MyMemeCards editorial team
Watch the ref
Nobody has added this meme's ref yet. Got the original video or post?
In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Removing the Jaguar’s Spots” is a rare card of the Italian Memes pack, number 101 of the collection, and the 76th best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Removing the Jaguar’s Spots” meme mean?
You use it to mock a futile effort or a promise that goes nowhere. It also pokes fun at politicians’ twisted images and at the gap between big speeches and results.
Where does the “Removing the Jaguar’s Spots” meme come from?
Bersani was famous for earthy metaphors such as “pettinare le bambole” (combing dolls) and “smacchiare i giaguari”, both meaning a useless activity. A jaguar’s spots cannot be scrubbed out, which is the joke. The line spread in a duel of metaphors with comedian Maurizio Crozza on the show Italialand, around the end of 2012. At the 2013 general election his coalition narrowly won the Chamber but not the Senate, and the Five Star Movement became the largest party, so the jaguar line turned into a running gag about a victory that never came.
- 2012Bersani trades metaphors with Maurizio Crozza on Italialand and the jaguar line circulates.
- 2013General election: Bersani’s coalition narrowly wins the Chamber but not the Senate; he hands back his mandate to form a government on 28 March.
How to use the “Removing the Jaguar’s Spots” meme
- Trying to get this meeting moved is like smacchiare il giaguaro.
- We revised everything the night before the exam, so yes, another jaguar cleaned.
- Promising reform with no majority is smacchiare il giaguaro, parliament edition.
Also searched as
- smacchiare i giaguari
- pettinare le bambole
- smacchiare il giaguaro meaning
- Bersani jaguar metaphor
- Bersani Crozza jaguar
- smacchiare il giaguaro meme
- Bersani metaphors combing dolls
The “Removing the Jaguar’s Spots” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 101 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Rare |
| Collection | Italian Memes pack |
| Fame | 55/100 · #76 of 300 |
| Recycle value | 10 MemeCoins (30 in Shiny) |
How to get the “Removing the Jaguar’s Spots” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Removing the Jaguar’s Spots comes out of the Italian Memes pack as a rare card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 10 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Removing the Jaguar’s Spots”
More cards of the Italian Memes pack
Frequently asked questions
What does “smacchiare il giaguaro” mean?
It is a Bersani phrase for a useless activity, like trying to remove the spots from a jaguar.
Who said “smacchiare il giaguaro”?
Pier Luigi Bersani, then leader of Italy’s centre-left, known for colourful metaphors.
Why did it become a meme?
Because the victory expected in the 2013 election did not materialise and the phrase suits every joke about failure.
How do I get the Removing the Jaguar’s Spots meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Removing the Jaguar’s Spots” is a rare card of the Italian Memes pack. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Removing the Jaguar’s Spots card?
It is a Rare card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: Pier Luigi Bersani, Wikipedia (it) · checked on November 5, 2026.
Read next
Want Removing the Jaguar’s Spots in your collection?
Open your free pack: 5 meme cards, no account needed.