What does "tamarro" mean?

Hi, there! I am Luca and this amazing video is aimed at those people who are studying or learning Italian as a foreign language.

More specifically, this video is aimed at those people who have already reached an intermediate level in Italian and would like to improve their Italian by learning new phrases, idioms, sayings and so on.

Basically, this video is aimed at those who understand Italian, but would like to expand their Italian vocabulary by learning new words, new phrases, new idioms and so on.

Specifically, in this video I would like to explain a word which is very funny and common, but which you may not know, because it isn't usually taught in Italian language courses.

The word is "tamarro". This is a noun, so its forms are "un tamarro", "dei tamarri". This noun also has a feminine version, namely "una tamarra", "delle tamarre". In this episode, though, I would like to talk just about the masculine noun, that is, "tamarro", "tamarri".

In the future I might make another video about the noun "tamarra/tamarre", because there are some small differences. Or rather, it's not that there are some differences, but I'm going to give you some examples, and my examples mostly apply to the masculine form of this noun, that is, "tamarro" - "tamarri". In the future I might make another video with specific examples for the feminine version "tamarra", "tamarre".

Let me say right away that I have repeatedly postponed the shooting of this video, because I knew it would be a complex video.

Basically, I have a table where I list the videos I'll make. I kept on postponing this video, because I knew that it would be a rather long and complex video.

Despite that, I think that it's very important to know this word, because it's used very frequently, it's indeed a very, very, very common word.

I have also noticed that it's quite difficult for non-native speakers who study Italian to understand what the word "tamarro" exactly means. Therefore I think it's necessary to explain it.

In theory, we can use the preposition "da" and say "da tamarro" or "da tamarri".

For example, I could say "una macchina da tamarri", or "delle scarpe da tamarri". In this case, I use the preposition "da", next I add a noun and get something similar to an adjective, so to speak.

Chances are, you have already seen the preposition "da" used this way. For example: "una cosa da stupidi". What does it mean? Something which is done by stupid people.

Anyway, in this video I will talk about the meaning of the word "tamarro" in today's Italian, not about regional meanings nor about the original meaning of this word. Because this word originally had a meaning, but nowadays it is used with a different meaning.

Alright. Let me say right away that giving an abstract, general definition of the noun "tamarro" is quite complex and it's better to do real world examples.

In Italian there's this saying: "Un'immagine vale più di mille parole". Well, in this video I'm going to use several pictures, because I'll try to avoid giving you an abstract definition of the noun "tamarro" and I'll instead give you real world examples, because the noun "tamarro" specifically refers to a certain behaviour and to a certain way of presenting oneself.

Alright! In this video I will try to explain the word "tamarro" by making reference to two things. First: cars which are typically used or bought by "tamarri". Second: the type of clothes which are typically worn by "tamarri". Obviously, these are just two examples, but I think they illustrate very well what "tamarro" means.

Alright! As for cars, let's say that the "tamarro" for sure wouldn't buy cars that are not eye-catching; instead, he buys the most flashy car which he can afford.

What does it mean? It means that, well, if the "tamarro" is a millionaire, he will surely buy a sports car, for example a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or some such cars.

If he can't afford that, what does he do? He buys an average car and brings it to a repair shop to get it tuned. Tuned in what sense? In the sense that his car, which may be a normal car, I mean a city car, gets tuned so that it looks like a sports car.

In Italian we say that it gets "truccata" (quotation marks). What does it mean? It means that its engine gets tuned, its brakes get tuned, its body gets modified, some sports car accessories are fitted, so to speak. Particular rims are fitted, alloy-wheels, for example colored alloy-wheels.

And the body car could be customized with decorations so that the car, which in fact is just an average car, looks like a sports car.

Tuning can be actual, real, effective. For example, the engine is replaced with a more powerful engine. Or it can be just aestethic tuning. In some cases, for example, the "tamarro" may not afford a more powerful engine, but he gets the engine tuned so that it will make more noise, so that people nearby will think that it's a sports car.

I'm pretty sure that in your country too there are repair shops where you bring your car and they tune it ("ve la truccano") so that it looks more... I don't even know how to say... - so that it looks like a different type of car.

For example, the typical aesthetic tuning could be blue lights, so that, when the car goes, it leaves behind a blue trail. Something like that.

I'm sure that in your country too there are people who do these things. I mean, people who add blue lights so that their car looks like a sports car or more cool.

Or, like I said, I gave you an example about tuning the engine so that it makes more noise.

You might be wondering: "Why am I giving you these examples to explain the word tamarro"? Because in my opinion this example clearly illustrates the mindset of a "tamarro".

That is, the "tamarro" essentially buys an average car, then gets it tuned so that it looks like a sports car. In particular, he gets purely aesthetic tuning, that is, he invests money, he spends money, because for the "tamarro" looks and appearance are very important.

If you will, the noun "tamarro" is close to the idea of show-off. The "tamarro" buys a car, but is not satisfied if his car looks like just everybody else's car. The "tamarro" wants to stand out.

In particular, the "tamarro" would never buy a car which is not eye-catching. I mean a nice car which is not eye-catching. A "tamarro" would never buy it. He would surely buy a car which from the outside looks like a sports car, or a supercar.

The "tamarro" would not buy a Jaguar, a Maserati, such high-end cars, which are for gentlemen, so to speak. The "tamarro" only buys eye-catching cars.

So you understand that in a way a "tamarro" is the opposite of a gentleman. I mean, the gentleman is someone who spends a lot of money, buys high-quality products, for example a very expensive car, but always aims at a sober style, because his goal, the gentleman's goal, is to go (quotation) "unnoticed", or in any case he doesn't want to look like a show-off.

The "tamarro", by contrast, wants that everybody sees that he has got a nice car. Therefore, if he can't afford a luxury car, he gets an average car tuned, so that it becomes more eye-catching.

And what I said about the car applies to clothes as well. In the sense that the "tamarro" always tries to dress in a peculiar way and to stand out, trying too hard, so to speak.

In Italian such style is referred to as "stile pacchiano", "stile appariscente", where the word "appariscente" has a negative meaning. "Uno stile troppo appariscente".

An extreme example could be those people who for example wear very flashy gold necklaces. For example, with no shirt: they only wear a gold necklace. Well, this is something that many Italians would call "una cosa da tamarri".

I don't know if you know the phrase "cattivo gusto". Well, in Italian we have this phrase: "cattivo gusto". What does it mean? It refers to a style which is the opposite of elegance, because it's excessive.

So you understand the difference between the gentleman, who dresses with class, with style, and the "tamarro", who dresses in bad taste, dresses with an excessive style, "uno stile pacchiano".

I don't know if you know the adjective "pacchiano". In Italian we have this adjective ("pacchiano", "pacchiana", "pacchiani", "pacchiane") which means precisely this, that is, eye-catching, but eye-catching in a negative way. Something called "pacchiano" is something that you can't help but notice, but as soon as you notice it, you will think that it is in bad taste, it is too much, it is excessive.

There's also something else to say. Alright. The "tamarro" typically dresses flashily, but not because he wants to make some kind of provocation or because he wants, so to speak, be funny with his clothes.

You know, right? There are people who dress eccentrically and behave, so to speak, self-ironically. I mean, there are people who dress eccentrically, in a strange, bizzarre way, but precisely to be funny or make other people smile. Or because, for example, they are out of the box and dress in a peculiar way.

Well, the "tamarro" is not like that. Because the "tamarro" is someone full of himself, who thinks that he is the main character of an action movie from the 80s or 90s.

I mean, the "tamarro" thinks that he is some kind of tough guy, a superhero, but he is positive about that. I mean, it's not that he dresses this way just to be funny: he firmly believes that he is the best of the best.

In Italian there's a saying: "prendersi troppo sul serio". Well, we can say that tamarros in general "si prendono troppo sul serio". What does it mean? It means that they don't even know what self-laughter is and really think that they are important people. Like I said, they think that they are the main characters of an action movie.

So, with respect to clothes, we can do other examples. We can say, for example: the "tamarro" goes to the gym for three weeks, after which he buys skin-tight black t-shirts, or even better skin-tight black tank tops, to show the world that he has a little bit of muscle.

But why? Because he is full of himself and really thinks that he is the superhero of the day.

And there's often a difference between how the others perceive this person and how this person perceives themselves.

I gave you an example about someone who goes to the gym for three months, and then starts wearing a black tight tank top, thinking that they are like the main character of an action movie. Well, the others may see it this way, but the tamarro doesn't see it like that. The tamarro thinks in his mind: "Here I am! I am the coolest guy in the world".

Because in the end the tamarro's goal is precisely this. Showing everybody that he is the coolest guy in the world, that he is cooler than the others. The "tamarro" wants to look cool at all costs.

So we could define the "tamarro" this way: someone who wants to look like the coolest guy in the world. And please note that I said "to look like" - not "to be".

Oh, yes! Another thing that a "tamarro" could do is wearing shades all the time, I mean sunglasses. Why? To look cool.

Because the "tamarro" thinks that he is a superhero going around the town and therefore wears shades, sunglasses, to look cooler.

So, well, let's briefly recap what we said so far.

I started from some real world examples, because I tought that in this way it would be easier to explain what the word "tamarro" means in Italian.

I did an example about cars, I did an example about clothes, and I explained that in both cases the "tamarro" aims at the most eye-catching versions.

Because the "tamarro" wants to be noticed, he wants that everybody looks at him and wants to stand out.

So in this case the key word is "eye-catching". The "tamarro" prefers eye-catching cars and pieces of clothing, but "eye-catching" in a negative sense. That is, a car that the others perceive as something flashy, in bad taste, gross, excessive, out of place. The same applies to clothes.

We made a comparison with a gentleman, with a classy person, who may spend more, but aims at a sober style, and tries not look excessive. The tamarro, instead, precisely wants to look like the coolest person in the world, no matter what.

So the "tamarro" essentially is some kind of show-off who wants to look like the coolest person in the world at all costs, cooler than the others.

So can say that, in a sense, a "tamarro" is a show-off. And he is kind of the opposite of a real gentleman, of a classy person. Why? Because he prefers an excessive and flashy style which appears in bad taste.

In other words, he does get noticed, but the others think: "Look at him! That's gross, that's in bad taste!"

Next, I said that the "tamarro" is not like this because he is eccentric and likes an eccentrical style. And he is not like this because he wants, so to speak, to be funny with his clothes, or to make a provocation.

Not at all. The "tamarro" is not someone with auto-irony who laughs at himself. Quite the opposite: the "tamarro" is someone full of himself that would never laugh at himself, because the "tamarro" essentially has a very high opinion of himself and thinks that he is some kind of superhero, the main character of an action movie.

I don't know if you remember those movies from the 80s, where there was a character, the main character, who came killed everybody, and solved all problems this way. Well, the "tamarro" essentially thinks that of himself, he thinks he is the tough guy of the day.

Alright! I hope that everything is clear and that this video has helped you better understand what the noun "tamarro" means.

Something I forgot to say is this. The word "tamarro" is somewhat playful, so it's not an outright offensive word. There's surely a playful component to it, so you can you it, for example, to joke with a friend of yours, you can tell him: "Ah, ma oggi ti sei vestito proprio da tamarro!"

It's not an offensive word. Because those who use this word make a somewhat ironic remark on the fact that the person called "tamarro" is in fact too full of themselves. So it's not an insult in the strictest sense, it's not an offensive word. Like I said, you can also use it playfully.

Well, that's it!

Please do something: in the comments below let me know if in your language too there's a similar word and if in your country there are such people, I mean, people that we call "tamarri".

If in your langauge there's a noun equivalent to "tamarro", please let me know that in the comments below, because I'm very curious. I'm curious because I don't know if it's something typical of the Italian language, or if in other languages as well there's a specific noun for this type of people.

Alright, that's it!

That said, till next time!

And may the Force of advanced Italian be with you!