Thursday, February 11, 2016

Inside joke

On the subject of strange curse words, this isn't a curse per se, but when I was little Jimmy Durante was still entertaining, and a couple of times when I saw him on television doing stand-up, he would mutter a word, "umbriagga".

He would say it in obvious consternation or exasperation. I just thought it was a nonsense word. Then one night my father was watching television with me, and when Durante dropped the U-word, dad chuckled.

He explained that "umbriagga" is Italian slag for schnockered - drunk. Durante was obviously expressing his opinion of some audience members.

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