I saw that "other" meaning you referred to Arturo, in my Collins English/Spanish dictionary, and was quite surprised.

My baby sister Pat Alderete plays a character she named Cuca in several plays she wrote. Her Cuca is a sort of pachuca Madge the beautician.

My sister gave a performance at the Getty once, and was allowed to drive all the way to the top, instead of taking the tram we peons must take:)

She'll be giving a reading in San Antonio next month. She gives readings in Texas and Nebraska every year.

My sister is no shrinking violet. One time she was giving an outdoor reading in Westwood when a real life vato loco got too wound up in her performance, and challenged her face-to-face.

To my shock, she punched him square in the nose. He lurched back, and staggered away, too embarrased and shocked to further mock a woman like my sister!

The entire feminist audience burst into applause.

Although I tried to caution my sister never to do that again. That is not the way to handle hecklers.

---- arturoramos wrote:
>
> Cuca is the standard nickname for Refugio... Cuco would be a male Refugio and Cuca is a female refugio. It has a completely different meaning in Colombia but I digress...
>
> So anyhow, Refugio translates as Ruth thus Ruths are Cucas by double translation. I have an aunt, a (now deceased) grandmother and a niece all named Refugio or Ruth and we call them all Cuca... so there is the abuelita Cuca, the tia Cuca and "Cookie"