# sounds like "Cudeeshk" or "Cudeshka"



## hdfx80

My grandmother used to call me this when I was misbehaving,not sure of spelling but I think it meant little brat or little curse. Most likely a slang term.


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## Outsider

I don't recognize them. Can you tell us a bit more about where in the Portuguese-speaking world your grandmother came from? That might help trace the word.


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## hdfx80

Grandfather was  born in Lisbon, Portugal and moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts as a child,then to Provincetown,Massachusetts.Both were small Portuguese fishing towns. I know my spelling of the word is way off just trying to sound it out. Grandparents would call us it when we were bad or being brats.


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## maralto

I am from Lisbon, hdfx80, and I do not recognize this kind of sound, or word...can you try another way of writing it??

Just as an exercise trying to help other portuguese people to figure out what that may have been, since I can't think of anything.

Estive a pensar em palavras pronunciadas em português europeu que aos ouvidos de um anglófono podiam soar assim.

Ou seja, seria algo como, Codesca ou Codisca. Não me ocorrem muitas palavras cujo som poderia ser semelhante a este. Possivelmente o "c" poderia ser um "g" ou o "d" um "t" mas mesmo assim não consigo chegar a alguma palavra que exista de todo.



MOC said:


> Just as an exercise trying to help other portuguese people to figure out what that may have been, since I can't think of anything.
> 
> Estive a pensar em palavras pronunciadas em português europeu que aos ouvidos de um anglófono podiam soar assim.
> 
> Ou seja, seria algo como, Codesca ou Codisca. Não me ocorrem muitas palavras cujo som poderia ser semelhante a este. Possivelmente o "c" poderia ser um "g" ou o "d" um "t" mas mesmo assim não consigo chegar a alguma palavra que exista de todo.


 
Pois...ou podem até ser duas palavras ou mais, mas que, ditas rapidamente, parecessem uma... Co..dchka...ai ai...


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## fragola&pistacchio

Hi,
I do not speak a word of Portuguese, but I speak a bit of russian and as soon as I saw your post it sounded familiar to me, because in russian we have:
čudo: miracle
čudesnyj: miraculous, wonderful, awesome
čudovisce: monster (coming from "monstrous, tremendous" also in a positive meaning: _you have a tremendous intelligence_).
I believe you grandma just wanted to say "little monster/rascal".


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## Outsider

If it were that Russian word, wouldn't an American have spelled it _*ch*udeshka_?


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## avok

I believe it was two words or something.


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## maralto

When I saw the «word» Cudeshk, my first impression was that it was a russian word...however, your grandmother was portuguese...Am I right?


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## Outsider

The _cu_ part could be a _que_ (as in _que maroto!_), but I still don't see what word would sound like _de(e)shka_... 
_Disca?_ 

P.S. Wait a minute... _Que bisca?_ Does this make any sense?


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## Vanda

Que bisca! Pronunciado do modo português até que faz sentido...


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## hdfx80

It is my wifes grandfather who is from portugal,she thinks he was born in Algarve.We were both raised in a small, mostly Portuguese fishing town on Cape Cod. Neither one of us can speak any Portuguese so we have no idea of the correct spelling or pronunciation. We just remember all the older adults calling the children that name when they were raising heck or being unruly. It may be  slang we are not sure. thanks for all the replies.


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## Outsider

The Algarve used to have a peculiar dialect. Perhaps it's some regional word. I'm sorry I can't help you anymore. I was just brainstorming above.


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## Archimec

Se fosse açoriano poderia talvez ser "corisco". Esta expressão é certamente muito comum entre a população de origem açoriana de New England, e aplicável em situações tal que descritas por hdfx80.("Eh, corisco!", "Corisco mal amanhado!...")


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## Lost_in_Words

Archimec said:


> Se fosse açoriano poderia talvez ser "corisco". Esta expressão é certamente muito comum entre a população de origem açoriana de New England, e aplicável em situações tal que descritas por hdfx80.("Eh, corisco!", "Corisco mal amanhado!...")


 

Ah ah! I think you've just solved the mystery! I'm not from the Azores but I know that nickname (I live in the region of Lisboa). Probably years ago it was commonly used when referring to brats.

Regards.


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## avok

And apparently hfx80 associated the Portuguese trilled "r" with the American "d". Codisco i.e. corisco


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## Benvindo

Lost_in_Words said:


> Ah ah! I think you've just solved the mystery! I'm not from the Azores but I know that nickname (I live in the region of Lisboa). Probably years ago it was commonly used when referring to brats.
> 
> Regards.


 
- - - -
Congratulations for solving the mistery! 
It might also be helpful to provide a translation of _corisco_ into English: flash, lightning, flicker. Also: corisco is related to the English word _coruscant (_those who like Star Wars may remember that Coruscant is the capital planet of the Galaxy...)
BV


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## hdfx80

Archimec said:


> Se fosse açoriano poderia talvez ser "corisco". Esta expressão é certamente muito comum entre a população de origem açoriana de New England, e aplicável em situações tal que descritas por hdfx80.("Eh, corisco!", "Corisco mal amanhado!...")


I'm sorry,but I cannot speak Portuguese could someone please translate this for me. Again thanks to all who have responded and tried to help us out


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## MOC

hdfx80 said:


> I'm sorry,but I cannot speak Portuguese could someone please translate this for me. Again thanks to all who have responded and tried to help us out


 
Translation from his post:

If he was Açoriano (from the Azores) it may have been "corisco". It is very common among descendents of Azorean people in New England, and it's also used in situations such as the ones described by hdfx80.

Then he ended it up with a couple usages.

As we were discussing, he may have solved it, since "corisco" is pronounced "cooreeshko" (but if your grandfather is from Algarve, he probably wouldn't pronounce the last vowel anyway , so it fits).
As for the "r" you may have mistaken our "r" with a "d" since our "r" is not the same as the one used in English.


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## Archimec

Thank you, Moc, for your translation of my post.
hdfx80, who already knows how to pronounce "corisco", can now spell it as well. Apparently, the word is more common in Portugal than I thought.


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## TomasNomais

hdfx80 said:


> My grandmother used to call me this when I was misbehaving,not sure of spelling but I think it meant little brat or little curse. Most likely a slang term.


I recognize that word well, if you are a descendant of the Portuguese that came from the Açores you hear this word when anyone is very angry, you won't find it in proper Portuguese, I have tried to translate it with what I know about Portuguese as I speak it somewhat.

my Mother used Corsica Negro Lepros Maldic...

this isn't a very nice thing but it appears Corsico was that you would be struck with lightening blackened and have leprosy come upon you.

I've only heard that when someone is angry and said it myself

Corsico lightning, Maldicào curse and Lepros leprosy.

of course it is just used as  curse words out of frustration and not serious, so don't get too excited.


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## duduc

(corisco, not corsico.) Welcome to WordReference Forums!


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