carrambata

Italian

FWOTD – 3 May 2017

Etymology

From Carràmba! (Che sorpresa) (1995–2002; 2008–2009), a TV show which organized such kind of reunions, +‎ -ata. The name of the show is a blend of Carrà (the hostess's surname) +‎ caramba, a Spanish euphemistic expression of surprise.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kar.ramˈba.ta/
• Rhymes: -ata
• Hyphenation: car‧ram‧bà‧ta

Noun

carrambata f (plural carrambate)

1. (neologism, usually humorous, from television) an unexpected reunion between people who have not seen each other, or have not kept in touch, for a long time

   Hypernyms: sorpresa, rincontro

   • 2007 February 16, Michele Dell'Utri, “Una “carrambata” per la Carrà - il cugino che non sapeva di avere”, in la Repubblica‎^[1]:

     Stavolta, protagonista della “carrambata” è stata lei, in modo del tutto inaspettato: Raffaella Carrà ha incontrato, a Torino, un cugino che non sapeva di avere. “Proprio io - ha commentato - che di cose come queste ne ho fatte capitare a centinaia...”.

     This time, the protagonist of the "surprise reunion" had been her, in the most unexpected way: Raffaella Carrà met, in Turin, a cousin that she did not know she had. "It is I - she commented - who makes things like this happen to as many as hundreds (of people)...".

   • 2016, Barbara Solinas, Svegan. Ricette d'amor vegano con una storia intorno, Milan, Italy: Emma Books, →ISBN, unnumbered page:

     «Era tanto che non vi vedevate?» insiste Amelia, che va matta per le carrambate.

     "Had it been a long time since you had seen each other?" insisted Amelia, who goes crazy for the surprise reunions.

Further reading

• carrambata in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• carrambata in garzantilinguistica.it – Garzanti Linguistica, De Agostini Scuola Spa