Literal translation
to play at rat, at rat-bogeyman
Meaning
to play at flashing sunlight in someone's eyes with a mirror
Explanation
Gàrri means rat, but also, by extension, a whim or the jack in the game of boules, while babau denotes an insect or, more commonly, the bogeyman, the imaginary figure used to threaten children; juga à gàrri or juga à gàrri-babau thus literally means playing at rat or at rat-bogeyman, and concretely names the game of furtively flashing sunlight into someone's eyes, or onto a wall, with a mirror, to startle or annoy them. The link between the rat and this game of reflections is likely associative, the rat evoking a furtive, elusive presence that appears and vanishes, much like the projected spot of light, while babau adds the nuance of a startling or frightening effect comparable to that of the bogeyman. The word gàrri carries the stress on the a. The register is familiar and childlike, the expression belonging to the vocabulary of outdoor games traditionally played by Provençal children.