# coscorrón



## EddieZumac

Un coscorrón es un golpe en la parte de arriba de la cabeza dado con un puño cerrado.

A "coscorrón" is a blow on the top of the head given with a closed fist (knuckles).
How would you say that in English?

Thanks in advance.


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## gengo

I don't think we have a single word for it, but I'd say "He rapped him on the head with his knuckles," or just "He gave him a good rap on the (top of the) head."


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## Masood

Yes, 'rap' sounds good to me, too.

(no pun intended...)


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## altorange

Interesting question. I don't think a term for this exists, but in  combat sports, it's common to refer to strikes with a downward  trajectory as being "12 to 6", a  reference to the numbers on a clock.  In particular, the term "12-to-6 elbow" is in common use. That doesn't necessarily mean that it landed on the top of the head, though.


Masood said:


> Yes, 'rap' sounds good to me, too.


I don't think it's the verb 'to rap' that's doing the work, though. Really, it sounds like the preposition 'on' is what conveys that the blow landed on the top of the skull. Just about any verb would do, I think.


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## Txiri

How much damage is done with this blow?  Does it knock the person out?  Does _coscorro_ mean anything in particular?


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## mijoch

A knock on the head.


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## levmac

I think English is much more efficient here. "It's a punch on the top of the head".


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## mijoch

(fig.) Set-back, disappointment ...

coscorrón enciclopedia_universal.esacademic.com/... Spanish-English dictionary. coscorrón —sustantivo masculino knock on the head: me he dado un buen coscorrón al ...


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## chileno

levmac said:


> I think English is much more efficient here. "It's a punch on the top of the head".



Interesting! In what way is more efficient?

On the other hand neither punch nor knock on the head, alone, explains that it is a blow with the knuckles of a hand, right?


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## levmac

A punch is totally a blow with the knuckles.

un golpe  dado con un puño cerrado = a punch 

That's what I meant by efficient!


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## 0bito

It doesn't necesarily have to be with the hand. You can accidentally hit your head with something, and say:

"Me he dado un coscorrón (en la cabeza)"

So it could be called "a hit on the head", plain and simple xD.


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## levmac

0bito said:


> It doesn't necesarily have to be with the hand. You can accidentally hit your head with something, and say:
> 
> "Me he dado un coscorrón (en la cabeza)"
> 
> So it could be called "a hit on the head", plain and simple xD.



In this case I would say "I banged/hit/bumped my head [on something]"

I banged my head when I got in the train.

I banged my head on the corner of the cupboard.


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## chileno

levmac said:


> A punch is totally a blow with the knuckles.
> 
> un golpe  dado con un puño cerrado = a punch
> 
> That's what I meant by efficient!



Take into account that punch in this case would be called "puñetazo" or "puñete", however, in the case of coscorrón the hit is given with the 2nd knuckles and not the major knuckles.



What's more, most of the time you will make the middle finger second knuckle more prominent by sticking it out a bit and deliver el coscorrón.


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## levmac

chileno said:


> Take into account that punch in this case would be called "puñetazo" or "puñete", in the case of coscorrón the hit is given with the 2nd knuckles and not the major knuckles.
> 
> 
> 
> What's more, most of the time you will make the middle finger second knuckle more prominent by sticking it out a bit and deliver el coscorrón.



Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, _that_, my friend, is a *noogie*. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_pranks#Noogie


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## altorange

levmac said:


> Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, _that_, my friend, is a *noogie*.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_pranks#Noogie



Problem is, the coscorrón he's describing is a blow; a noogie is just rubbing. I looked around and found this thread, which would seem to back up the idea that "noogie" is a good translation, but everything else I've seen in videos and here in this thread says that it's a blow to the top of the head. At this point, I have no idea.


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## EddieZumac

A coscorrón does not inflict harm. It is only like a warning given to a child. A teacher might do this to warn a mischievous student.


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## k-in-sc

Then it's a rap on the head.


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## chileno

EddieZumac said:


> A coscorrón does not inflict harm. It is only like a warning given to a child. A teacher might do this to warn a mischievous student.



You're kidding, right?

De niño tenía la cabeza como membrillo colegial.... y no es broma.

Los profesores se ensañaban con uno, ángelitos puros....


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## mewilson

"Bop on the noggin" is what we called it.


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## levmac

I am going to coin a new expression: It's a _Spanish smack_


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## EddieZumac

mewilson said:


> "Bop on the noggin" is what we called it.


Yes, I like "a bop on the noggin".


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## chileno

It seems that that's the correct translation. 

Thank you.


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## Cat Qué Caos

mewilson said:


> "Bop on the noggin" is what we called it.



Agreed. "Bop" may sound silly, but if you want to imply both _top of the head_ and _no harm inflicted_, a bop on the head is the most precise thing I can think of.


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## Masood

k-in-sc said:


> Then it's a rap on the head.



I agree. 
Let's call it a (w)rap...and knock it on the head.


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## Tracer

Some other possibilities:

whack/wallop/thwack on the head.  These are all done with the hand, but they are not "punches".  They are stronger than a /rap/,  I would say although I'm not sure if the "fist is closed".


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## chileno

Cat Qué Caos said:


> Agreed. "Bop" may sound silly, but if you want to imply both _top of the head_ and _no harm inflicted_, a bop on the head is the most precise thing I can think of.



Then that's not the correct term.

It hurts for sure, unless it is given slightly. It hurts, it will not knock you down, but it hurts.

Now what?


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## mewilson

"A bop on the noggin" is intended to hurt and does hurt.  I remember getting "bopped on the noggin" for behavioral infractions at the dinner table.  I'm sure many have experienced the same at parochial schools and other environments that use antiquated forms of attention-getting/punishment.


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## gengo

For what little it's worth, I had never heard the word "bop" used in this way until reading this thread.  Of course, if I had heard it, it wouldn't have struck me as unusual, since the word lends itself to such usage, but I certainly would not say that it is the "correct translation" or the most precise term.


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## k-in-sc

To me "bop" and "rap" are similar in terms of force, but "bop on the noggin" sounds jocular or at least very informal and would not be the most neutral translation. You haven't said what this is for.


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## chileno

So "a bop/rap on the nogging", hurts whereas "a bop on the head"  doesn't. Am I getting this right?


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## k-in-sc

chileno said:


> So "a bop/rap on the nogging", hurts whereas "a bop on the head"  doesn't. Am I getting this right?


No, "noggin" is slang for head and "a bop on the noggin" is slang for a knock on the head.


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## EddieZumac

k-in-sc said:


> To me "bop" and "rap" are similar in terms of force, but "bop on the noggin" sounds jocular or at least very informal and would not be the most neutral translation. You haven't said what this is for.


A "coscorrón" is for calling attention to the person who is misbehaving.


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## gengo

EddieZumac said:


> A "coscorrón" is for calling attention to the person who is misbehaving.



I had a fifth-grade teacher who used to rap us students on the knuckles with a ruler in such situations.


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## EddieZumac

gengo said:


> I had a fifth-grade teacher who used to rap us students on the knuckles with a ruler in such situations.


Similar situation.


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## k-in-sc

I meant you haven't said why you have to translate "coscorrón."


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## Modista

Rap on the head is a much more common expression.


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## mewilson

The problem is that 'rap' is ambiguous, because you can rap someone on the head with any object: I rapped him on the head with a spatula/ruler/book, etc.  I agree that "bop" may be too regional, but I would somehow incorporate 'knuckle(s)' into any expression with 'rap': *a knuckle rap on the head* or a* rap/whack/knock on the head with my/his/her knuckles*.  'Bop' is an onomatopoeia for the sound of a knuckle impacting the cranium, so the idea 'knuckle' is implied.


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## EddieZumac

k-in-sc said:


> I meant you haven't said why you have to translate "coscorrón."


No special reason. The word just came to mind.


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