mamarratxo

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish mamarracho, from 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): (Central) [mə.məˈra.t͡ʃu]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [mə.məˈra.t͡ʃo]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ma.maˈra.t͡ʃo]

Noun

mamarratxo m (plural mamarratxos, feminine mamarratxa)

1. sight, mess (badly-dressed person)
   • 1931, Antoni Sabater i Mur, L'edat d'or:

     Ja veureu que un dia, el gat, com sempre, s'estava en aquella cadira d'allà, i a la Mariola li va passar pel cap de disfressar-lo com un pallasso. Li va posar un estrenyecaps amb una gran llaçada al coll, després el va vestir amb unes calcetes de quan era molt petita i, perquè no li arrosseguessin, vinga fer-li sacsons per tot arreu; a l'últim li va posar una xambra i, quan el va tenir ben disfressat, el va tornar a deixar damunt de la seva cadira, i ell, com una fava, es va quedar allí amb els ulls mig clucs. Però, vet ací que, en això, per la porta de l'hort, ve la gata, i quan va veure el seu marit vestit de mamarratxo, ah, fillets de Déu! hauríeu hagut de veure-la: tots els pèls de la cua i de l'esquena se li van posar drets, semblava un raspall; el mateix que un tigre, se li tirà al damunt i començà de donar-li esgarrapades a tort i a dret, amb uns marrameus que feia por.

     You see, one day, the tomcat, as always, was sitting in that chair over there and Mariola had the idea of disguising him as a clown. She put a nightcap with a big bow around his neck, then dressed him in some panties from when she was very little, tucking them up everywhere so they wouldn't drag behind him; finally, she put a housecoat on him and, when she had him well disguised, returned him to his chair where he stayed, like a fava bean, with his eyes half closed. But--look out!--through the garden door comes the molly, and when she saw her husband dressed like a mess, oh children of God! You should have seen her: all the hairs on her tail and back stood up--she looked like a brush; like a tiger, she threw herself on top of him and started scratching him all over, with her frightening claws.

2. (figurative) clown, buffoon (unserious person)

Noun

mamarratxo m (plural mamarratxos)

1. mess, botch (something done badly)

Derived terms

• mamarratxada

Further reading

• “mamarratxo” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “mamarratxo”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “mamarratxo” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “mamarratxo” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.