This last week I had my bicycle worked on and I heard the word chicote for the second time. The first time was a couple of weeks ago a man was talking about the accelerator cable on his car. On my bicycle the mechanic was talking about the brake and gear cables. When I looked […]

Culto is a word that has a few different meanings. Cultured or educated. This would refer to someone who is learned or knowledgeable about many different subjects. Service. Culto can be a service as in a church service, or it can be someone’s service to a cause. Cult. The obvious use of the word culto […]

Carpeta is not what you put on your floor to cover up the 1970’s linoleum. A carpeta is a folder, as in something to hold paper. Typically it is a folder with pockets in it. Not a file folder. A file folder is an archivador. The stuff you put on your floor is an alfombra.

I saw camarero the other day and knew by it’s usage that it meant a waiter. But, I don’t think I have ever heard it used. We use the word mesero for waiter here in our part of Mexico.

A llaga is a sore or wound. I have seen it used in literature to mean a sore that one would have with leprosy. I have heard it used  idiomatically in the phrase, “poner el dedo en la llaga” twice in the last week. It means “to rub salt in the wound,” or “to hit […]

Fragancia is what it looks like, fragrance. Yes, it is supposed to be missing an “r.”

Alberca and piscina both mean a swimming pool, an artificial body of water. Another word I heard the other day is charco. This is also a pool, but a naturally occurring one.