Mumbo Jumbo is a West African word often cited by historians and etymologists as deriving from the Mandinka word "Maamajomboo", which refers to a masked male dancer who takes part in religious ceremonies. ... In its figurative sense, Mumbo Jumbo is an object of senseless veneration or a meaningless ritual.

Is Mumbo Jumbo offensive?

Given this history (and connection to eugenics), it's very offensive and ableist to compare someone you think is acting foolish to a person with a disability. There was hysterical laughter and bunch of mumbo jumbo coming from the peanut gallery.

What does Mumbo Jumbo mean Swahili?

June 7, 2016. You must have heard somebody refer to a confusingly sounding language as mumbo-jumbo. In Swahili, these two words have actually a real meaning: jambo (jum-boh) means "issue, matter, affair, etc." and mambo (mum-boh) is just its plural form.