Everyday expressionCosta Rica
To mess up / put your foot in it.
- How to say it
- me·ter la pa·ta
- Try it yourself
- Tap the word to hear it in a Costa Rican voice. Press and hold it to say it and get a score out of 100.
Tico TalkOpen the app What does “Meter la pata” mean in Costa Rica?
More Tico slang
- Qué bañazoHow embarrassing / what a cringe situation.
- ¡Pura vida!Hi / bye / thanks / all good / you're welcome — the national phrase for everything positive.
- MaeDude / bro / man. Peppered through casual speech, like 'like' or 'man'. ¿Qué mae?
- TuanisCool, nice, great. Often paired: todo tuanis.
- BreteWork / job. Voy pal brete = I'm off to work.
- ChuncheThingamajig — any object whose name escapes you. Pasame ese chunche.