No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchive‘If the towel dispenser is empty, use your clothes’

‘If the towel dispenser is empty, use your clothes’

On the road between Grecia and Alajuela there is a sign for “Asientos Inodoros, Artesania.” Translation: artisanal toilet seats. Uh huh. Here are some other favorites we’ve seen, some in English, some in Spanish, some in both:

“Please do not stop in the chickens.”

“Do not use elevator in case of earthquake.”  

Por favor no pasar. And if you can’t read ask in the ticket office.”

“Do not wash your feet in the sink.” 

“Don’t put anything in the toilet unless you’ve eaten it first.”

“Do not poop in the waterfall.”

“Looking for an employee to sleep on the job.” (An ad for a live-in employee.)

“Jaus for sale.” (An ad for a house for sale.)

“T-shits – forty percent off.”

“Show your education. Do not stick buggers on the wall.”

 

Items on menus and restaurant signs:

“Race and beans.”

“Sanguiches.”

“Beers would dribble.”

“Rock hoist” as the translation for Rock Ice.

“Soup chicken to the style our.” 

“In Saun of the Sea” for sopa del mar.

“Meat is pot,” for olla de carne

 

Some altered signs:

“Ruta provisional,” or provisional route, becomes “puta provisional” or provisional prostitute. “Prohibido a vehiculos pesados” or prohibited for heavy vehicles, becomes “prohibido a culos pesados” or prohibited for heavy butts.

A graffiti artist in Alajuela spray-painted on a on a bench, “The next time that u feel perfect, try walking on water.” Sounds about right.

walk on water

Good advice.


Mitzi Stark

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Faces Economic Blow as Intel, Pfizer, and Qorvo Announce Restructuring

Intel announced that it will shut down its chip assembly and test plant in Costa Rica, part of a broader global restructuring aimed at...

Remittances to Central America Surge 20% Amid U.S. Deportation Fears

Family remittances in Central America grew by around 20% in the first half of 2025, according to official data—a rise that experts attribute to...

Costa Rica President Stays in Office Amid Legal Pressures and Speculation

President Rodrigo Chaves Robles has announced that he will not resign from the Presidency, ending months of speculation fueled by political rumors and legal...

Honduras Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid Rise in Respiratory Illnesses

Honduran health officials have reinstated a nationwide mask mandate following a spike in respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and a fast-spreading Omicron subvariant known...

Venezuelan Migrants Describe Hellish Stay in El Salvador Jail

Mervin Yamarte left Venezuela with his younger brother, hoping for a better life. But after a perilous jungle march, US detention, and long months in...

Judicial Corruption Exposed in Costa Rica’s Latest Drug Bust

Costa Rican authorities took down a cocaine smuggling operation Tuesday that moved drugs from South America to the United States, with a judicial worker...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica