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Umarell

Bolognese slang term From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Umarell
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Umarell (Italian spelling of the Bolognese Emilian word umarèl, Emilian pronunciation: [umaˈrɛːl]; plural umarî) are men of retirement age who spend their time watching construction sites, especially roadworks  stereotypically with hands clasped behind their back and offering unwanted advice to the workers.[1] Its literal meaning is "little man" (also umaréin).[2] The term is employed as lighthearted mockery or self-deprecation.

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Umarells observing re-paving at the corners of Palazzo Re Enzo and Via Rizzoli, Bologna, in 2016

The modern term was popularised in 2005 by local writer Danilo Masotti[3][4] through three books and an associated blog.[5][6] The word was included in the Italian Zingarelli dictionary in 2021[7][8][9][10][11] and in 2024 was included by Language Council of Sweden in the annual list of new Swedish words – the Språkrådets nyordslista [sv].[12][13]

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Instances of use

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In 2015, the city of Riccione, approximately 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of Bologna, allocated an €11,000 budget to pay a wage to umarells to oversee worksites in the city – counting the number of trucks in and out to ensure materials were delivered/removed according to the receipts, and guarding against theft when the site was otherwise unattended.[14] The town of San Lazzaro di Savena, 6 km (3+12 mi) to the South-East of Bologna, awarded the "Umarell of the year" prize to a local resident, Franco Bonini.[15][16]

In 2016, the local cultural association called Succede solo a Bologna ("It only happens in Bologna") released the "Umarèl card" as a fundraiser for continued restoration of the San Petronio church.[17][18] Separately, a mobile app called Umarells was released that tracked the location of ongoing roadworks and construction sites.[19][20] The fast food restaurant chain Burger King also "hired" several umarells as part of a social media marketing campaign promoting its increased presence in the country.[21]

In July 2017, the Bologna city council's "consultative commission for street naming" approved the naming of a public square to the East of the city centre in the Cirenaica district Piazzetta degli Umarells in recognition of the local fame of the concept and the name – noting with conscious irony that the square was under construction at the time.[22][23][24][25]

In April 2018, the public square was inaugurated by city councillor Matteo Lepore, the district president Simone Borsari, the "lord of the umarells" Franco Bonini, the stand-up comedian Maurizio Pagliari (Dulio Pizzocchi), and the writer Danilo Masotti.[26] A year later the street-sign for the square was stolen.[27]

In April 2020, the comic magazine Topolino dedicated an episode to the umarell Gerindo Persichetti.[28] In December 2020 in Pescara, the real estate developer Sarra installed windows to allow Umarells to observe three construction sites.[29][30] Since 2019, an annual calendar has been sold in Bologna newsstands. In 2021, a board game La Giornata dell’Umarell (An Umarell's Day) was released.[31]

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A construction site in Bologna with umarell observation holes for adults, children, and dogs.
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