come
A cualquiera se le muere
un tío
L: To anyone an uncle dies
D: Refers to commonplace
occurrences that happen
to everyone
E: It can happen to the best
of us
A Dios rogando y con el
mazo dando
L: To God begging and with
the mallet going at it
D: To keep at something. It is
fine to ask for God’s help,
but one must keep working
so that the project moves
forward
H A falta de pan, galleta
L: At the lack of bread,
crackers.
D: When one thing is not
available, one must make
do with something else
E: Make-do with what you’ve
got
A grandes males, grandes
remedios
L: For big ailments, big
remedies
D: When you are confronted
with large problems, just
make sure that you have
everything organized and
in place to fix it. If it’s a big
problem, don’t come with
some small idea to patch
over the situation. Make
sure your solution will
eliminate the problem
A la corta o a la larga con
el tiempo todo se alcanza
L: In the short or in the long,
with time everything is
reachable
D: Sooner or later problems
or difficulties can be
overcome or resolved
A la larga todo se sabe
L: In the long run, everything
is known
D: Sooner or later everything
is revealed
A cada santo su vela

L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent
13
E: Everything eventually
comes to light
E A la tercera va la
vencida
L: The third time is the
winning one
D: The third time you try to do
something, it will work.
E: Third time’s the charm
A la tierra que fueres, haz
lo que vieres
L: In whichever land you are,
do what you see.
D: When you are visiting an
unknown place, just copy
what the locals are doing,
and you will fit in fine
S: Si a Roma fueras, haz
lo que vieras, ¿Dónde
va Vicente? Donde va la
gente
E: When in Rome, do as the
Romans
H A las millas de chaflán
L: To the miles of chaflán. At
the speed of chaflán
D: Extremely fast. The origin
of this saying is not clear
(there are at least three
theories), so giving an
accurate definition of
the word chaflán in this
context is not possible.
A lo hecho, pecho
L: What is done, chest
D: If you made a mistake
you must confront it and
resolve the situation
E: Own up to one’s mistakes
H A mal tiempo, buena
cara
L: At a bad time, good face
D: When things do not come
out as planned you must
remain calm to face the
situation
A mala hora no ladra el
perro
L: At a bad time the dog
does not bark
D: In spite of all the
preparations and
precautions taken
something unexpected
always happens, the one
thing you never planned
for is the one thing that
happens
M A mí plín (y a la
madama dulce de
coco)
L: I couldn’t care less and
for the madame coconut
candy
D: Who cares, I don’t care
E: I couldn’t give a hoot, I
A mí plín

L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent
14
couldn’t give a rat’s ass
A ojo de buen cubero
L: To the eye of a barrel
maker
D: Roughly. To measure or
estimate roughly by sight
E: Eyeballing
H A otro perro con ese
hueso
L: Go to another dog with
that bone
D: Don’t try to trick me. Go
and tell your story (or lie) to
someone else. Used when
someone is lying to you.
For example, the homeless
person that says he needs
money for food when
everyone knows he really
wants it for booze
S: No me vengas con ese
cuento
E: I’ve heard that story before
A palabras necias, oídos
sordos
L: For foolish words, deaf
ears
D: If you are going to say
stupid or foolish things,
I am not interested in
listening
E: To go in one ear and out
the other
H A quien Dios no le da
hijos, el diablo le da
sobrinos
L: To whom God does not
give children, the devil
gives nieces and nephews
D: For the people that do not
have kids, they still often
share the same problems
and pleasures that parents
do, through their nieces,
nephews or other children
that are close to them
M ¿A quién le amarga un
dulce?
L: Who is soured by a
candy?
D: Smart aleck answer to any
type of dumb question
when the answer is
obviously “Of course!” For
example, “Would you like
some ice cream?”
E: Does a bear shit in the
woods?, Does the pope
wear a hat?
H A rey muerto, rey
puesto
L: King dead, king placed
D: No one is indispensable.
Phrase meaning that
someone, after passing
away or leaving, is quickly
replaced. For example,
a widow that quickly
A ojo de buen cubero

L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent
15
finds another partner to
maintain him/her. Also
implies that the person is
taking advantage of the
situation.
H A río revuelto,
ganancia de
pescadores
L: Churned up river, benefit
of fishermen
D: During times of
uncertainty, there are still
opportunities to be had
A su tiempo, maduran las
uvas
L: In their own time grapes
mature
D: Good things take time to
develop, be patient
E: Good things come to
those who wait
A ver si es verdad que el
gas pela
L: Let’s see if it is true that
gas peels
D: Let’s find out if what you
say is really true.
Admisión de delito, relevo
de prueba
L: Admission of guilt, release
of proof
D: Once you admit to
something, there is no
further need to prove it.
Also, if for example, you
are caught in the same
room where a vase just
broke, it is obvious that you
are the person that broke it
E: Guilt by association
Agua pasada no mueve
molino
L: Past water moves no
windmill
D: Forget about the past and
focus on the present
l A río revuelto, ganancia de
pescadores l
Agua pasada no mueve molino

L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent
16
E: Water under the bridge
Agua que no has de
beber, déjala correr
L: Water that you have not
drunk, let it run
D: Do not get involved in
situations that do not
affect you
E: Don’t stick your nose
where it does not belong
Ahogarse en un vaso de
agua
L: To drown oneself in a glass
of water
D: To over-worry about simple
things
E: To make a mountain out of
a molehill
Ahorcarse con su propia
soga
L: Hang oneself with one’s
own rope
D: To suffer the
consequences of a
problem that was created
by oneself
E: You’ve made your bed,
now lie in it
Al mal paso, darle prisa
L: At a bad step, hurry it up
D: When facing a difficult
situation, try all the
alternatives or solutions as
quickly as possible
H Al mejor cazador se le
va la liebre
L: From the best hunter, the
hare gets away
D: Even the experts or best
people make mistakes
sometimes
E: Everyone makes mistakes,
It happens to the best of
them
H Al pan, pan y al vino,
vino
L: For bread, bread and for
wine, wine
D: Tells someone to speak
directly without engaging
in flowery conversation
E: Cut to the chase, Get to
the point, Call a spade a
spade, Don’t talk in circles
H Al perro flaco, todas
las pulgas le caen
L: To the thin dog, all the
fleas fall
D: The same people always
have all the problems in
life, someone with one
problem often has lots of
other problems piled on
E: When it rains, it pours
Agua que no has de beber...

L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent
17
Al que a buen árbol se
arrima, buena sombra le
cobija
L: He who draws close to a
good tree, good shade will
cover
D: Working with good or
positive people can rub off
Al que Dios se lo da, que
San Pedro se lo bendiga
L: For whom God gives it,
San Pedro should bless it
D: Used by a less fortunate
person (referring to looks,
money or things) about
someone that is better off,
and means that the more
fortunate person is lucky
and should enjoy what
they have
Al que le caiga el sello
[sayo], que se lo ponga
L: To whom the seal [smock]
falls, put it on
D: Used when someone
wants to identify a negative
action without identifying
the person committing it.
For example, your boss
talks in a meeting about
being late to work, but
doesn’t mention who are
the people always late;
only the employees that
are always late know that
he is talking about them
E: If the shoe fits, wear it
Al que madruga, Dios lo
ayuda
L: He who rises early, God
will help.
D: Advice that he who arises
early will be rewarded
E: The early bird catches the
worm
H Al que no le gusta el
caldo, le dan tres
tazas
L: He who does not like the
broth is given 3 cups
D: If you do not like
something you can be
sure you will get a lot of it
Al son que le toquen,
bailan
L: For whatever beat one
gets, dance
D: A person responds in a
similar manner to how he/
she is treated
H Alábate pollo que
mañana te guisan
L: Praise yourself chicken
because tomorrow they
stew you
D: This phrase is often used
for a self-centered or
stuck-up person. The
Alábate pollo que mañana...

L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent
18
meaning is that the person
will get what he deserves
E: To get what’s coming to
you
Allá ellos que son blancos
y se entienden
L: There they are whites and
they understand each
other
D: A sarcastic phrase saying
“I don’t belong, but I don’t
care” often used by people
who are poor and are
looking at rich people
Allá Marta con sus pollos
L: There Marta [Martha] with
her chickens
D: Who cares what she is
doing?
E: I couldn’t care less
Amigo, de cien uno y de
mil ninguno
L: Friend of a hundred, one
and of a thousand none
D: Really close, trustworthy
friends are extremely hard
to come by
Amigo en la adversidad
es un amigo de verdad
L: A friend in adversity is a
true friend
D: A real friend is one that
stands by you, even in bad
times
E: A friend in need is a friend
indeed
Amigo es un peso en el
bolsillo
L: Friend is a dollar in the
pocket
D: Not everyone is a
good friend. Friends
can sometimes bring
problems. Said when a
friendship is not sincere.
Amigo mío que nos
perdemos, tú para más y
yo para menos
L: My friend that we lose
each other, you for more
and I for less
D: Let’s break things off,
since in everything but
name, our relationship is
already over (generally
refers to partners or
friends)
Amor con amor se paga
L: Love with love is paid
D: You can achieve more by
being nice to people than
being rude
E: You can catch more flies
with honey than with
vinegar
Allá ellos que son blancos...

L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent
19
M Amor de lejos, amor
de pendejos
L: Love from afar, love of
idiots
D: Long distance
relationships are a bad
idea. You shouldn’t trust
your partner from afar
Andar la ceca y La Meca
L: To walk the mint and
Mecca
D: To go to many places
generally looking for
something specific. In this
saying the word “mint”
refers to the facility that
manufactures coins for
currency
H Andar para arriba y
para abajo
L: To walk up and down
D: Often pronounced: “Andar
pa’ rriba y pa’ bajo.” To be
busy doing a lot of stuff
on the street for a period
of time (not necessarily
on the same day). For
example, buying the things
for back to school.
Antes de que te cases
mira lo que haces
L: Before you marry look at
what you are doing
D: Make sure you are
aware of what you’re
doing before making an
important decision like
getting married
H Aparecer hasta en la
sopa
L: Appear even in the soup
D: To be everywhere, all over
the place
Aprende a nadar y
guardar la ropa
L: Learn to swim and guard
the clothing
D: Always be sure to keep
something to yourself. It
is best to be reserved in
one’s personal affairs
Aquí paz y en el cielo
gloria
L: Here peace and in Heaven
glory
D: To put an end to an
argument or feud and to
begin a new stage in the
relationship, to start anew
E: Wipe the slate clean, Start
afresh
HM ¡Arroz, que carne
hay!
L: Rice, that there is meat!
D: Comment made when
you see a hot chick in
reference to her body
¡Arroz, que carne hay!

L: Literal D: Definition S: Same/Similar E: Equivalent
20
Aterriza que no hay tocón
L: Land for there is no stump
D: This is a goofy phrase
used when someone
stumbles, but there was
nothing in their way or
on the ground to cause
their stumble. They just
stumbled for no reason
Ayúdate que Dios te
ayudará
L: Help yourself that God will
help you
D: A person that works
to overcome his own
problems will be helped
along by God. This implies
that a person that sits
around and waits for
solutions to be handed to
them by others, will not be
in God’s good graces
S: Dios dice: “Ayúdate que yo
te ayudaré”
E: God helps those who help
themselves
B
Barco grande, ande o no
ande
L: Large ship, working or not
D: Means that someone is
attracted by the size or
quantity of something
but ignores the quality of
the item or its ability to
function
Barco que no anda no
llega a puerto
L: Ship that does not work
does not arrive to port
D: You will never achieve your
objective if you don’t take
steps towards it
E: A journey of a thousand
miles begins with one step
Barriga llena, corazón
contento
L: Tummy full, heart content
D: By having fulfilled a need,
a person enters a period of
happiness
Bien predica, quien bien
vive
L: Preaches well, who lives
well
D: A person that lives a
healthy life preaches
simply by his acts. In other
words if the person is a
Aterriza que no hay tocón

135
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
l Más vale pájaro en mano que cientos volando
l Más vale un hoy, que dos mañanas
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
l La soga parte por lo más fino
A chip off the old block
l De tal palo, tal astilla
l De tal padre, tal hijo
l El que lo hereda no lo hurta
E A friend in need is a friend indeed
l Amigo en la adversidad es un amigo de verdad
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step
l Barco que no anda no llega a puerto
A lot of hot air
l De ese infierno no salen chispas
A man is known by the company he keeps
l Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres
A perfect match
l Venir como anillo al dedo
A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country
l Nadie es profeta en su tierra [pueblo]
E A taste of his own medicine
l Probar de tu propia medicina
A tiger doesn’t change its stripes
l Yerba mala nunca muere
According to the latest gossip
l Dicen las malas lenguas... y la mía, que no es muy buena,
también lo repite
Actions speak louder than words
l El movimiento se demuestra andando
l La ley entra por la casa
l No es lo mismo decirlo que hacerlo
E After a storm comes a calm
Index: English Sayings
with Spanish Equivalents

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157
Every book is a compilation of the efforts of numerous people.
In this case, without them this book would never have existed.
I would like to express my gratitude to the people of Right
Management: Carlos, Vanessa, Maricruz and Caridad, all of whom
spent hours helping me put this together.
Another person dedicated a large amount of her time to helping me
understand these sayings and reviewing my work. Thank you, Kitty.
My friends at KOI Publicidad entertained me with their
interpretations of Puerto Rican words and sayings, as well as
helped contribute to this book.
I would like to thank the original publisher, Mr. Andrés Palomares,
who took a risk with this second book on Puerto Rican Spanish
and has been pleasantly surprised.
Finally, my sincere thanks to that anonymous element that had no
idea it was an integral part of the process. I was eavesdropping.
Acknowledgements

158
Cada libro es una compilación de los esfuerzos de un sinnúmero
de personas. En este caso, sin ellos este libro no existiría.
Me gustaría expresar mi gratitud a la gente de Right Management:
Carlos Vanessa, Maricruz y Caridad, quienes pasaron horas
ayudándome a armar este libro.
Otra persona dedicó una cantidad de tiempo enorme explicándome
estos refranes y revisando mi trabajo. Gracias, Kitty.
MisamigosdeKOIPublicidadmedivirtieronconsusinterpretaciones
de palabras y refranes puertorriqueños, así como a su contribución
al libro.
Quiero agradecer al editor original, el Sr. Andrés Palomares,
quien tomó un riesgo con este segundo libro y fue felizmente
sorprendido.
Finalmente, doy mi agradecimiento sincero al elemento anónimo
que no tiene idea que fue parte de este proceso.
Agradecimientos

159
About the Author 
Any comments, corrections or inclusions should be sent to
Pueden enviar cualquier comentario, corrección o sugerencia a
Jared@SpeakingLatino.com.
Sufriendo la típica vida corporativa de 9am a 5pm, la incursión de
Jared en el español durante sus horas de almuerzo le dieron el giro
a su vida común. Dejó su empleo, realizó estudios y luego abandonó
su país... por 14 años. Sus inicios con el español del mundo real
le enseñaron que la cola no es sólo una bebida carbonatada, que
bicho no siempre significa un insecto y que boludo puede tener una
connotación cordial y también insultante. Después de una trayectoria
de nueve países, tres empresas fundadas, dos libros en las listas
de los más vendidos y una esposa puertorriqueña, Jared sigue
confundido por la cantidad de palabras que existen en español para
panties. Su meta es descubrir todas esas palabras. Mientras tanto,
él pasea por el mundo, coquetea con los idiomas, bebe vino y vende
champú.
Suffering a typical 9-5 existence, Jared’s
foray into lunch-hour Spanish shook up
his mundane life. He quit his job, stopped
by briefly to school, and then left his
country...for 14 years. Early stumblings in
real-world Spanish taught him that a cola
isn’t just a soft drink, bicho doesn’t always
mean a bug, and boludo may be heartfelt
or middle-finger felt. Nine countries, three
business start-ups, two bestsellers and a Puerto Rican wife later, he
is still confounded by how many Spanish words exist for panties. His
quest is to discover all those words. In between, he meanders the
Earth, dabbles in languages, drinks wine and sells shampoo.

160
ARGENTINA CHILE COLOMBIA
VENEZUELA 1 VENEZUELA 2
PUERTO RICOPERUMEXICO 2
DOMINICAN REP.CUBA MEXICO 1
Local Spanish Book Collection

161
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162
Bibliography/Bibliografía
Bertram, Anne: Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries, NTC
Publishing Group, 1997.
Deliz Hernández, Joseph: How To Speak Puerto Rican, VB
Publishing, 1998.
Díaz Rivera, María Elisa: Refranes más usados en Puerto
Rico, 2nd edition, Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico,
2002.
Funk, Charles Earle: Heavens to Betsy! Other Curious
Sayings, HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2001.
García Santos, Nelson: Lo que dice la gente, 1997.
Kirkpatrick, Betty: Clichés, Over 1500 Phrases Explored
and Explained, St. Martin’s Press, 1996.
Núñez de Ortea, Rosario and Delgado de Laborde, Isabel: Los
que dicen ¡ay bendito!, 3rd edition, Editorial Plaza Mayor, 2001.
Titelman, Gregory: America’s Popular Sayings, Gramercy
Books, 2004.

Copyright @ 2006, 2015 by Jared Romey. All rights reserved.
Published by Language Babel, Inc., San Juan, Puerto Rico
Originally Published in 2006 by Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas,
San Juan, Puerto Rico
United States Edition 2015
Interior Design: Diana Caballero - diana@speakinglatino.com
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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and
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no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or
completeness of the content. You should confer with a language
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For ordering information or special discounts for bulk purchases,
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Jared Romey also publishes a blog and materials of other Spanish
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our web site at www.SpeakingLatino.com.
ISBN 978-1517250713 (paperback)
Printed in the United States of America by Language Babel, Inc.
v1

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