badmouth
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badmouth
- /ˈbæd.maʊθ/
Where it comes from
Calque of a Mande term, perhaps Vai [Term?] or Mandinka [Term?], which entered English via Gullah [Term?]. Compare Japanese 悪口(わるぐち) (waruguchi, “badmouthing”), which is a compound of 悪(わる) (waru, “bad, wicked”) and 口(くち) (kuchi, “mouth”).
verb badmouths · badmouthing · badmouthed · bad-mouth
- To criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully. […] those cross-Atlantic aficionados who persistently idolize the British theater and bad-mouth Broadway.
