How to say Booger, Boogey Man, Eye Crusties in Spanish and some other silly Spanish Words. First of all, I must admit that that these Spanish words are somewhat juvenile. But I have used these words while living in Latin America — so I know from personal experience that knowing these words can come in handy.

How To Say Booger, Boogey Man and Eye Crusties in Spanish

1. El coco – the boogey man

I hear this word used often when a friend visits my “hogar” (home) here in Colombia with her 2 year-old son, Juancito.  With my assistance, I allow Juancito to watch Elmo or Barney on YouTube using my “portátil” (laptop computer).

Out of fear that he may accidentally knock my “portátil” to the floor, I don’t allow him to use my “portátil” without my assistance.

One day when my “portátil” was in my bedroom, to make sure that Juancito didn’t enter my bedroom and knock over my “portátil,” I heard his mother say to him:

• El coco está en la pieza. The boogey man is in the bedroom.

“Pieza” is one of several Spanish words which mean bedroom (e.g. cuarto, habitación, alcoba, dormitorio).

A little while later Juancito’s  mother went to the store to buy a “gaseosa” (soda), and she asked me to watch him while she went to the store. Just to make sure that he didn’t enter my bedroom and knock my “portátil” to the floor, I also told Juancito:

• El coco está en la pieza. The boogey man is in the bedroom.

Needless to say, Juancito  did not enter my bedroom.

Although in Colombia, the word for the boogey man is “el coco” in some other Spanish speaking countries “el cuco” means boogey man.

I spend a lot of time online hanging-out in learning-Spanish forums and learning-English-for- Spanish-speakers forums, and I have learned that in Mexico the word for boogey man is “cucuy.”

By the way, the word “portátil” literally means portable. In Spanish speaking countries where their Spanish is heavily influenced by the English language, the Spanish word for laptop computer is “laptop” — spoken with a heavy Latino accent. But Colombians use the word “portátil,” and they do not use the word “laptop” (with a heavy Latino accent) in order to say laptop computer.

2. Moco – booger, mucus from the nose

I warned you that the vocabulary words in this blog post are somewhat juvenile.

• Tienes un moco en la nariz. You have a booger on your nose.

Notice that in Spanish, in this case, you can use the phrase “en la nariz” as opposed to “en tu naziz.” That’s because YOU can only have something on YOUR nose. It is impossible for YOU to have something on ANOTHER PERSON’S nose. But the English language is redundant and in English we say “YOU have something on YOUR nose” as opposed to “YOU have something on THE nose.”

And just in case you see someone who “tiene un moco en la nariz,” this is how you say blow your nose:

• Suénate la nariz. (Literally, “sound your nose.”)

“Suénate la nariz” is the phrase that you will hear in Colombia and most parts of Latin America. But in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean you are more likely to hear:

• Sóplate la nariz. (Literally, “blow your nose.”)

From spending a lot of time online hanging-out in learning-Spanish forums and learning-English-for-Spanish-speakers forums, I have learned that in Mexico you may hear the phrase:

• Sacúdete la nariz Blow your nose.

You can also just say, “límpiate la nariz” (wipe/clean your nose).

3. Lagañas – eye crusties, eye boogers, sleep (i.e. dried mucus particles found in the corners of the eyes after sleeping)

In Colombia, the word for “sleep in the eyes” is “lagañas” but in some Spanish speaking countries, they use the word “legañas.” Límpiate las legañas (de los ojos). Wipe/clean the sleep from your eyes.

“Lágrimas” means tears.

So this concludes today’s lesson on How To Say Booger, Boogey Man and Eye Crusties in Spanish