mondo
adverb
- From the title of the cult 1962 Italian documentary film Mondo cane, Italian for "A Dog's World", from mondo (“world”) and cane (“dog”). The film featured bizarre scenes, leading to English use of mondo as an adverb meaning "very, extremely" in mock-Italian phrases like mondo bizarro.
Wiktionary
adj
Etymology: From the title of the 1962 Italian cult documentary film Mondo cane, Italian for "A Dog's World", from mondo (“world”) and cane (“dog”). The film featured bizarre scenes, leading to English use of mondo as an adverb meaning "very, extremely" in mock-Italian phrases like mondo bizarro. Doublet of monde.
- Big, large; major, significant.
“[…] I mean, me bein' here has caused us some mondo problems, so I shoulda figured out that not bein' here anymore would cause some more problems — "”
“Younger gorgeous woman marries older, rich man, lives her life solely for him while reaping the bennies of mondo moolah only to end up dumped by older rich man for newer, younger model.”
adv
Etymology: From the title of the 1962 Italian cult documentary film Mondo cane, Italian for "A Dog's World", from mondo (“world”) and cane (“dog”). The film featured bizarre scenes, leading to English use of mondo as an adverb meaning "very, extremely" in mock-Italian phrases like mondo bizarro. Doublet of monde.
- Very, extremely, really.
“"This rain is mondo depressing," Sam sighed as she stared out the sliding glass doors that led to the Hewitts' deck.”
“This recipe, from someone who really knows her tiramisu, is mondo rich, utterly divine, and simple.”
noun
Etymology: From Japanese 問答 (mondō).
- A dialogue between master and student designed to obtain an intuitive truth.