My 8yo Grand-daughter has just introduced me to the word cocô . I think she picked it up on a Brazilian Facebook feed.
Is it widely used in Portugal and is it one I should avoid?
Mac
Cocó (note the different accent in European Portuguese) is widely used in Portugal, yes. It’s colloquial, but not a swear word. It can be used in any context where it’s relevant!
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Thank you Joseph. Just so I get the colloquial context correct does “Preciso de um cocó” work in an informal environment with close friends to explain the need to leave the room?
We wouldn’t normally be so descriptive - we’d just say we need to use the toilet 
But of course, among close friends, if you’d like, you can say “Preciso de fazer cocó” (young children are more likely to be this direct than adults). As an example, a usual context where the word is used is when we’re complaining about dog poo in Portuguese streets!
Thanks again J. Very helpful. So “ha cocó nas ruas” for the doggie situation or in the case of talking to a child maybe before taking a journey… “precisas de um cocó?” or is “precisas de fazer cocó?” better?
It is these simple colloquialisms which are hardest to negotiate.
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“Precisas de fazer cocó” is always the preferred form. “Há cocó nas ruas” sounds perfectly natural, yes → but considering the amount of it, you might even say “Há muito cocó nas ruas”. If someone is at risk of stepping onto it, “Cuidado com o cocó” or “Não pises o cocó” are common expressions.
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