mamarracho

Spanish

Etymology

From the earlier momarrache under the influence of mamar, itself from the earlier moharrache under the influence of momo (“funny face”), borrowed from Andalusian Arabic مهرج, ultimately from Arabic مُهَرِّج (muharrij).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mamaˈrat͡ʃo/ [ma.maˈra.t͡ʃo]
• Rhymes: -atʃo
• Syllabification: ma‧ma‧rra‧cho

Noun

mamarracho m (plural mamarrachos)

1. (derogatory, colloquial) mess, disaster (something badly made)
   • 1972, “Quizás, Porque”, in Vida, performed by Sui Generis:

     Quizás, porque soy un gran artista / Puedo decir: "Tu pintura está lista" / Y darte orgulloso este mamarracho

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Noun

mamarracho m (plural mamarrachos, feminine mamarracha, feminine plural mamarrachas)

1. (derogatory, colloquial) buffoon, clown (ridiculous, badly dressed person)

   Synonyms: adefesio, payaso

   • 1878, Benito Pérez Galdós, Un voluntario realista:

     Eres un mamarracho..., pero chistosísimo... y con esa casaca... y esos humos de general.

     You are a buffoon..., but hilarious...and with jacket...and that conceit in general

   • 2015, Antonio Sosa Sánchez, El viviente y el averno:

     los mamarrachos continuaban con su locura, como si ya estuvieran ausentes a lo que les rodeaba.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

• mamarrachada
• mamarrachento
• mamarrachista

 

Descendants

• → Catalan: mamarratxo

References

• Coromines, Joan (1961) Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana [Brief etymological dictionary of the Spanish language] (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN

Further reading

• “mamarracho”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28