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.
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 .[12][13]
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