Phrase

As a nation state, Italy has emerged only in 1871. Until then the country was politically divided into a large number of independant cities, provinces and islands. The currently available evidences point out to a dominant Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultural influence on today's Italians.
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Donald66
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Phrase

Post by Donald66 »

My grandfather was known in Avigliano as "Minga Motts". The spelling might be incorrect, but has anyone heard the phrase?

Hopefully, I wont regret asking the definition :oops:
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johnnyonthespot
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Re: Phrase

Post by johnnyonthespot »

A number of google results indicate that "minga" is Italian slang for a stupid or annoying person. One indicates it is actually from a term for a body part; I am thinking maybe a 7 letter word beginning with a and ending with e perhaps?

Motts might be mazza? http://www.wordreference.com/iten/mazza

Altogether, a guy with a stick up his ...

Sorry. Just some wild speculation. :)
Carmine

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Donald66
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Re: Phrase

Post by Donald66 »

Carmine,

I thought the reference was something along those lines. :P

I never met him, so I'll never really know.
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Julo
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Re: Phrase

Post by Julo »

My two cents is that he might have been called "minchia mozza" which is a cruel way of calling someone with a minuscule male organ, it literally means: "cut-off penis" 8O
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Squigy
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Re: Phrase

Post by Squigy »

Rough town! 8O
My Italian surnames:

Caserta: Maietta, Rossano, Tessitore, Negro, Peluso, Musone

Campobasso: D'Andrea, Barile

Catanzaro: Fiorelli/Fiorillo, Romito
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montclaire
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Re: Phrase

Post by montclaire »

Maybe it just meant his wife ran the house hahaha
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