Toser

[DailyWord]

This is a discussion thread for the Daily Spanish Word for August 9, 2008

toser - verb - cough. Look up toser in the dictionary

Si sigues tosiendo así, te vas a lastimar la garganta.
If you keep coughing like that, you're going to hurt your throat.

[María José]

- Cuando tienes tos el médico te receta un jarabe.
-Whooping cough is tosferina
But I've never known the word for croup.
There is this old wives' tale that says if you put an onion sliced in two by your bed when you have a cough it will help. Funny, but it works.

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by María José

- Cuando tienes tos el médico te receta un jarabe.
-Whooping cough is tosferina
But I've never known the word for croup.
There is this old wives' tale that says if you put an onion sliced in two by your bed when you have a cough it will help. Funny, but it works.

I actually heard that the fumes that come out of the onion help kill any bacteria floating around in the air, presumably when you cough. My mother used to do that by the way.

Also, I´ve seen tosferina as two words as well, tos ferina. Which way is correct?

[Tomisimo]

I think croup is garrotillo or crup. Croup also refers to the hind part (rump) of a horse.

[Alfonso]

Tos ferina is the correct way to write it according to DRAE. But it's not uncommon to see it written all together.