The word "minchiate" comes from a dialect word meaning "nonsense" or "trifle", derived from "mencla," the vulgar form of "mentula", a Latin word for "phallus". The word "minchione" is attested in Italian as meaning "fool", and "minchionare" means "to laugh at" someone. The intended meaning may be "the game of the fool", considering that the card "The Fool", also called "The Excuse", features prominently in the game play of all tarot games. In tarocchini, "sminchiate" is a signal used to communicate to a teammate.