The original meaning of "goombah" was fairly complementary. It meant a close friend or associate, often an older friend and mentor.
It is thought to derive from the Italian "compare," having the same meaning as the Spanish "Compadre." It was often shortened in the colloquial to "compa" and eventually the pronunciation morphed to "goombah" The use of the expression by non-italians as a mildly derogatory term for a mafia or mob-affiliated palooka of questionable intelligence is a later phenomenon. http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ethicalesq/goomba-goombah-gumba-gumbah/ Lee andrew strasfogel wrote: > Anyone else want to weigh in? I stand by my interpretation and I am a > certified Sopranos junkie. > > Since we're already on the subject of HBO, does anyone else have an > "Entourage" addiction? I love that show in the true spirit of mindless > escapism. > > > On 10/16/06, Rich Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> No, Tony and his friends call them gomahs (I'm not sure of the spelling >> or even if that is an actual term), but a goombah is pretty much what it >> sounds like, kind of a smarmy oleaginous roue type. Tony's cousin, the >> one he whacked, was kinda like that, and the SLR dork kinda reminded me >> of him. >> >> --R >> >> andrew strasfogel wrote: >>> I thought Goombah was the broad the mobster had on the side. >>> >>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________ >> http://www.okiebenz.com >> For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ >> For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >> http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >> > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >
