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Los jueces se miraron boquiabiertos y les dieron una calificación perfecta por el atuendo.

Los jueces se miraron boquiabiertos y les dieron una calificación perfecta por el atuendo.
The judges looked at each other open-mouthed and gave them a perfect score for the attire.
From Lesson 459:Maximum degree (de lo más...)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Los jueces se miraron boquiabiertos y les dieron una calificación perfecta por el atuendo.

How could we use the phrase "de lo más" from this lesson in this sentence?
You could say se miraron de lo más boquiabiertos to mean they looked at each other extremely open-mouthed. Remember that de lo más itself never changes form, but the adjective following it still has to match the subject. That is why it would stay as the masculine plural boquiabiertos.
Why is "boquiabiertos" plural when it seems to describe the action of looking?
In English, "open-mouthed" feels like an adverb describing how they looked. However, boquiabierto is an adjective in Spanish. It must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes, which is los jueces (masculine, plural), even though it comes right after the verb.
How is the word "boquiabiertos" formed?
It is a compound word made from boca (mouth) and abiertos (open). When combining a noun ending in a vowel with an adjective, that vowel often changes to an "i" to link them. This is why boca and abiertos become boquiabiertos.
Does the "se" in "se miraron" mean they looked at themselves?
It could mean that in other contexts, but here it is the reciprocal se, meaning they looked "at each other." Because los jueces is plural, the context makes it clear that this was a mutual action between the judges rather than them looking at themselves in a mirror.
Why do we use "por" instead of "para" in "por el atuendo"?
We use por here because it expresses the reason or cause for the action. They gave the perfect score because of the attire. If you used para, it would sound strangely like the score was a prize intended to be handed to the clothes themselves.

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