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Pedants' corner

I really wish that people would spell and pronounce Cojones correctly

4 replies

ragged · 12/09/2011 10:05

It's not "KA-hone-ays" (that means "boxes" by the way).
It's not "COO-hone-ays" (which means nothing, i think, although to American ears it's eerily close to "cooties" which means germs).

It's not spelled "cajones" (that means boxes, and no there is no particular association with boxes and testicles in Spanish).

The correct pronunciation is "Ko-HONE-ays". Emphasis on the 2nd syllable.
The correct spelling is "cojones".

That is all. Thank you. :) Wink

ps: alternatively you can say "HWAY-bos" (spelled "huevos") which in Spanish means "eggs" but colloquially, like "balls" in English, is acknowledged as having a 2nd meaning. But God knows what English tongues would make of huevos... "HOO-vos"?

OP posts:
TheNationalTruss · 12/09/2011 10:09

Where is it you live that people are peppering their conversations with cojones?

Because it ain't Norfolk.

witchwithallthetrimmings · 12/09/2011 10:10

I love the use off egg as a swearword, is sounds like something a 7 year old would do thinking he was really naughty.

no me heuves, huevon (sp?) - "don't egg me around you big egg" is one of my favourites!

ragged · 12/09/2011 10:25

I am in Norfolk, actually! :) But I imagine I'm almost the only foreigner within a 5 mile radius... So yeah, not much used here, they don't even teach Spanish in local high schools :(.

I've read/heard the word abused on MN and just now on the radio, 5Live.

OP posts:
SuzyLewis · 22/09/2011 23:21

not related to huevos, but my friend asked for a "coño de helado" in McDonalds in Madrid once.... she promptly then turned purple and left, leaving a very bemused teenage boy smothering a gaffaw! Grin

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