Great explanation, Throbert McGee!
BTW, poor Titicaca (Титикака) can seem hilarious to young Russians as well. "Кака" (which is used by mothers and young children) means a turd or something unpleasant, and "какать" is colloquial for "to defecate".
в кавычкахP.S. I put "person" в кабачках (in quote marks)
кавычка (sing), кавычки (pl) - quote mark(s)
кабачок (sing), кабачки (pl) - a kind of zucchini