mocosuena

Spanish

Etymology

From Spanish como (“as”) suena (“it sounds”), with influence from moco (“snot”).

Adverb

mocosuena

1. (Spain, colloquial) by Hobson-Jobson, attending to the sound of words without regard for meaning

Usage notes

• The adverb mocosuena is usually used with preceding a, as in "traducir a mocosuena", to translate sound for sound.

It refers, for example, to the manner in which the Spanish word juzgado was once translated into English as hoosegow (for the sound) instead of tribunal (the meaning).

Further reading

• “mocosuena”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014