释义 |
Tico, n. and a. slang (chiefly U.S.). (ˈtiːkəʊ, ‖ tiko) [a. Amer. Sp. Tico, app. because of the frequent use of the dim. suffix -tico in Costa Rican Spanish.] = *Costa Rican n. and a.
1905G. Casement tr. R. Fernández Guardia's Cuentos Ticos: Short Stories of Costa Rica 73 To the reader who does not know that in Central America the inhabitants of Guatemala are called ‘Chopines’, those of Salvador and Honduras ‘Guacanos’, those of Nicaragua ‘Nicos’ and ‘Pinolios’, and the Costa Ricans ‘Ticos’, the title of this book will be unintelligible. 1944J. & M. Biesanz Costa Rican Life i. 15 The villagers' speech abounds in the diminutive that has earned Costa Ricans the nickname ‘Ticos’. 1946Nat. Geogr. Mag. Oct. 413/2 The musical intonation and liberal use of diminutives make Tico Spanish particularly effective for expressing sentiment and affection. 1980L. St. Clair Obsessions iii. 79 Most of the people here are from the embassies. The Ticos—that's what the natives call themselves—come in the evening. Ibid. 86 The Tico families are a closed society. |