You are correct, Mary.  The reason you didn't found the word is
because the correct spelling is hocico.

And it is not a bad word in itself.  But it is an impolite and even
offensive expression to say to others because it implies that you're
dealing with animals.  

It is as impolite as asking someone before entering your house to
"límpiate las patas", because as we know only animals have "patas" and
humans have "pies".

These kind of expressions are acceptable only jockingly with close
friends or sometimes they reflect a mother's frustration with a
difficult child.

Victor


--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Mary Allen <mary.allen3770@s...> wrote:
>
> I'm surprised I could not find the word "osico" in my dictionary. 
But as I recall, it is not really bad in itself.  Correct me if I am
wrong, but it means "snout" or the mouth of an animal.  What makes it
"bad" is who says it, to whom, why and how.   When the mother said it,
it just surprised the students because they didn't expect it of her. 
It's not something a nice person would say to others.    As a teacher,
I have heard it on the playground and they were fighting words.   
>    
>   Mary
> 
> Peggy Delgado <peggydee@c...> wrote:
>       I don't know spanish :o(
>   so what did she really say?  If it's too bad use the @%#%$%^#@^ 
symbols, please.
>     -----Original Message-----
> From: ranchos@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ranchos@yahoogroups.com]On
Behalf Of Margarita Vallazza
> Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 7:30 PM
> To: ranchos@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [ranchos] Ojos, Dientes, Lengua, Cabeza
> 
> 
> When my dad was teaching my mother Spanish, he was teaching her bad
words. She was taking citizenship class and the teacher asked my
mother to take care of the class while she stepped out. As soon as the
teacher left, the class was buzzing. My mother, very authoritatively,
told the class to "Callense el osico," thinking she was telling them
to be quiet. She said you could hear a pin drop, and someone told her
what she had really said. Marge:)
>