mamaluke meaning and pronunciation
Italian or Italian-American slang for someone who did something foolish or silly. Usually aimed at males, and usually not in an overly hostile manner. More a term to use with a friend or family member in a teasing way that may also be a veiled insult against their manhood.
When a father calls his son a mamaluke, the word is often followed by a swift palm-smack against the back of the head.
May have originally come from Mameluke or Mamluke - Arab mercenaries who were most powerful from about the 13th to 16th centuries. Napoleon used these cavalry warriors as well. Their uniforms; white turbans, vests, red pants and equally colorful boots, may well have spurred the foolish, silly and/or unmanly label.
mamaluke definition by Urban Dictionary
