cucho
KOO-chohnounInformal
A Colombian Spanish slang term. Browse all Colombian slang.
What it means
An old person, or anyone older than the speaker by a generation. Not polite, but not cruel either — it sits about where English 'old boy' does.
Mis cuchos: my parents. This is the commonest use by far among young people, and it is affectionate.
In schools, a teacher. 'El cucho de mate' is the maths teacher.
Examples with translations
Me toca pedirles permiso a mis cuchos.
I have to ask my folks for permission.
La cucha me hizo ajiaco.
My mum made me ajiaco.
El cucho de sociales dejó trabajo para el lunes.
The social studies teacher set homework for Monday.
Where it comes from
Probably from cucho in the sense of 'hunched, bent over', which is recorded in several American varieties. It reached parents by the usual route: young people naming adults by the most visible sign of age, then softening the word through constant affectionate use.
Other forms
- Spellings and variants:
- cucha, cuchos
- Similar terms:
- viejo, cuchito