Query: alleged word "mingya"

[Peter Farruggio]

It comes from a Southern Italian dialect word for "penis"  I guess the
spelling would be "minghia" (stress on first syllable)  Italian Americans
have used it for several generations as a gross expletive for "Wow!" or
"Holy Sh*t!"

Pete Farruggio


'

At 05:23 PM 1/4/03, you wrote:

>   A friend sent me a query about an alleged word "mingya." Would
>anyone have any information about it? The query appears below my
>signoff.
>
>    Also, many thanx for the responses to my earlier queries.
>
>Gerald Cohen
>
>
>[Message I received on "mingya"]:
>
>>A bookselling colleague raised a question that none of us have been
>>able to answer. I have checked my etymologies and on-line sites with
>>no definitive answer. It may be entirely a regional use, but here
>>goes, in case you or someone else can supply an answer:
>>
>>>  i need a definition of the word 'mingya.'
>>>
>>>  it's a commonly used expression here in the Merrimack valley
>>>  and I would like to use it in a newspaper column for the new year.
>>>  however the editor/publisher has no idea what it means,
>>>  (not surprising)
>>>  and we would like to have some inkling.
>>
>>Any help appreciated!
>
>
>
>
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