In the back of the Spanish workbook, there is a section meant to help us induce conversation with our host families. We are supposed to ask them the meaning of many idiomatic phrases and the origin of many customs. One of the topics asks about the origins of the nickname Ticos. After asking my host family, the consensus response seems to be that stems from the fact that they add “-tico” to the ends of so many words.
As you will learn if you take a Spanish class, “-ito” can (essentially) be added to the middle of a word to indicate that it is small or as a pet name. A lot of the time, instead of doing this, most Ticos use tico. Words like, chicitico and ratico are always being thrown around. Once, when I asked my host mom what, exactly, was a ratico (since it seems to be used in a manner of ways from time limits to intangibles), her answer was simply, “anything that is smaller than a rato.”
Gotta love the Ticos. :)
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