The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #69726 Message #1185517
Posted By: Amos
14-May-04 - 07:16 AM
Thread Name: BS: The mysterious mamalucca
Subject: RE: BS: The mysterious mamalucca
But now in Italian "mammalucco" is a derogatory term, meaning " stupid,slow in thinking" .
Wow, a real reference that makes sense. Thanks. Why the Italians would choose a minor non-Muslim sect from Egypt as a derogatory term is or course one of the great mysteries. The answer goes all the way back to Marco Polo's grandson, who traveled the ancient spice trails back to the valley of the Nile and was ripped off by Egyptian teenagers belonging to the sect who charged him ten dollars to show him the pyramids and then charged him ten ore to show him the way back from them. He was so incensed he used the term as a curse words and would spout it out at random intervals all through his declining years. Thus the usage grew as family and neighbors grew accustomed to hearing him holler "Goddamned dick-broke mammaluccas!!" over and over again in his sleep.
A