# What's the meaning & exact spelling of the word "goomba"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2001, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-exact-spelling-of-the-word-goomba/62879 "2001-04-22T15:41:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![moggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@moggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moggy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-exact-spelling-of-the-word-goomba/62879/1 "2001-04-22T15:41:50Z")
I know it’s Italian. When I first heard it used it was in a negative way, ie, “He’s such a goomba (meaning idiot or whatever)”. Then I saw a TV show where one Italian-American said to his co-worker, who was also Italian-American, “Heyyy! Goomba!” and he used it as a greeting. I have tried looking it up in Italian & slang dictionaries but have never found it. I’m wondering if it’s sometimes spelled with a C- I know some Italians pronounce “G” as “C”. (My ex-sister-in-law used to pronounce “manicotti” “manigott’”. Grazie! Ciao! (No, I’m not Italian, I just took it for a couple years in college) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-exact-spelling-of-the-word-goomba/62879/2 "2001-04-22T15:47:03Z")
According to JE Lighter, _American Slang_, it comes from the Italian _compare_. In American-Italian slang it means a “close or trusted male friend” and was popularized by Rocky Graziano, a boxer, who used to appear on the Martha Raye Show in the early 50’s. He quotes it from the show as early as 1955. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-exact-spelling-of-the-word-goomba/62879/3 "2001-04-22T15:49:41Z")
Oh, yeah! The spelling is “goombah.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-exact-spelling-of-the-word-goomba/62879/4 "2001-04-22T17:17:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*_According to JE Lighter, American Slang, it comes from the Italian compare[/i_ I didn’t realize that. I assume that’s cognate with the Spanish _compadre_, literally, the godfather of your child (hence your “co-father”); colloquialy, a close pal. Often shortened, at least around here, to just “Compa’!” ---
**Author:** ![exchicagoan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@exchicagoan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/exchicagoan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-exact-spelling-of-the-word-goomba/62879/5 "2001-04-23T05:30:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\*According to JE Lighter, _American Slang_, it comes from the Italian _compare_. In American-Italian slang it means a “close or trusted male friend” \*\* SAMCLEM? Does your source have anything on STUGATZ and MORRONE too? I know that I use them correctly but I never knew what they ACTUALLY meant. Would you please check those out too. Please, huh, maybe, huh,huh? Thx. ---
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-exact-spelling-of-the-word-goomba/62879/6 "2001-04-23T07:54:51Z")
Goomba is also one of Mario’s enemies (from Nintendo’s Mario Brothers). Goomba resembles a mushroom, which is why it roams the Mushroom Kingdom. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-exact-spelling-of-the-word-goomba/62879/7 "2001-04-23T09:38:24Z")
OneChance-- I’ve always wondered…“gomba” means “mushroom” in Hungarian. Hmmm…coincidence?