fanfaluca

Italian

Etymology

Late Latin famfalūca, from Ancient Greek πομφόλυξ (pomphólux, “air bubble”). Cf. Old French fanfalue (“trifle”), French fanfreluche (“frill”).

Noun

fanfaluca f (plural fanfaluche)

1. bubble
2. nonsense, idle chatter
3. whim, fancy
4. (archaic) fragment of cinder rising from something that burns

Synonyms

• balla
• frottola
• panzana
• fola
• fandonia

Further reading

• fanfaluca in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana