# Cuco



## araceli

Buen día:
Quería saber cómo se lo nombra al cuco en inglés.
No es el pájaro, sino el personaje imaginario con que asustan a los chicos.
Gracias


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## Irell

Hi,

cuco en inglés es: sly, shrewd

Irelle


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## HaNnYtAh

El nombre del que asusta a los niños es cOco no cUco hehe


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## araceli

Irell said:
			
		

> Hi,
> 
> cuco en inglés es: sly, shrewd
> 
> Irelle



Hola Irell:
Lo que pusiste significa taimado, astuto, pero a lo que yo me refiero es al
personaje imaginario que le dicen Cuco y también hay otro que le dicen Hombre de la Bolsa; se usaban hace mucho tiempo para asustar y/o amenazar a los niños cuando éstos no querían hacer algo:
¡Pepito, tómate la sopa porque si no viene el Hombre de la Bolsa!
¡Duérmanse ya porque si no viene el Cuco!
(Horrible, ¿no?)
Bueno, encontré Bogeyman, quiero saber si es el equivalente en inglés.
Gracias.
Ah, recién vi el otro mensaje: En España y en otros países lo llaman Coco pero acá le decimos Cuco, sí, es el mismo.
Quería saber en INGLES.


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## Lutino

Quizás un equivalente podría ser "the Sandman" ¿no?


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## Irell

well, is it me? I'm really interested if there's something like 'cuco' in English, and I do like jokes but, I think, WITH a serious answer too!!
I've been looking for the Cuco, in Holland we also have an expression like 'bogeyman' but that could be a woman as well. It's just somebody who isn't nice/kind, never, just grouchy, a misery, un(a) gruñón(-ona). I sent a mail to a friend to ask her and now I'm waiting for an answer, I'll let you know, ok?


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## Irell

I got an answer but she's not sure. She came up with the bogeyman also, and... with this link:

http://www.cuco.com.ar/hombre_de_la_bolsa.htm

interesting? 

I hope someone is gonna come up with the right answer...

saludos


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## Edher

Dandee said:
			
		

> Cuco en inglés se dice *Bush*



Bush? HAHA, that's a good one Dandee, but I think what she's looking for is "the bogeyman." It's movie is about to come out, of course, it follows the same format that all the other scarry movies do.

                                                                         Edher


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## El Predicador

Cuco refers to a bird (cuculus canorus) i don´t know the name in english. It also can be used to say "pretty". (at least in spain)

Coco, is the name that is give to this "hombre de la bolsa" in spain though in south america it´s called cuco also. It is frecuently used when trying to scare little children.  It´s also included in the lyrics of a classic lullaby

"Duermete niño, duermete ya, que viene el Coco y te comera"

greetings


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## El Predicador

ok, the englsih name of the Cuco, is Cuckoo


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## cristóbal

The Bogeyman would be a good equivalent for our supposed "fictional" character...  I mean, you never know, I check under my bed and in the closet every night.


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## araceli

Muchas gracias a todos, me parece mas acertado bogeyman que sandman.
Irell, gracias tambien por el link, esta muy bueno.
Y cuckoo es un pajaro, cuco o cuclillo en castellano.
Perdon pero no me salen los acentosss
Nos vemos


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## NavyBlue

In Spain we don't say _El hombre de la bolsa_, but *El hombre del saco* or *El coco*.

_El hombre de la bolsa_ sounds a bit funny here as you picture that man with a carrier bag.


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## vic_us

El Predicador said:
			
		

> Cuco refers to a bird (cuculus canorus) i don´t know the name in english. It also can be used to say "pretty". (at least in spain)
> 
> Coco, is the name that is give to this "hombre de la bolsa" in spain though in south america it´s called cuco also. It is frecuently used when trying to scare little children. It´s also included in the lyrics of a classic lullaby
> 
> "Duermete niño, duermete ya, que viene el Coco y te comera"
> 
> greetings



Trivia question: What Hollywood celeb named her baby girl *Coco*? (No Google searches allowed. However, you can check your US Weekly)


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## cucos

This is an interesting thread...I had no idea about the cuco or I would have changed my nick.  I found it on a pac of matches from a restaurant.  Well, that's why I like this forum...you learn a lot.


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## araceli

Hello:
Yes! Your nickname can be both: Bogleymen or Birds.   
Cheers.


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## cucos

That's really funny, thanks!


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## araceli

And Cuco Sánchez was a famous "bolero" singer...


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## sonyv

El Cuco que es el nombre corecto en español (Puerto Rico) se dice:  The Boogieman.


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## Borderer

Oh no! I've just remembered the nights of terror I spent as a child, thinking that the Sandman was coming to throw sand in my eyes if I didn't go to sleep..... Thanks guys!!! 
I don't think that people use that name any more, so I think the Bogeyman would be the best one.


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## Doval

araceli said:
			
		

> Muchas gracias a todos, me parece mas acertado bogeyman que sandman.
> Irell, gracias tambien por el link, esta muy bueno.
> Y cuckoo es un pajaro, cuco o cuclillo en castellano.
> Perdon pero no me salen los acentosss
> Nos vemos


La palabra es *boogeyman* o *bogeyman*. Así la define el diccionario Merriam-Webster: [Variants: *boogerman, boogieman*] a monstrous imaginary figure used in threatening children

Así define *sandman*: the genie of folklore who makes children sleepy supposedly by sprinkling sand in their eyes

La pronunciación de "bogeyman" es un poquito diferente de la de "boogeyman". El sonido de la "o" es más largo que él de la "oo". (Aunque no todo el mundo observa esta diferencia.)

Espero que te sirva esto


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## cubaMania

For the sake of Spanish-speakers not familiar with our "sandman" I add that the sandman is NOT a scary or threatening figure at all.  He is just an imaginary figure who helps people to sleep.  When you wake up, you may brush a small bit of grit from your eyes:  this is the "sand" that the sandman used to help you get to sleep.


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## Doval

cubaMania said:
			
		

> For the sake of Spanish-speakers not familiar with our "sandman" I add that the sandman is NOT a scary or threatening figure at all. He is just an imaginary figure who helps people to sleep. When you wake up, you may brush a small bit of grit from your eyes: this is the "sand" that the sandman used to help you get to sleep.


Lyrics to Mr. Sandman


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## Sheriff

En definitiva, el coco (en España) y el cuco (en Latinoamérica) es the bogeyman.

Regards!


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## funnydeal

Sheriff said:
			
		

> En definitiva, el coco (en España) y el cuco (en Latinoamérica) es the bogeyman.
> 
> Regards!



Coco en México


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## cachaco

En mi niñez me hablaban del "coco" pero nunca me asustó. Más tarde el "coco" de verdad resultó ser el profesor de matemáticas....!

Y en cuanto al "cuco" Sánchez, él cantaba rancheras principalmente.


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## Lagartija

Borderer said:
			
		

> Oh no! I've just remembered the nights of terror I spent as a child, thinking that the Sandman was coming to throw sand in my eyes if I didn't go to sleep..... Thanks guys!!!
> I don't think that people use that name any more, so I think the Bogeyman would be the best one.



The Bogeyman will come and get you is the threat for children who are not behaving.  The Sandman is not as scary.... he just comes to make you go to sleep.
On a trip to Indonesia, they explained that "Bogeyman" came from the fact that the Bugay people on some of the islands there were often pirates and raided the surrounding islands, doing what pirates do; looting, pillaging and taking slaves. Thus, back then.... the threat of the Bogey-man taking you away was a real possibility....


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## fenixpollo

**
*We have threads in **English**, **Spanish * *and **French * *on this topic.  Enjoy!*
**


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## Michelangelo

EL CUCO y también el COCO.
Depende del país donde te encuentres...

THE BUGGIE MAN-   uy que miedo


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## monturiol

Los que han optado por la palabra, bogeyman han acertado en los EE UU -donde me crie, 20 años, no hacían más que repetirte lo de The Bogeyman is coming to get you. En España también se le dice El Hombre del Saco, el cual me causaba un autentico pavor cuando era pequeño. Os incluyo unos enlaces -links- que estan muy acertados para todos aquellos que esten interesados en esas leyendas urbanas que aún persisten en nuestros subconcientes.

Según me han dicho en Holanda -gracias a la crueldad de mis paisanos en las guerras de Flandes, en vogue con Alatriste, cuando un niño es malo en vez de nombrar al Coco le dicen que va a venir a por él el Duque de Alba.

Un abrazo y un saludo espero esto os hay sido de ayuda.

Miguelángel


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## waki

Hi. 
In Mexico it is common to say "el coco" o "el viejo del costal".
costal is a kind of bag that is used to storage sugar but it's big enough to put a child inside.
This thread is funny!
saludos desde México.


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## scotu

Try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cuco


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## monturiol

Saque esto de la Wikipedia -lo cual creo que es muy bueno
De México, _El Cucuy_. "Social sciences professor Manuel Medrano said popular legend describes cucuy as a small humanoid with glowing red eyes that hides in closets or under the bed. 'Some lore has him as a kid who was the victim of violence ... and now he’s alive, but he’s not,' Medrano said, citing Xavier Garza’s 2004 book _Creepy Creatures and other Cucuys_.


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## monturiol

Spain- The Spanish Bogeyman is known as _El Cuco_, or, more often in Spain, _El Coco_ (also named in some parts of Spain as _El Ogro_), a shapeless figure, sometimes a hairy monster, that eats children that misbehave when they are told to go to bed. Parents will sing lullabies or tell rhymes to the children warning them that if they don't sleep, _El Coco_ will come and get them. The rhyme originated in the 17th century has evolved over the years, but still retaining its original meaning. The term is also used in Spanish-speaking Latin Americacountries. The aforementioned brazilian "Bag Man" also exists here in the form of the _Hombre del Saco_, who is usually depicted as a mean and impossibly ugly and skinny old man who eats the misbehaving children he collects.


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## ayante

HaNnYtAh said:


> El nombre del que asusta a los niños es cOco no cUco hehe



También se puede decir "cuco"; es una variante. Nosotros la usamos aquí por lo menos en Chile y la RAE la considera.


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## fsabroso

ayante said:


> También se puede decir "cuco"; es una variante. Nosotros la usamos aquí por lo menos en Chile y la RAE la considera.


Lo mismo en Perú, "come toda la sopa sino vendrá el* cuco* y te comerá".


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