mharrej مهرج
Tunisian Derja · noun
“mharrej” (مهرج) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning ridiculous, unserious person.
Meanings
- ridiculous, unserious person
- circus or show clown
Usage
Mharrej first means a clown, but it is mostly used pejoratively for someone you don't take seriously: a politician, a presenter or a public figure seen as ridiculous. It is used as a noun or as a predicate (houwa mharrej). The phrase ya3mel el mharrej means "to play the clown", that is, to make a spectacle of oneself. The feminine mharrja exists. The word is insulting without being vulgar. The nuance is often about a lack of seriousness or dignity, more than about humour.
Example
ما تعملش المهرج قدام الناس
ma t3amalch el mharrej 9oddem ennes
“Don't play the clown in front of people.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mharrej” but also “mharej”, “mharrij” and “moharij”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.