What are, if any, the slang words for possum?

Question

One of my prep cooks was startled by a giant opossum hiding in the dumpster at work. I asked him the name of this magnificent creature in Spanish, and the only answered I received was "La Quaché" or maybe "La Kwaché". I honestly have no idea how to spell it but that's what it sounds like to me. When I enter "opposum" or "possum" your website keeps showing it as "zarigüeya". I never took Spanish during my short lived school years, the only lessons that I received came from my employee's at work. This particular employee is originally from Acapulco, is the word he used for possum slang or just that regions dialect?

Tlacuche is what you were looking for and it is the Mexican version. - jphip, Dec 24, 2015

Answer 1

There are several different possibilities: zarigüeya, oposum, zorro (also means fox), zorro pelón, tlacuache, tlacuachi. One of the last two is probably what your cook said. Those two are used in Mexico, but they are not typical Spanish words. I think they are from Aztec. I think "zorro pelón" is funny. It means "hairless fox". Somehow I can relate.

Tlacuachi is the expression I became aware of as a child, although the spelling is not something I ever knew. I presume the letter "L" is silent? My grandfather gave this word as a nickname to one of the guys whose face resembled a possum's. - onparra, Nov 11, 2010

Answer 2

En Colombia también se les dice "chuchas", lo cual también quiere decir "body odor"...

¡En serio? ¡Qué gracioso! (¡Ambas cosas!) - Gekkosan, Apr 6, 2010

Yep... People think that they are icky animals. I love them. - LuisaGomezBartle, Apr 8, 2010

Answer 3

Where I'm from we call them "rabipelao's" (rabipelados) or "rabopelados", because of their bare tails.

I belive that's a very regional word, though.