cucos

Cecilia Gowar May 22, 2018:

Thanks! I was about to say drop it altogether! BTW it is not used only in Argentina with that meaning! http://lema.rae.es/damer/?key=cuco

liz askew (asker) May 22, 2018:

Thank you for all your comments!

liz askew (asker) May 22, 2018:

Here is the answer I received about this term:

I wanted to get back to you on the term "cucos". Turns out it is an Argentina-specific term. One of our Argentina-based linguists said that in Argentina, the "cuco" is similar to the American boogeyman, an imaginary evil character of supernatural powers, esp. a mythical hobgoblin supposed to carry off naughty children, which would be why the doctor associates this frightening feeling with a panic attack.

In Spain, "jamacucos" refers to a transient disorder in which the person may feel faint or lightheaded.

She suggested we translate "cucos, ataque de pánico" just as "panic attack", or maybe "frightening panic attack", which might cover both.

neilmac May 22, 2018:

FWIW Worms in Catalan is "cucs"(Cf. Marie's comment). By extension, "cucos" might mean a crawling sensation of the skin (formication).

Cecilia Gowar May 22, 2018:

Hello Liz. This is so badly written that it is difficult to know what it means. To begin with, we do not know if the doctor said or asked, because it should be ¨dijo QUE¨ or ¨preguntó SI¨.... Cuco is indeed an imaginary being that scares (mainly children). But in many Spanish speaking countries ¨chuchos¨ mean chills, so that might be another possibility.

Chema Nieto Castañón May 22, 2018:

Given the context, and even though the phrasing sounds really weird, it most probably means the guy reportedly got scared.
Chile, slang: tener cuco, to be scared.
https://termbank.com/es/espanol-ingles/tener cuco (chile)

Giovanni Rengifo May 22, 2018:

@liz askew "cucos" has a lot of meanings depending on the country. In Colombia, for example, it means "panties.". In any event, "cucos" (in plural) before "ataque" is clearly wrong. It should be "cucos ataques" instead, but that still doesn't make any sense. Is this report handwritten?

Silvia Hanine-Studnicki May 22, 2018:

So here, when it refers to "cucos" ataques de pánico, maybe it refers you had a panic attack because you were scared???
Just an idea.

Silvia Hanine-Studnicki May 22, 2018:

Cuco is also a word used to scare kids: si no acabas la sopa vendrá el cuco y te llevará. Horrible idea!

cuco1
1. m. coco (‖ ser imaginario con que se mete miedo).

Marie Wilson May 22, 2018:

This seems a bit far-fetched but cucos can mean worms, parasites. The person is very surprised about being asked this.

www.pediatricblog.es/el-nino-que-habla-en-suenos-y-rechina-...
Con gran frecuencia el bruxismo es hereditario, aunque el pediatra debe descartar la presencia de oxiuros en las heces (vulgares lombrices o “cucos”).

https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/anxiety-summit-parasit...

liz askew (asker) May 22, 2018:

or
gone a bit cuckoo?
don't know if I should translate this as such though as this is a complaint.
"Funny turn" might be better?

liz askew (asker) May 22, 2018:

The patient was in New York, so I don't know where she is from.

Juan Jacob May 22, 2018:

¿De dónde... ...es esto? Ayudaría.
Desconocido término para mí, al menos acá en México.