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In Bakemonogatari, Mayoi says a tongue-twister that goes

[code]

    「生ムミ、生モメ、生ママモ」
    
[/code]

("namamumi, namamome, namamamamo") then gets embarrassed because they sound
like another word. What's the reference they're making?


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question
japanese-language monogatari-series
Why does Mayoi get embarrassed about this tongue twister?


**Caution: the answer might be NSFW since it contains vulgar words.**

Here is the full dialogue by Araragi and Mayoi:

> 「では、生むみ生もめ生ままもと三回言ってください」  
>  「お前が言えてないじゃん」  
>  「生もめだなんて、いやらしいですっ！」  
>  「言ったのはお前だからな」  
>  「生ままもだなんて、いやらしいですっ！」  
>  「そのいやらしさは、僕にはわからないが……」
>
> Mayoi: So, say " _namamumi namamome namamamamo_ " three times  
>  Araragi: You can't even say it properly1  
>  Mayoi: _Namamome_ is lewd!  
>  Araragi: It's because you who says it  
>  Mayoi: _Namamamamo_ is lewd!  
>  Araragi: I don't understand what's lewd with that, though...
>
> (translated by myself, if there's an official translation of this dialogue,
> feel free to correct it)

_Namamumi_ doesn't exist in Japanese. The best Kanji representation is
生【なま】無味【むみ】, which means "raw tasteless".

_Namamome_ can be represented by 生【なま】揉め【もめ】, which means "bare (breast)
grope".

_Namamamamo_ is... well, that word also doesn't exist in Japanese, and also
meaningless. Even Araragi doesn't understand why Mayoi says that it's lewd.

* * *

1The original tongue twister is [生【なま】麦【むぎ】生【なま】米【ごめ】生【なま】卵【たまご】 ( _Namamugi
namagome namatamago_ )](http://www.punipunijapan.com/hayakuchi-kotoba-
namamugi/), which means "raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg". The one that Mayoi
says is when all the consonants are changed to " _m_ " (except the " _n_ " in
" _nama_ "). This is to simulate the pronunciation by very young child (e.g.
toddler) when their ability to speak is not well-developed yet.


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2020-06-17T09:17:53.303
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answer