For those of you who happen to be in Cordoba until July 14th, you may want to visit the village of Obejo de Patatú and view the famous dance, held in the honor of San Benito the patron Saint of the village. The dance is a sort of sword dance where the head of the master of ceremony is cut off by dancers with swords! In make pretend of course!

As a child I would often hear my abuela say things like he is having a Patatú, but I never understood exactly what it was, but it had to be something crazy for abuela would roll her eyes! :p

I understood "Patatu" as a form of a panick attack, also a tamtrum at any age, not violent in nature but certainly outta whack.

I think NO&DO Yankaluz is talking about a ¨Patatús¨. Word that in Spain a lot of people may pronounce as "Patatú".

Patatús. (De pata): Desmayo, lipotimia.

For me it is kind of an overreaction to a situation, where the person fails like fainting and in disbelief.