The Kidnapping

Lío (mess, trouble) is extremely common in everyday speech. Meterse en un lío (to get oneself into trouble) and meter a alguien en un lío (to drag someone into it) are both high-frequency.

Used about someone who has led a reckless or irresponsible life and is expected or pressured to become more responsible, often said about young men.

Describes someone who consistently escapes trouble or bad situations unscathed, often despite their own recklessness. Rooted in the image of a cat always landing on its feet.

Used when a speaker is impatient and wants someone to stop being formally polite and get to the real point. Often signals tension or urgency.

Rechistar means to mutter or protest even slightly. Sin rechistar or no rechistar means to accept something without any objection whatsoever, total silent compliance.

Vaya + noun is a highly productive colloquial exclamation expressing surprise, exasperation, or irony. Vaya día is a staple of everyday speech when things have gone chaotically wrong.

Costumbre (habit, custom) is core vocabulary, but the phrase ser de costumbres or ser una persona de costumbres carries a specific cultural weight, admirable reliability or endearing predictability.