Diseases that the opposite sex has that gives you a reason to not be around them. When you get older, cooties becomes known as "STDs."

US slang that references childhood:

Cooties are an imaginary affliction from childhood.

When children reach the age where they notice the sexes are different the children claim a member of the opposite opposite sex will give you "cooties" if they touch you.

Its a way of little girls telling other little girls not to play with boys and vice versa

An age-old disease only found in young children. all children have this disease, but the boys have a different type than the girls. because of this, touching or being touhed by a member of the opposite sex is fatal, since you have gotten their cooties.

The metaphysical manifestation of the fear of social backlash resulting from association with the opposite sex during childhood.

In short, the other sex has them, you can get them, and you do not want them.

Imaginary infestations of the truly un-cool.

Cooties are negatively charged particles. They are not the same as germs, or else they would not have different names. If you get too close to a cootie source you may be sucked into a cootie force field. Therefore stay away from all cootie sources i.e. boys.

evil pests that dwell in the cooter.