Generally believed to be a portmanteau of "oba", Japanese for middle-aged woman, and "batarian", from "Battalion", the Japanese title for the film "Return of the Living Dead". Japanese obatarian behave in a manner not unlike flesh-eating zombies. The obatarian is selfish and unwilling to abide by or is oblivious of socially acceptable behavior. A typical obatarian is short, stout, wears a perm, and is dressed unfashionably (house slippers optional); she will elbow her way through crowds, refuses to wait in line, run for empty bus/train seats, is loud and loves sales. Some academics believe that the propensity for young Japanese women to transform into obatarian is the cause of Japan's declining birth rate.
A 66-year-old obatarian was arrested for assaulting a high school student who was occupying a priority seat on the bus.
by Nictos July 9, 2010
The pejorative obatarian is a pun between the Japanese word "obasan" (or old lady) and the English word "battalion".
The implication is that she is as polite and patient as a battalion of soldiers. Also, to a Japanese the term sounds like the name of an Anime superhero, whose energy the old hag possesses.
The previous definition was obviously written by someone whose knowledge of Japanese is limited to the word sushi. It's entirely wrong. And it's not true all Japanese words begin with a wovel. How about sushi?
The implication is that she is as polite and patient as a battalion of soldiers. Also, to a Japanese the term sounds like the name of an Anime superhero, whose energy the old hag possesses.
The previous definition was obviously written by someone whose knowledge of Japanese is limited to the word sushi. It's entirely wrong. And it's not true all Japanese words begin with a wovel. How about sushi?
True obatarians always enter a train running as fast as they can, trying to catch a free seat before the others.
by Urashima Taro January 8, 2006
(obsolete) Japanese children's slang circa 1990 for a pushy, rude, bad-tempered old (or middle-aged) woman.
From "oba" - grandmother, and "-tarian" - sounding like the kind of name an anime would give to a Godzilla-like creature.
From "oba" - grandmother, and "-tarian" - sounding like the kind of name an anime would give to a Godzilla-like creature.
by Observer54 November 29, 2006
Japanese idiom taken from the American movie "Battalion" (all Japanese words start with a vowel = "o", then sound out battalion without the L's); term used for little old ladies that use their elbows to work their way through a crowded place.
At the fish market, the obatarians relentlessly push their way through the crowd to the front of the line.
by BeccaR June 11, 2005