The term "Cooties" is defined as a children's term for an imaginary germ carried and transmitted by obnoxious or slovenly children. It is mostly used as a bullying term (ex. "Eww, cooties!), and has been used by children probably for more than 100 years if not longer.
The history of the word is not completely known, nor is it known who the first person was to use the term "cooties". People speculate that the word might have originated during outbreaks of body lice, fleas, bedbugs or other parasites that feed on human skin or blood. These conditions were very common in historical times, including up through the very early 1900s. Body lice, bedbugs, and fleas feasting on humans were hard to detect and difficult to eliminate before the 1900s.
Because these bugs or parasites are tiny, difficult to see, and difficult to notice or detect, people naturally worried about one person 'picking up' these bugs from another person. Since children more often play on the ground, in dirt, and in grass, where many of these bugs and parasites' eggs live, children are more prone to be affected. As well, children come in much closer contact to other children, so children can help the critters to affect another child. Children also are less likely to notice these bugs, except when the critters cause intense itching.
So, while the term "cooties" now refers to a fear of "catching" body lice, bedbugs, fleas, or parasites, it also refers to fear brought on by just imagining "catching" these bugs. This is why the word "cooties" often comes up again when schools find one child with body lice. Parents will then caution their children who aren't affected to "stay away from other kids" and to NOT share or use someone else's:
Children then began to take those directions, intended as education to make children cautious about sharing personal items, and began to try to also keep other children away. "Ewww, you have cooties!" is an effective way, as a child, to keep distance between yourself and another child. HOWEVER, today, saying something like that is no more than a form of bullying!
Facts about body lice, fleas, bedbugs, and skin parasites:
Facts about "cooties":
NOTE: I deliberately used "affected" instead of "infected". Having these bugs or parasites feed on a person is not an "infection". If left untreated, though, secondary skin infections can develop from scratching.
Cooties are not real. The concept of cooties is a childhood game or joke where one gender is thought to have a contagious "cooties" that can be passed on by touch. It is not a real medical condition.
As Cooties is not a real disease the symptoms can be whatever children say they are. Cooties is a disease that is made up by children in order to single out individuals in the playground and tease one another.
There is no information to suggest that Tom Robinson had cooties. Cooties are not real and do not exist in the way they are often portrayed in children's games. It is important to rely on accurate information and not spread false beliefs.
Cooties is an imaginary disease. Nobody really has cooties or can catch them.
It looks like "cudies" may be a typo. If you are referring to "coodies," it is a childish term for an imaginary germ or disease that someone can catch from the opposite sex. It is not a real medical condition.
cooties are a type of body lice
There are cootie catchers you can make plus boys have boy cooties and girls have girl cooties!
Cockroach Cooties was created in 2001.
Cooties are a fictional disease and used by children as a way to make fun of someone. But many people call lice cooties.
No Cooties are a make beleif thing that children make up
Computer Cooties was created on 2010-10-06.
"Cooties" are lice. A more common expression than "cooties" is to describe anything that is of poor quality as "lousy".