Tag Archives: Italian language

The Name Game: “Il Famoso…”

When my husband was young (and probably still today), Italians played a verbal game in which you made up a name for a fictional somebody of a particular nation. The name had to sound authentic to the nationality chosen, and, of course, it had to be funny.

For example:

Il famoso tuffatore giapponese: Sezoki Maspinto.

The famous Japanese high diver: [Se so chi m’ha spinto] – If I know [knew] who pushed me!

La famosa prostituta greca: Mika Teladogratis.

The famous Greek prostitute: I’m certainly not going to give it to you free! (Mica = not a chance, no way.)

La famosa prostituta del Far West: Calatemi Jeans.

The famous prostitute of the [American] West: Take down my jeans. (A pun on Calamity Jane.)

Il famoso motociclista giapponese: Tofuzo Lamoto.

The famous Japanese motorcyclist: T’ho fuso la moto – I melted your motorcycle [engine].

Il famoso investigatore rumeno: Ora Lipescu.

The famous Rumanian investigator: Now I’ll catch them (li pesco – literally "I’ll fish them").

La famosa prostituta russa: Vagina Seminova.

The famous Russian prostitute: Semi-New Vagina.

Il famoso tuffatore arabo: Momeyet.

The famous Arab diver: Mo’ me getto – (in Roman dialect) – Now I’ll throw myself [in].

Il famoso spedizioniere cinese: C’hon Furgon Cin.

The famous Chinese courier: C’ho un furgoncino = I have a little van!

Got one to add? Aggiungete i vostri!

Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 12

Recent headlines from Sondrio:

Pavia: 4 students from the Sondrio area are robbed – The province: youth disagio, shock data from the Valley

Stop [serving] alcohol from 2 am in the discos: the owners won’t stand for it – Firemen at war with the city hall of Tresivio

Sondrio: [female] student hit [by car or other vehicle] in front of high school – Sondrio: a new political movement is born, here is the team – ask at the newsstand: Marilyn Monroe [a book or something being sold along with the newspaper]

Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 11

The above recent newspaper headlines in Lecco read:

Corruption in court: is it now the turn of professionals and banks? – Lecco [team] beaten at Leganano: third consecutive defeat

Manager attacked and “massacred” with blows in downtown Lecco [NB: He didn’t die – massacrato doesn’t mean killed.] – Young [man] found dead at Lecco [railway] station

A business committee steered the auctions [of public property, I think} – Bariffi murder. The suspect: “I know how Chiara died”

Attempted robbery of a [small house], night of fear in Castello [a neighborhood of Lecco] – another [city] councilor turns in his “pass” [parking pass?]

Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 10

left: The Financial Office inspects [under warrant] the offices of the Twinning Committee. (Throughout Europe you see signs upon entering towns and city saying “This town is twinned with…” followed by one or more names of towns elsewhere in the world. This twinning is used to promote cultural exchange and tourism, I’m not sure with what degree of success.) – Lecco [the team] warms its engines. Sunday to host AC Milan

center left: University student drowns in the lake – Real landslide during practice [This probably refers to practice runs by an Alpine rescue team. Some Italian hikers and climbers volunteer as part of these teams, and for the “Civil Protection” units, it’s part of their job.]

center right: Denounces: If you want to give birth without suffering, you must pay under the table. [Probably refers to the fact that an epidural during labor is far from standard practice in most Italian hospitals. This may be because there aren’t enough anesthesiologists able to administer one, and they are busy with emergencies and surgeries. Some say that it’s (also) because Italian culture and the medical establishment believe women should suffer in labor. Whatever the reason, it can be difficult or impossible to have an epidural for childbirth. If it’s possible to get one only by paying a bribe, well, that’s not good.] – Euthanasia or inexpertise? Manzoni’s doctor investigated.

right: Dead on a motorcycle: incredulity and pain [I don’t get the incredulity – people die on motorcycles frequently around here.] – Crowd on the lakeshore road for the air show.

Italian Animal Idioms

In Italian, as in any language, there are many popular sayings and metaphors using animals, based on human perceptions of those animals’ lives and habits.

Cats

It seems that, in Italian culture, the distinguishing feature of cats is their greed for food.

Non c’e’ trippa per gatti

“There’s no tripe for cats.”

This is used when there’s absolutely no hope that you’ll get what you want. I suppose tripe is considered something that cats would like, but humans (at least some Italians) also like it, and are not about to share it with mere felines. At the European football championships in Athens (spring 2007), a group of Italian Milan fans unfurled a banner saying (in English) “There’s no tripe for cats,” meaning that there was no hope for the other team to win, though probably only the Italians understood it that way.

Tanto va la gatta al lardo che ci lascia lo zampino

“The [female] cat goes so often to the lard that [sooner or later] she will leave her little paw [print] in it.”

In other words, the cat is so irresistibly attracted to the lard (to eat it), that sooner or later you will know exactly whom to blame: a habitual malefactor will eventually be caught. This reflects the fact that many criminals don’t seem to have much imagination, but keep exploiting the same formula over and over again, which makes it easier for the good guys to catch them.

Dogs

Dogs are known for not having easy lives. Which is certainly true in Italy – urban dogs become neurotic cooped up in tiny apartments, and when out for their walks are the targets of hatred from non-dog-owners, who know that most Italian dog owners will not clean up after their pets, rendering city streets disgusting and parks hazardous for children to play in.

Every year thousands of dogs (and cats) are abandoned on the roadsides by families who are going away for the usual long vacation and can’t think of anything better to do with them. At this time of year the newspapers are full of pious “moral campaigns” pointing out that this is hazardous to humans as well as cruel to the animals: lost dogs wandering onto highways cause traffic accidents.

It’s not surprising that in Italian, as in English, people refer to…

Una Vita da Cani

“A dogs’ life.”

Dirlo ai Cani e Porci

“Tell it to dogs and pigs.”

To broadcast something, probably someone’s personal news, to every possible listener, no matter how unlikely to be interested.

Birds

Conosco i miei polli – “I know my [own] chickens”. Used when you know someone so well that you can predict how they will behave in a given situation. My own speculations on the origin of this phrase.

I know I’m missing more animal idioms – feel free to add!