{"id":4673,"date":"2022-06-24T20:07:26","date_gmt":"2022-06-24T20:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=4673"},"modified":"2022-06-24T20:07:26","modified_gmt":"2022-06-24T20:07:26","slug":"goomar-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/goomar-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Goomar \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did one of the characters on the Sopranos call a woman a \"goomar<\/em>?\" Are you wondering what it means? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression \"goomar<\/em>\" is an American-Italian word for \"mistress<\/em>\" or \"side-piece.\"<\/em> It's a phrase appearing in many Italian-American gangster movies like \"Casino<\/em>,\" \"Goodfellas,\"<\/em> and others. A \"goomar<\/em>\" is a mobster's girlfriend, and she serves the mobster's beck and calls. She must please him sexually, massage him, and cook for him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

She waits on him hand and foot, and in turn, the mobster rewards her by paying her bills and buying her jewelry and clothes. Mobsters would often have separate lives from their wives, where they would invite their goomars to bars and let them mingle with each other.<\/p>\n

The goomar would know that she was the mobster's side-piece, and she would never interrupt or interfere with the mobster's family or visit him at home or at work. If the goomar did get out of place, the mobster would usually threaten her with physical violence. He would leave her destitute and on the street as punishment.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cTommy was going out with his goomar tonight and told me to keep an eye on his wife. I have to call him if I see her leave the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFriday night was for the wives, but Saturdays was for the girlfriends. I had Carol, my goomar, with me. She was all over me every chance she could get.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to your goomar, then stay over there. I don\u2019t want you back in this house ever again! Do you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf an Italian-American guy tells you he\u2019s going to see his goomar, it means he\u2019s visiting his girlfriend. The bad news is he has a wife at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is a man supposed to stay faithful to one woman his entire life? If it weren\u2019t for my goomars, I would have left my wife years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, you can have a goomar, but you have to keep it on the low. If the wife finds out, you\u2019ll end up in big trouble, but she never has to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Origin<\/h2>\n

The Italian expression \u201cgoomar\u201d originates from the old Italian language as a colloquialism for your side-piece or mistress. It comes from the Italian word \u201ccomare,\u201d which refers to a person's godmother or someone that takes care of them physically and emotionally.<\/p>\n

The word \u201cgoomar entered mainstream use in English with the introduction of Italian-American gangster films by directors like Martin Scorsese and his 1990 crime drama classic. \u201cGoodfellas.\u201d The neologism also gained popularity through the hit 90s TV series \u201cThe Sopranos.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show introduced many Italian-American terms to its audience. Since the show was popular, many of those neologisms have stuck in modern English use. Otjer examples of terms from the Sopranos adopted into English include \"gabagool\" and \"Goomba.\"<\/p>\n