Directed toward a child, mammone can sound quite sweet and affectionate, but as soon as you use it to describe an adult, it takes on a decisively pejorative flavour, calling to mind the good-for-nothing son who depends on his mollycoddling mother for everything.
A gatto mammone or gattomammone is a fantasy creature invented to scare children in fairytales. Mammone was also the word attributed to an unidentified species of monkey who, according to past rumours, was particularly ugly.
Finally, the word mammona also has another meaning linked to the Bible. It translates as mammon in English and refers to material wealth or possessions that are viewed as an evil influence. In this sense, the Italian noun can be either masculine or feminine.
The internal-combustion engine has done its bit for God as well asmammon. In 1870, with only 26 million people, Italy had 150,000priests; today there are more than 47 million Italians, but only 92,000priests. Even so, more people were baptized in 1955; more went toCommunion this Easter than ever in history. One reason : motorscooters.